Mixing formula into meals

M

mama-to-be

Registered User
My baby is 8 months and until recently (just a few days ago actually) I have been breastfeeding her. Naturally she refuses to drink formula from a bottle. Because I've returned to work part-time I have decided not to bf her during the day but keep bf in the mornings and evenings. Question is, if she doesn't take formula in the bottle, is it okay to mix formula into her solids? She's eating solids 3 times a day and so far I've managed to put in 3 scoops of formula into her food. I don't put as much was as one would if drinking from the bottle as her meal will be too watery. Is this harmful in anyway? My mum thinks she may be constipated is I don't put in the required/recommended amount of water with the formula.
Please help
 
you need to make the formula as it is supposed to be made, then mix that in. you could cause problems for baby if you don't. your mum's right.
 
Formula needs to be made as the directions say otherwise the mineral content will be too strong. This can be very dangerous for a baby and in severe case cause brain damage.

If you are breast feeding in the morning and at dinner time it may be that your baby will manage without milk during the day. We often suggest starting solids a little early or giving more than normal so that formula can be avoided. Formula is, after all, the most highly processed food available on the market.

Best wishes,
SARAH
 
Many thanks for the advice! Luckily I've just been doing this for a few days. I can't imagine the damage I could have caused!!!
Sarah, I did notice that when I added formula to her meals that she didn't really want to be breastfed too much during the day (perhaps too full from the formula?). I did plan to also bf during lunch time but she just doesn't seem that interested.
Generally how often should an 8 mth old feed? She should be able to eat every 4 hourly or so right?
 
Hi Sarah,
I have been suggested by many mums to give one bottle of formula to the baby in the evening after one month of breastfeeding. They say it helps them sleep better and also helps in weaning later on. Is it true? I am concerned since you mentioned that formula is the most processed food available on the market. Does it mean it should be avoided? Should I exclusively breastfeed my baby will she is ready for solids? Also at what age does one need to introduce semi solids/ solids?
Thanks.


LLL_Sarah said:
Formula needs to be made as the directions say otherwise the mineral content will be too strong. This can be very dangerous for a baby and in severe case cause brain damage.
If you are breast feeding in the morning and at dinner time it may be that your baby will manage without milk during the day. We often suggest starting solids a little early or giving more than normal so that formula can be avoided. Formula is, after all, the most highly processed food available on the market.

Best wishes,
SARAH
Click to expand...
 
i, personally, believe that the formula at night is a myth. my frst was 50-50 breastfed & formula. he slept no differently to his sister who was 100% exclusive breastfed (sometimes expressed milk from a bottle).

however, some mothers complain about 2 possibilities.

1) if they give a bottle, even of breast milk, the child may suffer from "nipple confusion". maybe i was lucky, but neither of mine had any problems differentiating the two. my personal take on it is...they quickly figure out how to get the good stuff and once that's done, it isn't a problem.

2) if the child has ONLY ever had breast (directly) then later it can sometimes get troublesome introducing a bottle. this could be a problem for you if you plan on re-entering the workforce after baby is born.

good luck!
 
Dear AG2007,

During the first year of life breast milk is the main source of nutrition for the baby. So generally we suggest giving the baby the breast first and then finishing off with solid food - this way the baby takes more milk than if solids are offered first. Remember that no matter how good the solid food you give your baby the breast milk is always the better food.

How often your baby feeds depends mainly on your baby. Some babies are happy to have longer gaps at this age and some aren?t. It really doesn?t matter too much so long as your baby is happy and healthy.

Often you find that rather than being regular babies have different patterns through out the day. Part of the day they will have a regular gap between meals, especially in the morning time, say 7:00 am, 10:00 am and 1:00 pm. Then part of the day they will sleep a little longer and maybe have a break of 5 or 6 hours. This is usually at night )but not always) And then for part of the day they ask for more feeds in a shorter time, maybe 4 or 5 feeds in just a 2 or 3 hour period. Again this is normal and often in the late afternoon or early evening time.

My third child was like this ? always wanting to feed when I had other things that needed doing ? dinner to prepare, children to collect from school, homework duty to start. Maybe it was because I had so much else I wanted to do and he sensed it and thus asked for more feeding. Anyway we went through a period in our lives where we had stews for dinner every night because I could make them in the morning and avoid part of the evening problem.

Anyway what I?m trying to say is that so long as your baby is happy and healthy it doesn?t matter too much how she feeds. Often when mothers return to work with older babies the babies are happy not to have milk during the day but want to make up for it in the evening time. This is when breastfeeding lying down comes in handy.

Best wishes,
SARAH
 
Dear joyofliving,

Remember that the maximum health benefits for your baby come when you exclusively breastfeed your baby. This means that the baby has nothing but breast milk. All the latest research is pointing to the fact that babies should ideally be exclusively breastfed for at least six month. This means no formula, no juice, no water ? just breast milk. So if you want to introduce formula do consider whether the connivance of it is worth the less than optimal health of our baby.

My idea of good nutrition is to eat a variety of foods in as close to their natural state as possible. Using this principle I don?t really like formula because it is highly processed. I also don?t like the huge number of ingredients it has in it ? some of which sound very unappetising when you read what they are. I would always prefer to give breast milk rather than formula. And in an older baby I?d prefer to give solids. Having said that if a small baby needs a substitute for breast milk then formula has been specially manufactured to be an appropriate food and many more natural and less processed foods can cause problems.

I too have spoken to mothers who are very keen to give either formula or expressed breast milk t around 10:00 pm in the hope that their babies sleep longer. I tend to agree with Cara that it doesn?t make much difference. I know babies who have formula and still wake up and I know fully breastfed babies who sleep well at night (and also formula fed babies who sleep well and wakeful breastfed babies) I think your baby will do what it will do!

The way I understand weaning is that slowly we cut down the milk and introduce solids, by this I mean at each meal rather than changing a whole meal from milk to solids.

So when the baby first starts solids introducing just a little, maybe even at ach meal. Then as the baby starts taking more and more solids slowly reduce the amount of milk. So that the baby ends up taking mainly solids with just a small amount of milk at each feed.

i.e.
When first starts solids each meal is 95% milk and 5% solids. hen weaning is half way through, each meal is 50% solids and 50% milk And when weaning is nearly finished, each meal is 5% milk and 95% solids.

This system makes it much easier on you if you are worried bout your supply. As you give the amount of milk you have and just fill up any extra the baby wants with solids.

Best wishes,
SARAH
 
carang said:
2) if the child has ONLY ever had breast (directly) then later it can sometimes get troublesome introducing a bottle. this could be a problem for you if you plan on re-entering the workforce after baby is born.
Click to expand...

If any of you find your baby is reluctant to take a bottle I have a number of suggestions that might make it easier ? please contact me when and if this problem occurs.

But drinking from a bottle isn?t actually necessary ? even if you return to work ? as babies grow they can learn to take milk in other ways ? usually by a cup. By not introducing a bottle you actually cut out one weaning stage. You don?t have to wean the baby from the bottle!

Best wishes,
SARAH
 
Thanks Cara and Sarah :smile:
Whatever you said made a lot of sense to me and I will follow your advice. I would much rather put my baby's health before my convenience.
 
Weaning to Sippy Cup?

Hi Sarah,

I'm having problems weaning my 6 month old baby from the breast to anything other than my breasts.

She screams and struggles whenever she sees a bottle come close to her. It doesnt matter who the feeder is, whether I'm in the apartment, and what position she is in eg whether she is sitting faced away from the person feeding her.

I'm wondering if it would be easier to wean her to a sippy cup (without a valve) or cup directly instead? Would you have any suggestions as to how I can achieve this? Is 6 months too young to learn how to use a sippy cup or cup?

Also, would she be able to drink sufficient amounts (~4 oz?) of EBM/formula each mealtime using a sippy cup? Or would she end up just drinking small mouthfuls frequently throughout the day?

I've tried giving her water through a valveless sippy cup. She seems interested (she keeps biting at the spout or licking it) but does not know how to swallow and the water simply dribbles out of her mouth.

I also tried once giving her formula using the sippy cup and she cried the minute she tasted the milk and spit it all out.

I'm not sure what I should try next...what would you suggest I do?

Thanks!
 
As your baby seems unhappy to try drinking in other ways have you considered continuing to breastfeed her for her drinks while you introduce solid foods?

As she grows older she will become interested in drinking in other ways ? she isn?t going to want the breast for ever. I?m sure you?ll find that by the time she is seven or eight months she?s more ready to drink in these other ways.

Best wishes,
SARAH
 
Hi Sarah,

Thanks for your help. I cant take much more no-pay leave, so I guess I'll just have to try to increase her solids intake during the day as you've mentioned in an earlier post and breastfeed in the evening and morning. She's only just started with 1-2 tablespoons of solids per day. I'll also try again in a month's time to wean her to a sippy cup and hopefully that'll go better then.
 
Hi Bobby
I'm having the exact same problem as you. My daughter is 8 mths old and I've recently returned to work 2 days a week. She refuses to take any formula during the day time and therefore has bigger feeds whenever I'm around to feed her. Only drawback is that I feel she is waking up twice a night really hungry (as she doesn't get much milk during the day time). I've already increased her solids but situation still the same. Don't forget that during the first year milk is still the most important!!! Good luck! It's hard but at least we know that this too shall pass. Hang in there!!
 
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