Breastfeeding and Formula

Hi E.! :)

Congrats on your new baby and your success at breastfeeding! :)
I have gone through exactly what you are experiencing!
First of all, it is very normal for babies to wake up a lot during the night--even every hour for some young babies. It's just the way their bodies work and can't really be helped all that much by anything you do--including using formula. (The only reason formula can last longer is that it's harder to digest than breastmilk) I would highly suggest just taking him to bed with you or putting him in a co-sleeper next to your bed, then when he wakes up for feeding, pull him in next to you and breastfeed him while laying down. It takes a litle bit of practice to figure what positions work best for you but once I figured it out I would just latch her on and go right back to sleep. LOL! If he makes any sound or needs to burp--trust me--you will know and wake up. I've heard a lot of good things about this method and a lot of mommies said they got more sleep this way.
Regarding the throwing up--it's most likely that he's getting too much milk. When their little tummies (which are very tiny) get full--all it takes is some slight movement and up it comes! Then of course they are hungry again very soon because they threw most of it up. hehe! Babies get bored too just like us and it's entertaining as well as comforting to breastfeed. You can see how easy it is to overeat this way.
Now--I know you prolly don't want to hear the next part of this, so disregard it if you would like but know that I speak from experience. ;)
Do NOT if you can at all help it--give him a regular bottle. All it took was 2 times for my son to decided he never wanted to breastfeed again (age 4 weeks) and it happened again to my daughter at age 12 months (I had to get on anti-biotics and didn't want her comsuming them. All it took was a week of bottles with her and she was done with breastfeeding) Occasionally there will come a time when you do need to use one and in those cases I would highly recommend using a bottle called Adiri Breast Bottle. It's similarly shaped to the breast and comes out slowly. (Too fast and easy makes them start to prefer it over the breast)
I also recommend organic formula--as regular formula and cows milk comes from cow that are kept on anti-biotics and growth hormones, which are unhealthy for babies.
All in all--try to avoid bottles if you can. Breastmilk is sooooo much better for them and recent studies have shown that children continue to benefit from breastmilk up to 3 years of age! (Increased vision and immune system being just a couple of the benefits) Who wouldn't want to give that extra advantage to their child? I was heartbroken over not being able to breastfeed past 4 weeks with my first and very sad about my daughter stopping at 1.
But at least I learned a lot from it--including the fact that most anti-biotics are safe to take while breastfeeding and that all the details you need about them can be found through google. ;)

Once again congrats! :) and best of Wishes to you!
M.

he's still up that much because he still needs to eat that much and that often and he will NEED to feed that often up through the first three months maybe longer. anyone who tells you he should be sleeping through the night at this point doesn't have a clue. try keeping expressed milk on hand and trading off nighttime duty with him until he gets up to aout 6 hours of straight sleep without NEEDING to eat(about 4-6 months of age). i know it is hard. the first few months always are, but please stick it out for your son.

At his age, it's perfectly normal for him to wake up every 2 or 3 hours. Giving him formula isn't going to make him sleep more. If he's throwing up after nursing, it could be that he's eating too fast, or it could be that he's not latching on securely, and is getting a lot of air along with the milk. If it's a problem latching on or eating too fast, the bottle may just make it worse.
Sometimes it just takes them a little while to get the hang of it.

Hi E.,
I totally sympathize with you my baby was the same only slept for 2/3 hrs at a time and I would have to feed every 2/3 hrs,It's exhausting I know.I like you did start to give formula I used the Avent bottles and my Dr told me I could mix the breast milk with the formula which I did.The tops for the bottles have different sizes which I didn't know some are 1 hole on top some 2 and so forth....maybe you need a smaller top for the bottle so it doesn't flow out as fast.If it doesn't work and he is still vomiting then I would call my Dr maybe there is a specilist nurse there that can help you out,I know my breastfeeding specialist nurse was great.Good luck with it all and remember we must also look after ourselves something I think we as Mom's tend to forget.
A.

Hello E.,

I agree with the mommies that say " Just because you give formula, don't expect more sleep". THis is a common myth. SOme babies will sleep a bit longer but it is because the formula protiens are not as easily digested by the baby and therefore stay in the tummy longer making the baby feels full longer. Others might just keep getting up to eat at the same time anyway. Also, time away from the breast with a supplement is the beginning of weaning your baby. Giving him a bottles for him to get the hang of bottlefeeding is a good idea but you can use breastmilk that you have pumped. As far as how much a baby will take, bottles are easier and babies usually suck more out then they really need to. The worse that can happen is they spit it up. If your baby is gaining weight and having good heavy wet and dirty diapers spitting is not a problem. Please call the hospital in your area and speak to a lactation consultant or call the La Leche League for more info.

R. Riddick RN IBCLC RLC

I breastfed both my kids...for a lot longer than most women do :) My daughter slept through the night from the first day we brought her home from the hospital and my son didn't sleep 4-6 hours straight until he was over 4 mths old. Each child is different in their needs. Giving a bottle of formula is really good at night......with my son I would give him one around 11 and it helped him sleep longer.......just don't expect a miracle - your son won't go from sleeping 2-3 hours to sleeping the entire night. He may sleep 4 or maybe 5 hours straight but that is about it. He is at a stage when he needs more food more frequently because he is growing so fast......unfortunately for Mom....this means little of no sleep at times. One thing I did was ask my mother-in-law to stay with my son for a night once a week and I also got my husband involved in the bottle feeding during the night. I was told not to use Soy based formulas. I used Enfamil Lipil. I used ventair bottles because they let the excess air out.........or else it ends up in your babies stomach and if he doesn't burp he will throw it up. My son was a hard to burp kid - it usually took him about 30 minutes after his feeding to get him to burp. Dr. helped me solve this by burping him every 10 minutes of feeding. it helped but not too much. I also put a pillow under the head part of the mattress and that seemend to help with any throwing up as well. Try these things.....it is all trial and error at this point. If it works great - but remember just because it worked for other people doesn't mean it will work for you so just keep trying and see how it works best for you and baby. I had mine in a crib right beside my bed for the first 6 mths - it was easier to breastfeee this way..........Also he may not be getting enough milk......how are you breatfeedindg?? I was always told and read to keep them on one breast for 10 minutes and then go to the other........fact is once I started giving him only one breast per feeding - 20-25 minutes - he started sleeping longer. The lactation specialist told me that this was the correct way to feed a baby as the thick milk comes out only after teh first 6-8 minutes......try different things until you get what works for you and your baby.
God bless you guys - hope one of these ideas works for you.

He may be throwing up because he is getting too much milk. Bottles are much less work than breasts. I've always liked the Avent bottles, available at Target. Also, the nipples are more like the breast and may help prevent nipple confusion. Be sure to use the number 1 or number 2 nipple. The nipples will have age recommendations on the package. I would start him on a milk-based formula with DHA, such as Enfamil or the generic. If he doesn't tolerate it well you can switch to a formula that has the proteins broken down, such as Gentlease or Nutramigen. Most babies are able to tolerate the regular formula well and it is the recommended choice when not feeding breastmilk.
If you give him formula during the evening and middle of the night feedings, he should start sleeping a bit longer, usually 4-5 hours at a time. Formula is harder to digest than breastmilk so it sticks with them a little longer. But, if you want to keep your milk supply up, you should pump each time you feed him a bottle. Or, if you are planning to stick with this schedule for the long haul, there is no need to pump. Your body will adjust to only breastfeeding during the day and you will produce less milk.
Hope this helps! Good luck....it can be so difficult those first few months when you're not getting much sleep! But, this will pass and I swear after about six months it gets so much easier.

Hi, I am not going to spout off advantages or disadvantages of either breastfeeding or bottle feeding! That decision must be yours alone! The only suggestion I am going to make is that you find a nipple whose peak is shaped like his "passy" (if he uses one), that will be the nipple he will stick with best, and THEN pick the bottle that fits that nipple! Millions of babies were raised on bottles without "special" bags etc. Make your decisions about your child based on what you feel is best for him. With quantities, I agree with another lady, start with two ounces, if he seems to want a little more, give him 1 oz at a time extra, burping and checking to see if he's satisfied. God Bless!

Hi, E.
I definitely can relate to the spitting up part of your story. I attempted to breastfeed/pump for my kids, to no avail. The longest I went was 3 wks of pumping with my son. My daughter was a spit up baby and we went through every Enfamil formula out there and ended up with Nutramagen. When I finished pumping for my son, I went straight to Nestle Good Start and it has really been a blessing. I tried this because of a suggestion from a friend of mine. As far as how much, I'm not sure. All I can say is try a few ounces in a bottle and burp him often in between until you think he's had enough. I personally liked the Avent bottles the best for my baby. I hope you get some helpful information, as I know how tough it is but also the importance of breastfeeding. Good luck to you and your son!

E., Just know that once you start giving him bottle that is the start to stopping nursing. I had that same problems with my son. You should try just using regular formula...Enfamil Lipil and try using Dr. Browns bottles or the playtex nurser. These both help with the spitting up. Your son may also just spit up more once on the bottle. My second son did. I switched him around 6/7 wks and once on the bottle full time he became a spitter. Doctor says that he justs spits. My first son did too. It is frustrating but hamrless as long as they are gaining wait. Hope this helps! :)

Congratulations!!
i just started back to school, so i also had to check into bottles and formula. my son is 4 months and when i'm home he is breastfed but for when i'm not my pediatrician recomended similac advanced in a Dr. Browns bottle. i find that while the Dr.Browns bottle are great he also likes any of the orthodontic shaped nipples. i hope this short and sweet advice helps, if not talk to your peditrician and see what they say.

Hello E. and congrats and your new bundle of joy. I breastfeed my little boy (now 3) for the first two months then I pumped for a month after that and fead him with the Playtex Drop Ins. It's the ones that has the liners. You can push all the air out which is very good! If they suck in too much air that will make them spit up and also if the nipple is too big and he's getting too much at one time, that will make him spit up as well. Most nipple have an age group on the packaging. Make sure it is age appropiate. Anyway, hope that helps and good luck! By the way, I am a mother of two (14 & 3) both boys, and I am 33 years old. Just so you know where this onfo. is coming from. Thanks!

Hi! I did this with all 3 of my children and think it is a good idea so when you transition from breastfeeding to formula, they are used to it. I found that soy formula was a lot more gentle on their bellies, and actually started using parent's choice (at Walmart). Their soy formula is a lot cheaper than the Isomil we were using. Also we used the playtex bottles (with the bags to get the air out) and the natural latch nipple. I believe it says "lente" on it, which is slow flowing. There was never any nipple confusion with my 3, and I can't remember exactly how much they drink at that age, but I'd probably start with 2 ounces, and you'll probably be able to tell if he's still hungry or not. As far as it helping him sleep, it helped my first, buy seemed to not make a difference with my other two, but it was good for going out, if you're in a hurry and don't have a way to warm up your pumped milk. You just use one scoop of formula, and i always added 2 ounces of warm tap water. Easy! And they never had a hard time transitioning. Actually, my youngest, I only nursed 3 months because he really liked the bottle. So instead of pumping just to give him a bottle, i just switched to formula. But my daughter I breast/formula fed for 6 months. Good luck, hope this helps.

Hi E., I breastfeed my oldest daughter until she was 13 mos. I did have to give her bottles of expressed milk. When we tried formula as a supplement with her she threw it up also. But she would also over eat on the breast and throw up. Our peditrician said she had reflux which could be part of your problem. Eventually we had to just start adding a little cereal to the expressed breast milk to help her go longer between feedings. If you are using a soy based formula you may want to try a milk based formula. The formula we used was soy based and both of my girls couldn't take that. My second daughter was only able to breast feed for about 6-8 weeks due to muscle problems. So do the best you can. Some breast feeding is better than no breast feeding in my book. Hope this helps.

Hi E. nice to meet you, I'm also E.. I breastfed my daughter with a formula supplement because I didn't produce my milk till she was 3 days old. They gave me the supplement at the hospital. Similac Advanced. It was great because her daddy was able to join in on the feedings. When she was 5 months old she quit on her own. As young as your son is he may only drink like 2 or 3 ounces during one feeding. Make sure you burp him good or he will spit up. If the spitting up is still happening and you are burping him good, then you may need to change your formula. His tummy may not be able to handle it. Everything will come to ya hun. The first time around is great. Just wait till the 2nd one comes, I'm still waiting. That sould be a blast.

I hate the word 'strictly' - that's for codes of conduct, pay rates and law enforcment...not for growing babies...

Are you using a bottle with collapsible liners? this reduces the amount of air he would swallow and therefore reduce burping / gas...

check the formula you're using...I used Good Start with my kids...(after I could no longer breastfeed...) there might be something better on the market now..

If its truely uncomfortable - check with your pediatrician about possible allergies...or intolerances... he/she may recommend a specific formula...

Don;t beat yourself up if you can't breastfeed forever...I had to switch to formula before I really wanted to...but you do what you need to for the baby's health and for yours...

Relax...having a baby is stressful enough.

Same thing with sleep...it might be a while...
EVERY BABY IS DIFFERENT...You are learning as much if not more 'from' your baby than your baby is learning from you.

Have a soothing routine for bedtime and when he wakes in the middle of the night repeat it the routine... I sang ALOT to my kids...puts them right out...still helps today and their 8 & 6.

good luck - keep learning/researching
M.