babyboomer

Hi Mommies,

MY first born was unfortunately bottle-fed as I don't have enough milk for her to feed. In your opinion, how many times should bottle feeding be done in a day? Is it the same interval as bottle-feeding? Help!

Seattle_mom

I assume you mean how often should you breastfeed? I think it is optimal to feed on demand, but while the milk supply is being established you should aim for every 2 hours.

After the supply is established, every child is different. My first nursed every 2 hours around the clock for the first year. My second nurses about once an hour during the day, but will go longer at night, like every 3 hours.

If you have supply problems don't introduce a pacifier for at least 6 weeks. Everytime the baby fusses, stick a boob in his mouth. That will help establish your supply.

LoveMaGirl

My daughter was fussy, and wanted to nurse all the time. After my milk finally came in she was nursing with no greater space than an hour in the day. In fact I think that this was aided by the fact that she was badly jaundiced and on a 90 minute feeding schedule day and night. I was allowed to let her go 3 hours, just once in 24 hours till her billi levels were down, and she would wake up anyway before two hours were up!

The billi made her tired, but once it was gone she nursed all the time. I had to get a sling in the end just so I could get things done around the house.

Needless to say, I had no supply problems

sheena

Breastfed babies feed more often than bottlefed babies as breastmilk is designed to be easy on babies' stomachs and is digested quickly. Every 1-2 hours is normal. Formula is harder on baby's stomach than breastmilk so takes a long time to digest, ie. 3- 4 hours.
I'm curious as to who told you you didn't have enough milk? Only 2-4% of mothers can't nurse for some reason or another. Usually it's lack of education, often on the doctor's part, that makes mothers think they can't.

LoveMaGirl

Right, unfortunately. Doctors can have some horrible ideas, and in fact I only yesterday heard the most awful things said about a friend's breastfeeding relationship with her son.

Doctors are not educated about the problems with nursing, or how to fix them. For that you need to see a lactation special ist. Sorry I had to split that word, the board censors wouldn't allow it for some reason!

sheena

The problem is that most doctors are from the old school of thought when bottlefeeding was considered as good as, or better than breastfeeding. That's what they were taught so that's the advice they give. Even the ones trained now only get something like a two hour course on infant care, certanly not enough time to teach all aspects of breastfeeding. It's truly a lose lose situation.

Leah

Most new born do not take more than 2-3 ounces at a time, so I think you can offer that to your baby, s\he will take what they need.

LoveMaGirl

You will find it rather hard to measure out 2-3 ounces in a breast, and that is just one of the benefits of breast feeding. A baby should not be fed according to a number. They need to be in control, to eat what they need when they need it and not be forced to eat more than they want to because there is a half ounce left in the bottle that the parents do not want to throw away.

misty

When I was nursing, I would feed him like every 3-4 hours, if I didn't he would cry and get really fussy. I was starting to wonder if he was ok. Sometimes he would nurse in between that time.

Aboyade

Come now, while the problem may partially lie with old time thinking, you know the bigger culprit is the industry that supplies formula and baby bottles. They can be sure to keep pressuring women not to breastfeed so the money can keep on rolling in. One thing is certain. Breastfeeding is natural and if allowed to occur without interference (from doctors or schedules) things will begin to work in harmony. The baby will nurse when it needs to and the milk will be there. If you feel you do not have enough milk, as was suggested earlier, just feed more often. The body will recognize the need for more and will begin to produce it. On that you can depend.