Ladies, questions about breastfeeding AND formula, please ? ?

Question

Hi ;) I am 33 weeks pregnant and I intend to breastfeed. But I would like my boyfriend to give the baby 1 bottle a day, as soon as we can, to get her used and give him this "bond". When can the baby start drinking in a bottle? I already bought bottles specifically to "reproduce" breast feeding and diminish odds of nipple confusion (Avent, which I heard are the best)...

Also, do I really have to express my milk or can I give just 1 bottle of formula per day? I don't think it would affect my baby's health much if I breastfeed for all the other feedings (she'll get supplements), but will it "dry out" my natural "milk supply"??

I am a full time student at the master degree and I intend to go back to class as soon as I can. My bf has a "paternity leave" of 3 months, so he'll be home with baby during my class. I have 1 class per week and it lasts 3h, so he will need to feed her during the class, one way or an other. Of course formula would be easier, would give me a break as I wouldn't have to pump and I wouldn't have to buy one of those expensive breast pumps ... What is your best advice?

ps : I am not underage (I'll be 26 yrs old soon) and we are not married by choice only... ;) please no judgements.

Answer 1

"I would like my boyfriend to give the baby 1 bottle a day, as soon as we can, to get her used and give him this "bond"."

There are plenty of ways for them to bond without him intruding on his baby's feedings.

Giving a bottle of formula a day to your baby is not a good idea, and is completely unnecessary.

If you are there to breastfeed, you should breastfeed.

"If mom is using formula to supplement breastfeeding, she is telling her body, with every ounce of formula, to make less milk. Her body is not receiving all the signals it needs to make the perfect quantity for her baby, if she is interfering with those signals"

http://www.drjaygordon.com/development/b...

If you are going to be gone for only 3 hours out of one day per week - you do not need to supplement with formula, and you likely don't need a breast pump - some women find it very easy to express their milk by hand.

If you feed your baby well before you leave, s/he will not require much milk while you are gone, if any.

Answer 2

The thing is(many woman have told me in another question)you shouldn't give your baby formula because then you will skip a which might affect your milk production.You should pump and give your breastmilk in a bottle.My daughter took those bottles very well and with breast milk you wont skip meals and your milk production will not diminish

Answer 3

No bottles before 4-8 weeks and preferably never.  If someone other than mom needs/wants to feed baby there are plenty of better ways to do so.  Bottles increase the risks of ear infections, gas, speech, and jaw problems -regardless of what is in them.  For at risk and premature babies bottles increase the risks of apnea and heart beat irregularities.  Cup, paladai and syringe feeding are safe for all babies, have none of the negative effects of bottle feeding and won't cause "nipple confusion".

Yes many babies do "just fine" with one bottle of formula per day.  But any formula at all changes the pH and flora of the babies digestive system for about two weeks.  Some babies have no problems with formula, but for some even a few bottles can cause a serious allergic reactions.  

Breast pumps are NOT as expensive as formula.  Lets assume that you give ONLY one bottle per week.  Particularly if you are giving bottles every day.  There is also a good chance that you are going to need to pump while you are away from baby or else you will leak everywhere or worse get plugged ducts (painful).

http://www.dy-dee.com/html/dad_and_baby....

Before a baby is born, many couples are concerned that if they breastfeed, dad will be left out of the parenting.  Many parenting books, pediatricians and other experts often suggest that father give one feeding each day of pumped breastmilk or artificial baby milk to ensure that dad is part of the relationship.  This practice, which may undermine breastfeeding, disregards all of the other wonderful ways that daddy can be a part of a baby's life.

http://www.mother-2-mother.com/just_for_...

Did you know that Dad's role in caring for the baby is often misunderstood? Some say that a father cannot bond with his baby if he doesn't help in feeding the baby. There is so much more to nurturing a baby than just feeding.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

In fact, did you know that Dad is the first person to demonstrate to baby that food does not always equate love.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Dads can often enhance bonding by:

*Having eye-to-eye contact

*Taking their babies for walks

*Holding baby close and talking to him or her. (when baby is fussy, often the sound of Dad's voice and his touch will calm baby down)

*Rocking, cuddling, playing and bathing the baby

*Changing and burping the baby

Yes! Just 'one' bottle of formula will hurt.

http://www.got-breastmilk.org/Onebottlew...

Supplementation of the Breastfed Baby

“Just One Bottle Won’t Hurt”---or Will It?

http://www.health-e-learning.com/article...

Did you know...

That just one bottle can have serious consequences for both the mother and baby?

http://www.breastfeeding.org/bfacts/bott...

The Case for the Virgin Gut

Even the Occasional Bottle of Formula Has Its Risks

http://www.breastfeed.com/articles/issue...

Contaminants In Infant Formula

http://www.naba-breastfeeding.org/images...

Known Contaminants Found in Infant Formula

http://web.archive.org/web/2007050303124...

Answer 4

You are going to get many different opinions on here. Some people are very, very adamant about breastfeeding.

I personally feel that a bottle of formula here and there will absolutely not harm a baby. After a few weeks I could produce enough milk to feed my daughter and I always ended up supplementing 1 ounce formula to 3 ounces breast milk. My daughter handled it just fine.

My only concern would be that your daughter may get a tummy ache from the sudden change from breast milk to formula. I would try it a couple of times and see what happens. If she does get a tummy ache, you can try supplementing formula into each serving of breast milk. Also, if you're only planning on pumping once a day, a hand pump would be very effective and they usually run around $50.

Good luck!

Answer 5

there is nothing wrong with giving both breastmilk and formula. i had to do this with my son for the first month because i didnt produce enough milk on my own to fill him up but i didnt want to use only formula either.

Answer 6

It is best to wait until around 4-6 weeks before introducing a bottle.  

It's best to give pumped milk, but if you can't pump, then a single bottle of formula is acceptable.  Just keep an eye on your supply because in some women, even skipping one feed a day (esp. early on) can compromise their supply.

(If you don't want to pump, for ONE small bottle a week, you could probably just hand express milk.  Even if you can only express a little at a time, by the end of the week you'd have enough for the bottle. Or, you may find that baby is willing/able to go 3 hours once a week, and will just nurse a bit more often the rest of the day to make up for it.)

Answer 7

I breastfed my 2nd in the hospital but she had a problem keeping up her blood sugar so they started supplementing with formula in a bottle there. I was still able to breastfeed when we got home plus give her a bottle of formula here and there with no trouble. she was also small so in order to gain weight she needed to do it. So i dont see why u should have any trouble formula feeding once a day or week or whatever.  

Answer 8

"Also, do I really have to express my milk or can I give just 1 bottle of formula per day? I don't think it would affect my baby's health much"

This is not true; exclusive breastfeeding offers health benefits that mixed feeding does not.

Of interest:

http://www.salon.com/mwt/feature/1999/07...

http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/milk/i...

Answer 9

I do still recommend pumping, because it will help to keep your supply up and you do not need to buy a $300 Medela pump to express milk. Choosing to supplement would cost you more in the long run anyway, as formula is not cheap and you should not use a can that has been opened longer than one month because the fats begin to break down.

Anytime you supplement, you are telling your body to produce less milk than it would have otherwise. That being said, if you are comfortable supplementing with formula, it is certainly your perogative to do so. Many people will tell you that it is bad to give formula, but I think that each person has to do with what works for their lifestyle and only you can determine what is best.

Congratulations on your new addition!

Answer 10

Any time you supplement with formula - your supply will go down unless you pump when you supplement.  Plus - seriously good luck getting your baby to agree to that arrangement.  My daughter was strictly breastfed for 6 months.  She hated formula - would not drink it no matter what.  I slowly started mixing formula and breastmilk together.  We did that for a couple of months, then strictly all formula for 2 months until she turned 1 year.  She self-weaned herself when she was 10 1/2 months old.  

I suggest that you buy a pump (they are worth the money)  - even if you don't use it to express for feedings, you will need it to ease engorgement.

I would pump every time she feeds, freeze your milk, and have your bf give her a bottle of expressed breastmilk when you are away.  It sounds more complicated than it is.  But trust me - it's the easiest way.  You do not want to get your baby confused.  Breastmilk is best.

Answer 11

It all depends on your baby really.  My son was a breastfeeding champ at the hospital - he latched on in the recovery room after my c-section.  The nurses were amazed at how good he was since some babies really struggle.  Therefore we didn't have any nipple confusion (we are lucky there).  I give him both breastmilk and occasional formula in a bottle without any problems.  

I haven't had any problem with diminishing milk supply - but some women have had a decrease in supply from skipping just one feeding.  However, if you are pumping during the missed feeding you really shouldn't have too many problems.  Keeping yourself hydrated with LOTS of water is important in keeping your milk supply up.  Waiting at least 4 weeks after the delivery before introducing the bottle or formula helps you establish your milk supply, diminishes the risk of nipple confusion, and if you were going to use formula that early - would reduce any stomach upset that formula may cause your baby.  My son tolerates Nestle Good Start fine when he does gets a supplemental bottle of it.

I know I will get a ton of "thumbs down" from the exclusive breastfeeding posse - but formula is not evil.  Breast milk is best, but formula is not the product of satan.  I, along with millions of others didn't end up stupid or sick because our mom's gave us formula.  I hate the guilt that other mothers put on a new mom over this subject.  

I had to be away for longer than expected one day when my son was 5 weeks old - my husband used up the milk that I had pumped for our baby before leaving, but then he needed another feeding.  What were we supposed to do?  Let our baby go hungry rather than give him some formula?  But I was made to feel like c**p by a so-called friend, because I had "poisoned" my child with formula as she put it. You will have enough on your plate with grad school and a new baby - don't burden yourself with a guilt trip from women who look down their noses at you.

So onto the positive... kudos to you for planning to breastfeed!  And kudos on wanting your boyfriend to have bonding time with the baby during feeding time as well.  My husband loves his feediing times with our baby.

I need a double electric pump for my full days away from home (for grad school as well), but I also have a great manual / handpump (Medela Harmony - $35).  It sounds like a manual pump would be perfect for your needs.   If your class is just once a week for 3 hours you can probably avoid formula and pump the feedings you will miss - especially the first few months when they only eat 3-4 oz a feeding.

Congrats on the new baby and good luck in school!

Answer 12

First of all, don't let anyone tell you that you HAVE to do things one way or another.  The only thing that you should be aware of is that all experts agree that breastmilk is the best source of nutrition for the baby.

I worked in a lab after I delivered my firstborn, and the politics there were such that I was allowed to pump only a few times a day over the course of a 10 hour shift.  So, my milk supply was not what was hoped for.  My husband is disabled, so he stayed home with the baby.  I nursed when home, he gave the pumped milk when it was available, and we provided formula for the remainder of the feedings.  My daughter was healthy as a horse, and didn't get a cold or flu until she was about 2 and was being weaned.  Not even an earache!  And, she never had a problem moving between nipple and bottle.

That being said - some kids have trouble moving between nipple and bottle.  Some have problems with certain types of formula.  Feel free to try several different types of bottles, as well as different types of formulas.  Sometimes, just switching brands is enough.  And don't let the "breastfeeding n***s" tell you that you are a bad mommy for doing it this way.  You are just like thousands of other mothers who are working to support the family (or going to school, in your case).  You are planning on doing the best you can, given the circumstances of today's living.

(For the record - I just gave birth to triplets!  I am pumping like a fire engine while they are in NICU.  I plan to nurse them when they come home.  But, realistically, I have doubts about being able to keep up with milk for them.  I plan on trying as hard as I can, but if I have to feed formula occasionally, then so be it.)

Answer 13

I have a 6 week old who is breast fed, and my husband gives him one bottle a day of expressed breast milk, usually about 3 oz. Although expressing milk is a pain, even giving one bottle of formula can affect your milk supply. I have a Medela manual pump that I use regularly, and I also rented a professional grade pump that I use occasionally. I have no problem pumping enough for a daily feed using the manual pump, so it may not be necessary to buy or rent an expensive pump. I find that my supply is highest at night, and it doesn't take long to pump a small bottle.

By the way, I tried several bottles before I found the Avent bottle, which is the only bottle that my baby will take. The other bottles/nipples were too fast for him. I still use the newborn nipple (very slow flow) which he prefers and he shows no signs of nipple confusion. In fact, he breast feeds better since we started using the bottle. We started him on the bottle at about 4 weeks - I've heard that any later then the baby may refuse to take a bottle. Also, our baby will only take very warm expressed milk out of a bottle.

Good luck!