Breastfeeding

[ChristinaGM]

Hi mums! 👋 I am currently exclusively breastfeeding my 3 weeks old daughter, but I was thinking to introduce formula as well for when I need to be away for a little longer and have to let some food for her. I tried pumping, manual and electric pump, but I am not able to get out more than 30 ml at once. Did anyone did the same? What you experienced when introducing formula?

[Seb9]

I hated pumping and could never seem to find the time to do it. So we just used the little pre-made bottles for if I was going out. It was really simple no worries about how to make it up and when we tried the powder we just didn't get through it quick enough and to you have to throw it out after a month.

I got my husband to give the bottle so she'd take it from him fine, he would pace feed it and we used the slowest test so she had to work hard to get the milk so she didn't get a bottle preference. Sometimes if I'd been out, I'd need to pump a bit when I got home as I'd be a bit engorged or I would give baby a dream feed if she was asleep to try and get her to drink some off me.

I didn't start it till she was a couple of months old so my supply was fairly regulated by then so we didn't have too much trouble switching between bottle and boob 😁

[Octoberbaby2019]

Hi there, I had the same issues pumping. My son had a tongue tie which we got cut at 4 weeks and then I waited until 8 weeks and by then he refused the bottle and dummies. So id do it somewhere between 4 and 6 weeks which I recall reading online. You could also ask your HV for advice. Good luck x

[Bigblueskies]

Pumping is difficult in those first couple of months! I struggled but at around 6-8 weeks it got much better. I never expected it would take that long to get breastfeeding to a good level. I would say avoid formula or bottles before your milk supply stabilises because it is all driven by the baby’s demand. I wouldn’t do it before 6-8 weeks but good to get baby used to it before they are older. We tried to introduce formula later at around 6 months and she wouldn’t take any. She scrunched her face at the smell. I wasn’t too bothered as I could pump enough by that point and the feeds get much faster and less frequent. You will get much more freedom even if you exclusively breastfeed by around 3-4 months, feeds get down to 10min and just a few times a day. Those first few weeks are really really tough!

[LB1234]

Hi, I don't think 30ml is low for a 3w old - remember how small her tummy will still be. Your supply will increase as she gets bigger. Think my daughter was about 8 weeks when we first gave her a bottle but I always found I had to express around the same time so ended up just using expressed milk rather than formula.

[Natasha213]

Hay, like LB1234 said that's not a small amount if EBF. At 3 weeks a baby isn't able to eat much but the breastmilk is higher in calories. If you want to build up supply it's best to express straight after feeding or an hour before and I found it best early in the morning. I know it's hard in the beginning but it will get easier x

[HelloSW]

The more you pump and baby feeds your supply with increase. And baby might not take it so I’d suggest trying pumped/formula before you leave. My baby takes pumped milk in a bottle on the odd occasion I’ve given it but the first time I left him he screamed for over an hour and I had to come home!

[Chloe0789]

Your not supposed to pump until after 6 weeks

[Valerie1900]

Hello, i had very same issue. I fed my one wuth formula and also was pumping so almost every 2-3 hours i was pumping to increase supply it wasn't easy but i really wanted my baby have breastmilk soni didn't give up, on month 3 i was pumping 150 ml each. Also i gote fennel tea from Holland and Barrett and made sure i eat fattier food like meatballs, lamb soup that usually makes milk also fatter ( i seen difference between when i ate different meals).Miat important don't give up on it.

[Chloe0789]

I think your better off joining breastfeeding yummy mummy’s on fb, they will be able to advise you

[ADC2019]

I did a breast feedinv course and was told not to try pumping until after 6 weeks as your milk supply is not fully established til then as baby does not need as much. I cant answer question re formula but I would say if you do want to try to express to wait until 6 weeks and try again and hopefully you get more