breast feeding

[babyinJuly]

I was wondering when I start breast feeding (if he should latch on) I know my milk could take up to 72 hours to fully come in, but after getting the colostrum will he be starving til my milk comes in?? I don't wanna supplement at all if I don't have to. Not only because it could cause nipple confusion but I don't want him preferring it over the breast. My last baby is 11 years old so memory has faded a lil.

[babyinJuly]

I'll maintain with the breast then no matter how much sleep I don't get! Thank you ladies!

[Spiket77]

There are a couple of factors at play...
1) Formula-fed babies use the nutrients in formula less efficiently...so they may need more milk to meet their nutritional needs...thus guzzle more formula.
2) formula is missing some hormones, such as adiponectin and leptin, which help babies regulate appetite. So they don't self regulate and keep eating!! Many of them end up spitting up most of their feedings because they are too full.
3) Also, a breastfeeding Mother is less tempted to overfed because she can't see inside her 'bottle'. She isn't trying to empty her breast but going off the babies cue of being full.

[Clysta]

Even young a baby doesn't need much formula. In a days span you should feed them 2.5 times their weight. So if your newborn is 6 pounds in one day they get around 15 ounces of formula, and feeding every 2-3 hours is around 1-2 ounces (give or take)

[Clysta]

Because a bottle drips it forcefully into the baby's stomach and they don't work for it - if you hold a bottle upside down it will always drip out. Many don't fight or resist it and some have moderate amounts of spit up later.

[Its_A_Boy2012]

Sorry babyinjuly but I'm going to aske questions as if I posted this lol it's something I always wonder as well... so if a baby's tummy is so small and it takes little to fill them up why is it those who don't bf but use formula use more and baby takes it all?

[Clysta]

You should BF from as soon as he's born. Milk can take several days to come in, but the colostrum is more than enough for him till then. My milk took 4 days to come in after I had my daughter and that's all I fed her. Be adamant, many hospitals want you to supplement, especially if baby has jaundice and as long as you keep feeding there's no point.

[Spiket77]

on day 1, your newborn's stomach is the size of a small marble 5-7ml
day 2, the size of a large marble .75-1 oz
by day 7, the size of a ping pong ball and can hold 1.5 - 2oz

So you see... your baby needs very little to get by those first few days. You will only produce teaspoons of colostrum those first few days for feedings but it is PLENTY. And colostrum is amazingly high in good fat and protein. Do not be pressured into supplementing.