For mums that breast fed then put their baby on to formula?

Question

Nikki- who are you to say i have to breastfeed. fyi i breast fed my first daughter for a year and am struggling this time because i'm not producing enough milk. not my fault!

Answer 1

I would give up on the formula and go back to just breast feeding on so many grounds, one being it will take too long to adjust and too much tummy ache for her and head ache for you

Answer 2

The reason your baby has a tummy ache is because you are feed her chemicals. Her sensitive system was not designed to digest that stuff. Have you looked at the ingredients in formula? I would not drink it. She will be happier and healthier if you just give her breastmilk. That is the whole reason you have b*****s, to feed your baby.

edit: I was not saying you have to breastfeed. Just that it seems like the best solution in my opinion. I did not know your reason for not breastfeeding. I'm sorry your milk supply is low. I'm sure that has been hard on you. I'm sorry I offended you.

Answer 3

I did the same thing when I had my daugher. She should get used to the formula within days but if you still have problems, try a different brand. I found SMA gave her very bad constipation but she got on much better with Aptamil. Every baby is different.

Good luck!

Answer 4

hi i breast feed for the 1st 5-6 weeks then my milk started to dry up so i gave my baby formula in the day and breast 1st thing in the morning(baby sleeps thro the night) at 3 months i have had to give up the breast altogether as baby is strugling to get any milk off me at all!!  it only took a bout a week for him to adust but i think moving him over to formula slowly helped.

Answer 5

Baby acne is common regardless of breast milk or formula. Of course breast milk is best, alot of mom have to use formula- no biggy. He will get used to it, he will spit up more often with it than with breast milk, but he is getting what he needs. Just check your bottles, make sure the hole in the nipple isn't too big and he is in a good position when he eats so he's not swallowing alot of air. Always burp. Good luck and congratz!

Answer 6

I did the same -- switched slowly to formula after 2 weeks of breastfeeding.  I found the first week very very hard as my son was very gassy and had tummy aches.  I cried and felt horribly guilty because he wasn't like that when I was exclusively breast feeding. But, we both slowly got over it, and things are better now.

Make sure to wind (burp) her fully after every feed.  Spend 15-20 minutes doing this even if she falls asleep.  Try a few different positions and keep rubbing/patting her back until the burps come out.   If you don't get them out while they are in her tummy they will work into her intestines and she will need to wait until they come out the other end -- ie/ farts! -- which can be more uncomfortable for some babies.

If she really is holding onto the wind, try using Infacol. It's about 3quid a bottle, available at supermarkets and chemists, and it works wonders!   It will take about 3 days to get into her system, and don't worry it is totally safe from birth - your midwife and health visitor will likely reccomend it.  You give a dropperful before each feed and it joins all of the small bubbles together to make bigger bubbles which are easier to burp out.  

If all else fails after a couple of weeks, try switching formulas.  Aptamil is generally the best, but just may not work for your baby.  There is more fibre in Aptamil than other formulas so perhaps it's running through her too quickly. Who knows!?  

As for milk spots, they are normal, all babies get them regardless of how they are fed. Don't pop them or try to get rid of them, they will go away on their own in time.  

And, finally, don't let the breast-is-best brigade get you down!  YOU are the only one who has to live with the choices of how you feed your baby, and you know what is best for you and your own situation!    

Answer 7

Hi, Well done! Even a couple of days milk is better than none. Mums are always made to feel guilty about this...but remember you have given your daughter the best possible start. Aptamil is supposed to be the closest thing to mothers milk, but formula is harder for babies to digest, Things will get easier. I was also having the same problem with my milk drying up with my 3rd baby who was premature. The Dr prescribed some Domperidone tablets. They are for stomach complaints but it has also been found to help increase mother's milk supply, so if you wanted to keep trying you could ask your Dr about it. Hope this helps:)

Answer 8

rather than formula with my 1st i extracted the milk and bottled it that worked fine no problems at all