Breast feed and formula feed? what do you think?

Question

my 4month old has breast only once in the night. formula fed through day. we had problems right from the start with feeding had lactation consulatant to help but was not resoved. any way i figure at least he still gets some breast. what are your thoughts experiences on this topic?

Answer 1

I am a breastfeeding mother of a 5 month old. He never took the bottle. Now I am trying to give him the bottle which is hard. Its good what you are doing. There is not a problem with what you are doing. I am amazed your 4 month old is taking both. Do what works for you and especially your baby.

Answer 2

I could only breastfeed my little boy up to about 6 weeks of age (and only partially - 20% breast the rest formula). My milk never really came in either. He received the colostrum from my milk each feed which is the best of it anyway so I figured as long as he was getting this for the short amount of time I breast fed him, it would be ok.

Its hard not to worry or be disappointed but some is better than none so stick with it :0)

Answer 3

I think you should do whatever works best for you and your child.  There will be lots of people that are extremely opinionated on the topic, but in the big scheme of things, as long as your baby is being fed, that's all that matters.  Everything else is your business.

Answer 4

Some is definitely better than none.

Answer 5

I really think you should do whatever is best for you. Breast is better for the baby so I agree sure some is better then none.  

Answer 6

I agree with other people who have said that you should do what's best for you. Breastmilk do have a whole heap of advantages that formula doesn't have, so it's great that you're supplementing your child's formula with breastmilk.

This website has a lot of information on both breastfeeding and formula, if you're interested: http://www.kidspot.com.au/subsection+41+...

Answer 7

keep breastfeeding, the more you do it the easier it gets!  Try on both sides for about 5 minutes each, if you continue to do less and less the more engorged your gonna get and harder it will be for you to nurse.  the more the baby eats or tries to eat the more the milk will come and the easier it will get.  I know its hard i nursed three babies and had problems each time but keep at it, it will get easier.  I would also try to get ahold of another lactation consultant and see if someone else can help you, you already know breastfeeding is very important, just keep at it.  I had to have a lactation consultant come to my house and help me i got so engorged my baby couldn't even latch on but she showed me some techniques that really helped!  Good luck and keep trying its the best for both of you!

Answer 8

I breast fed my baby until she was a little over a year.  It was a struggle for the first two months, but then it got easier.  She was never formula fed.  Breast milk is said to be better for babies, but so many babies are on formula and turn out just fine.  You have to find out what works for you and your baby.  If this routine is working the best for you and your baby then it must be fine.  

Answer 9

I think you should do whatever works best for you and your child, and that breastfeeding is better than formula but like i said do what is best for you and your child.

Answer 10

I see why not. I did both with my youngest son. He got breast and formula. He a healthy four year old boy now and be coming a big brother soon. My breast milk wasn't feeling him up so he was getting formula after he got the breast. I see nothing wrong with that.

Answer 11

Some is better then none but I also think that you shouldn't worry yourself about this.  The most important thing for the baby is for you to  be relaxed and comfortable.  If you are stressed then the baby will be as well.  Don't listen to people who say that you are doing the wrong thing by bottle feeding.  There are plenty of bottle fed babies that do quite well in this world.  My two were breast feed and refused to take a bottle so I had the other problem of them only wanting me.  I think that you are doing a brilliant job in trying to do whats best for your baby.  Just remember happy mum happy baby.

Answer 12

Obviously, being fully breastfed would be the better option...but, as you said, some is better than none.

It is great that you tried to give breastfeeding a go, and it obviously hasn't worked as well as you would like it to, but the fact that you are still trying i think is great.

One question though...does your baby latch at night, or do you give expressed at night? Do you still offer the breast during the day at all?

Answer 13

Yes, I agree with another poster, you do what's best for YOU. I really wanted to breastfeed but I was by myself and I was too exhausted. My daughter drank formula from the time she was 6 weeks old and she's perfectly healthy now. I do feel that the breast is best but sometimes it's just not possible. And there are a lot of people who will try to tell you you are a bad parent for not breastfeeding. But no one wanted to babysit, so there ya go.  

Answer 14

Any breast milk is better than none.  I am all for breast milk if at all possible- 1 its better for the baby by far and 2 it helps you to lose weight MUCH faster and easier.  I wonder if you have tried pumping the milk from your breast and feeding it to him in a bottle.  This would work if he is having trouble latching on or whatever, however not so much if the problem is that you don't have/don't have adequate milk.  

My advice, keep trying.  Milk is supply and demand, so if you keep pumping or letting his suckle, it will come!