EBM for toddler and BF'ing 5 month old

Hi Guys,

I popped this in a thread for Barb to answer, but thought I'd also gather some expert advice from you lovely ladies xx

I am currently BF'ing my 5 month old for all feeds and drinks with exception of 1 solid feed at lunch time.

Milk supply is fine - still on Motilium, I found dropping it affected my supply.

I didn't BF my 2.5 year old because of various reasons and am thinking that since I will be BF'ing until hopefully 2 years for my DD (longer if she wants to) then I might take advantage of the situation and express the 2 bottles of milk my DS takes per day and give him EBM instead....

So, my questions are:

1) Is there any real benefit to giving my 2.5 year old BM that my body is creating for a 5 month old?

2) If so, how would you suggest I express so as not to affect DD's feeds?

Part of me is guilty that I didn't give my DS the same start with BF'ing as I did my DD - but another part of me now knows the medical benefits of BF'ing and wants to at least give him a couple of years of that.......I don't think putting him to the breast is an option, he wouldn't know what to do I wouldn't think and he is so used to bottles....

Any advice would be appreciated xxx

Interesting question i'm just going to subscribe because i'd too like to know the answer.

Enjoy your breastfeeding journey with your little girl (and possibly your son :)) :D

Hun, what a great idea! I know of other mums who have done a similar thing. EBM at any stage contains a great range of nutrients, and so many biological factors we don't even know what they all are. These are beneficial at any age - there are even occasions where EBM has been given to sick teenagers and adults (eg with cancer) and there has been a big improvement. It is impossible to know how much your DS's immunity will be improved, but it will provide some extra protection and will definitely not do any harm.

Often expressing works best when you do it at a time that works best for you. But in order to disrupt your DD's feeding as little as possible, perhaps express from the second breast just after she has fed. You might not get enough EBM for a bottle in one go, but as long as you cool both batches first, you can mix it together until you have enough. You could also give a small bottle of EBM and then give him milk to finish his feed if he hasn't had enough (or just reduce the amount of milk he drinks for now). It is best not to actually mix EBM and milk (or formula) in the same bottle or cup though.

I've been pondering this myself so thanks for posting Mummato2!

I'm currently expressing for our DD who is in NICU but we have a serious oversupply and I'm running out of freezer space. It seems like such a waste not to use all this milk so I'm seriously considering offering it to DS in his bottles! I didn't succeed at breastfeeding with him either....I figure EBM can't hurt him so why not get the good stuff into him too! I actually wonder if he'll turn his nose up at the taste after getting used to formula....might try the experiment tomorrow.

Thanks for the support and advice ladies xx

Well I fed DD this morning and then managed to express 100mls extra (which completely shocked me)

Since he only gets a 120ml bottle at lunch time, I topped it up just before his sleep - and again took me by surprise - he guzzled it!! So, I don't think taste is an issue for him

Supply seemed ok on the last 2 feeds for DD - it just took a bit longer to let down - so I'll offer her a couple more feeds for a couple of weeks until my body has cottoned onto it needing to come up with another 300mls per day.

Infinity - wow what a task you have with a NICU DD - all the best for her progressing in leaps and bounds and coming home as soon as she can xxx What a lovely predicament to be in with the abundence of BM - I wish I could store some, it's a feat just to get enough flowing for DD and this new challenge will be adding to it. All worth it in the end I guess.

I feel like a bit of the guilt of not feeding him has been lifted - granted it isn't the same as breastfeeding him - but to me it's almost as good.

Thanks ladies, I'll share Barb's advice when it's in for those of you watching for your own similar situations

So good that DS guzzled it, i hope all goes well in trying to mearsure out and provide for the two of your littles ones. Either way sounds like you are doing a fantastic job :D

I just recently weaned DS2 as i am pregnant and decided not to try and tandom feed. We ended up feeding for about 15 months i think and i was planning on trying to make it to the 2 year mark also. But maybe when i start bfing again i may be able to offer it a little here and there for him still also.

Good luck hope all goes well for you xo

Thank you Myboys - I wish you all the luck once your new bubba is here.....and a big bloody congrats on 15 months!!! That is an awesome effort xxx

I tandem fed by epressing for my toddler and breastfeeding my baby for 6 months, when my big girl turned 2 I stopped expressing although I still have EBM in the freezer. I expressed for 17 months all up so I was happy with my decision to stop this time (I originally stopped when I fell pregnant with DD2 but I regreted the decision and started again when DD2 was born).

I think it is a fantastic idea, I definatly saw the benefits, my big girl caught every cold and infection last winter (I stopped feeding her EBM in April) and this year, being on EBM she has been so healthy :D.

I always fed from one breast and then expressed from the opposite once she had finished although I did this from birth so it may be a little different at this later stage.

Best of luck.

I have been expressing usually 3-4 times a week sometimes more since DS was 2 months old as i had to go back to work part time. While i was trying to get him to take a bottle of EBM there was a lot of wastage but DD wanted it......so she hangs around after every bottle feed he has to try and get the dregs ;) Also sometimes when im topping up a bottle with some frozen EBM she wants an ice cube of it to eat.

I thought it was wierd in the beginning but hey it cant hurt her and she only was breastfed for 6 weeks so thought she wouldnt like it anyways but yeah she LOVES it!

Oh that's awesome Minny.

You know it's funny you thinking it was weird. I was talking about it with my husband last night and I asked him if he was ok with me doing this (not that I was going to stop if he said no :rofl:) and he said "yeah why wouldn't I be? It's good for him and it's coming from you"......I thought that was great he was so in tune with it.

I said to DH that it would be something that some people would have a problem with and be quick to judge - but to them I say mind your own business. Better milk coming from me that's genetically attached to my children vs some random jersey cow LOL

LOL DF thought it was hilarious when DD first started drinking it or eating the ice cubes but now its just normal :lol: She randomly asks for an ice cube of it every now and then as she knows thats where i keep it. Gotta be better than pasturised milk for sure, we are lucky in that respect as DF's parents run a dairy farm so ours is nice and fresh :)

So i rekon if your DS drinks it and you are happy doing it go for it!

Also i think u mentioned if it mucks around with supply? Well so far DS is 7months and we had no issues with supply or him being fussy like he hasnt had enough.

I did this too, just the other night :lol:

DD was being a madam for her dad and didnt want the expressed bottle only the real thing.
I looked at the 120mls (it had been defrosted) and thought what a waste but then DS2 was watching tv about to go to bed so I offered it to him.
He chugged it back no worries, so taste wasnt an issue for him either.
He was BF till 11 months so maybe he remembered.
My other boys were horrified and completely grossed out, so I guess they wont be having any on their cornflakes :rofl:

I gave DS 200ml of EBM for his morning sleep today and he drank the whole lot, didn't even notice the difference - or if he did, he didn't care LOL.

Its funny, after all the guilt, disappointment and sadness the I wasn't able to continue breastfeeding him, I never every would have imagined being in a predicament where I could offer him breastmilk again. Funny how things work out.

It's great knowing that the end doesn't have to mean the end. This never crossed my mind but i'm looking forward to seeing if DS2 and DS1 if he'd like, might like to have some once my bb's start producing again :D

I think it's awesome - and for me it has taken away that guilt I was feeling about not breastfeeding him. At least he gets almost the same length of feeding as my DD - I hope it gives him the same long term benefits.