Are there any negatives to express feeding?
I know that EBM is better than not breastfeeding at all, especially when it is either that or formula, but are there any downsides?
My lil guy is having a few problems and I have no idea what is causing it. We do have a specialist appt booked but I'd like to come here for advice first.
It's not as 'fresh' and may lose some value - not certain on specifics. As you say, still better than formula. It's also more work for mum potentially.
Some of the antibodies in breastmilk are stimulated by the act of baby s mouth on the breast- the antigen that is in baby s saliva is transferred to mum while feeding and mum in turn produces antibodies in the milk that will fight off infection.
Young babies also get benefit from being exposed to parental flora (bugs on mum s skin) and this would occur during direct breastfeeding. I'm not sure how relevant this is in older babies.
using bottles takes away from the sterility of just going from breast to baby.
stimulation by pump can be less effective than baby sucking.
when feeding by bottle, it is possible that baby s ability to self regulate amount they need to drink will be overridden by carer, and the baby take in more than they want/need.
I had similar issues with my DD bf and so mostly expressed. I was told by my midwife that although it was still great to do, it's not sustainable, because eventually ur supply starts to dwindle because ur breasts aren't being stimulated by the baby's suckling
It is certainly do-able, but as mentioned, it is loads more work. It makes leaving the house fairly difficult, in the beginning. Supply can suffer sometimes, the pump is not always as efficient as bub at drawing milk from the breast. And HotI mentioned the antibodies and less sterility (although on both counts, there are still benefits that you don't get with formula).
I've formula fed, and breastfed and EE for 14 months. If I had my time over I would have persisted longer with bfing. Having said that, I know when I made the decision to stop trying to bf and EE instead, I was at the end of my rope.
I wish you the best with whatever you decide to do
You are doing a fantastic job to still provide breastmilk to your lo - great work. I don't think though that there would be anything about the quality etc of the milk that would cause your DS problems if that's what you're asking. Sometimes babies that have a food sensitivity can react to it through breastmilk - that would be the most likely cause if it is something in the milk. The only way to really know is to go on an elimination diet to see if things improve. All the best with it hun.
I second MantaRay's words - you are doing a great job. I couldn't work out from your ticker how old your baby is now? Is he 7 mnths? Keep in mind that nearly every breastfeeding problem can be overcome. Are you seeing an LC? The biggest problem with feeding expressed milk is that many women find it difficult to keep up their supply by pumping - it's not the same as having the baby on the breast. So sometimes women find that their feeding/expressing experience ends sooner than they planned and they are left feeling disappointed and regretful. for my money, it's double handling - you have to get it out and then back in. it's time consuming, especially when you have another little one to care for. But if problems are insurmountable it is a great way to go - and better than the alternatives. I just feel it would be worth pursuing the cause of your current difficulties with feeding and getting some help to sort it out - feel free to post here or pm me.
Sorry if my post was a bit abrupt and disjointed yesterday, there were a few things going on here but i thought your question was an interesting one and wanted to post.
I didn't get to write that i admire those that choose to continue expressing for their baby when they have breastfeeding difficulties. I would hope that i could keep it up, but i know it would be a lot harder than direct breastfeeding.
I think I will have to eliminate certain foods from my diet once I figure out what the problem ones are. He loves to feed right from the breast and we have had issues with it when he was younger but the reason I'm expressing is because he is not currently in my care. He feeds from me once a day most days (visit has been court ordered to facilitate such).
He has been having runny poos and is refluxy still and they think it may be the breastmilk (although I think it's normal) as it seems to get better on soy formula. He cannot have normal formula as he has some sort of allergy to it.
IMO, if he were feeding off the breast at each feed, the milk would be adjusted to his needs and wouldn't cause any problems.
Hun if he has a cow's milk protein allergy (which it sounds like he might if he can't have normal formula) then you cannot have ANY dairy in your diet. It's not just avoiding milk and cheese etc - it's looking for the hidden dairy that's in lots of things (look out for casein - it's milk protein). Has this been looked at with him?
He has a specialist appointment but I cannot go to it which is silly but what they have decided. I have to find out third hand what I can and cannot eat and all that jazz. So not cool
I just want to say what a fantastic job you are doing, providing your baby with so much goodness whilst you are separated from him.
I EE for 11 months and had enough to last for 12. My supply did dwindle when I EE'ed but I went on Motilium and I had more milk than my DS could take. I had to pump about 8 times a day (including 1-2 times overnight) to begin with but when my son started on solids the amount of milk he needed decreased. I think I was down to 4 pumps a day by about 9 months. I think you have already put in the hard yards and it will only get easier from here as you will soon need to make less so will pump less times a day which will make oh some much more manageable. If your supply dwindles and you want to continue Motilium (on the correct dose) should be of assistance.
You yourself could see a paediatric dietician without your son. I saw one and my son didn't go with me. This was to work out that he was in fact allergic to dairy in my milk. So you can get advice on your diet if you want to. I was told the typical culprits for causing tummy upsets with BM are dairy, egg and wheat.
Could you get the specialist to write you a letter - or at least a copy of the letter to your son's carers. That way you have less of a chance of miscommunication, and you will have some idea of the evidence on which they based their decision.
You might also want to write a letter to the specialist detailing anything you have noticed and any family history - the more information he/she has the better.
And well done for persisting in this very challenging situation.
People who are used to formula fed babies often think there is something wrong with bf babies' poo. But this sounds like you are also seeing signs that suggest a possible cows milk protein intolerance - most especially the reaction to non-soy formula. About half the babies that react to dairy also react to soy, so although it seems better it might still be causing more of the issues than any dairy in your breastmilk. I agree with surprised, if this is what it is, eliminating all cows milk protein from you diet will help. This would be easier with a dietician to make sure you eliminate all sources of CMP (did you know that you can find it in all sorts of things such as biscuits and some potato chips?). And also to make sure that your diet still contains all the right nutrients.
Keep up the great work hun. Your lo is getting so much goodness from the breast and EBM feeds that he is having. I hope you can get to the bottom of the issues.
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