Parenting Newborns & Infants (0-1) Support Group
Feeding your infant and ensuring they are getting enough nutrition is one of the most important aspects of parenting during that first year. This community is dedicated to those who are nurturing a baby, whether breastfed or formula-fed.
Going between breast and bottle? HELP!
emmablue
I hope you ladies can help me with a problem that my husband and I find ourselves facing. Our b/g twins who were born at 34 weeks on Nov. 16th were bottle fed breastmilk in the week that they spent in the NICU, and were also breastfed by me for about 15 minutes at the start of each feed. They had no problem going from breast to bottle, and that way the nurses ensured that they got all the calories they needed since they weren't effective breastfeeders yet. When we came home I had intended to gradually phase out bottles as they became more proficient nursers and maybe only use them at night when my husband and I would do feeds together. Unfortunately, our boy twin has developed reflux which we managed to get under control with Similac Sensitive for Spit-up and zantac. When I would try to feed him my breastmilk he'd always spit up. However, the doctor said that doing a small breast feed once a day would be ok since the benefits of the milk would maybe outweigh the spitting up...so I tried that, but then he refuses to take the bottle afterward and just fusses like mad, wanting the breast even though it makes him throw up which makes him cry! To make things worse, our girl twin doesn't have reflux and loves to breastfeed and is also now not wanting to take any feeds by bottle...and I am wondering how fair it is of me to breastfeed her when I can't breastfeed him. I know they are too little to know that one is getting something the other isn't but it won't be that way for long and then what? I want to keep breastfeeding but I don't know what to do...I don't want my little guy to constantly vomit and I don't want to be unfair either...AND I'd also like to be able to give one to my husband to feed when he can without them throwing a fit that it's not the breast! HELP!
deleted_user
Try to repost this in the breastfeeding group - you are likely to get more responses. I will tell you upfront that I don't know much about reflux, but I can't imagine formula would be better for him, and if he will breastfeed, I would do it and stop the formula. Was his spitting up so badly that he was losing weight? If he was, again I will tell you I have NO experience with that, so feel free to ignore my advice :). However, if he was just spitting up excessively, I have lots of experience with that. For us, it was a gross thing to have to deal with, but nothing more. Also, have you tried feeding him after his sister has nursed a bit first? I was just thinking that if he was getting the milk at a slower flow, it might help some. Hope things work out for you guys - and really - repost this in the breastfeeding group. There are a lot of helpful ladies over there.
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