Dumb formula question

Re: Dumb formula question

• ziggy903 member

  May 2014 edited May 2014

  You can mix them both in the same bottle, yes.
  But do not use breastmilk instead of water. That will, essentially, make it double the caloric value(and dangerous for baby!)
  
  ETA: if you're planning on mixing them in the same bottle, I would make the formula and then pour the breastmilk in.
  And, to be a special snowflake, I did mix formula powder into my breastmilk when we first came home. We were fortifying it to give it more calories because preemie. We were doing it with doctors orders though, that makes a difference!

  
  
  

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• Codypup member

  May 2014

  Thanks Zig! So basically, I make a formula bottle the normal way, and then add breastmilk to it afterwards. 

  
  

  We just started this supplementing thing, so I'm still figuring it all out.

  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

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• ziggy903 member

  May 2014

  Codypup said:

  Thanks Zig! So basically, I make a formula bottle the normal way, and then add breastmilk to it afterwards. 

  
  

  We just started this supplementing thing, so I'm still figuring it all out.

  Yup, sounds right to me!
  Are you only feeding pumped milk or still at the breast too? To start, I might just feed the breastmilk in the bottle/at the breast and then offer formula to "top her off"
  ...I don't supplement, so I'm not a pro here. Are they thinking she just needs to be offered more milk?

  
  
  

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• Codypup member

  May 2014

  ziggy903 said:

  Thanks Zig! So basically, I make a formula bottle the normal way, and then add breastmilk to it afterwards. 

  
  

  We just started this supplementing thing, so I'm still figuring it all out.

  Yup, sounds right to me! Are you only feeding pumped milk or still at the breast too? To start, I might just feed the breastmilk in the bottle/at the breast and then offer formula to "top her off" ...I don't supplement, so I'm not a pro here. Are they thinking she just needs to be offered more milk?

  @ziggy903

  
  

  Honestly, we're not sure what they think, because my pediatrician hasn't been consistent in his advice or opinions. (We're most likely in the process of switching doctors.) 3 weeks ago I mentioned being worried about her weight, and he said she was perfectly fine, would gain when we started solids at 4 months, etc etc. Then when I called on Monday. he jumped to the GI specialist route, told me that rice cereal wouldn't help, and didn't bring up the option of supplementing until I suggested it myself.

  
  

  So, I did my research, and talked to all sorts of people. Because I had been exclusively breastfeeding, we think we overestimated the amount of milk she was actually drinking. I did some weighted feeds and found out her amounts totally varied -- some feeds were 4oz, some were only 1oz. If you give her a bottle, she'll suck down that thing in no time flat. Nursing, she seems to get distracted and bored.

  
  

  So...thanks to @booger+bear's suggestion, we've upped how frequently she's eating. We're now doing bottles every 2-2.5 hours, with 4oz in each bottle. She gets formula in the morning, BM at daycare, and formula in the evenings. In the MOTN I nurse her, because she's not distracted and eats heartily.

  
  

  She's put on 10oz in 3 days, so something's working! I don't know if it's the formula or the every 2 hours, but I'm sticking with it for now. 

  
  

  Sorry for that novel of an answer. 

  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

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• Meghan14 member

  May 2014

  Codypup said:

  Thanks Zig! So basically, I make a formula bottle the normal way, and then add breastmilk to it afterwards. 

  
  

  We just started this supplementing thing, so I'm still figuring it all out.

  Yes you can do it just this way.  When we were pumping we tried this a couple times but then moved to doing it the way CiaoMama suggested.  (now we're just formula *sigh*)

  
  

  F'14 October Siggy Challenge: Animals in Costumes

  
  

  
  

  
  

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• Codypup member

  May 2014

  psk said:

  @Codypup‌ glad you found something that is working for you guys!

  @psk - thanks, lady. It's working for now...I just need to stop obsessing about it. She's going to be a small kid no matter what, and I don't want to spend her entire babyhood (is that a word?) worrying about the damn scale.

  
  

  But here's hoping she continues to grow baby grow!  

  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

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• Codypup member

  May 2014

  vshumway said:

  @Codypup‌ so glad that it is working. We had the first good weight appointment ever! 3 ounces in 2 weeks! Doesn't sound like a lot, but for her it is

  
  

  That's awesome @vshumway!!!

  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

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