Home Forums Breastfeeding Breastfeeding Update and questions....

Hi all! Well the nursing is going well, although I don't really have a good feel for how much I'm producing, maybe 1 to 2 oz per feeding??? When I pump I get anywhere from .75 to 1.5 oz, but I can usually still express some after I'm done. He usually takes 6 lact-aid bags each day with 3.5 oz in them. He finishes about half of them and the others he will leave .5 to 1 oz in. His poops are still a mixture of bf looking and formula looking poop. I think I have seen somewhere an estimation of how much the average baby eats in a day based on their age, if anyone has that link please post it.

My question is about spitting up! My first son who was totally beastfed very rarely spit up. August goes through days where I feel like he spits up about 1/2 of what he eats! However it is not everyday, so I don't think its the formula. It is about every 2nd or 3rd day (yesterday being one of them). On these days he sleeps for only 30 to 45 minutes at a time, wants to nurse when hes awake, and then spits up what seems like alot of what he just ate. It almost seems like he is overeating, is that possible?

Well we are off to breakfast out <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />, so I need to get going. I'd appreciate everyone's thoughts on this one.

BTW Christine, how is the nursing strike??

Hi Amy,
Glad to hear all is well with you. I think I read one time that babies should have 2.5 ounces of milk per pound of body weight daily.

I'm not sure about the spitting up. If it were more regular, I'd think maybe it's the formula. Have you asked his dr.? If it continues, you may want to switch to a lactose free formula such as Enfamil LactoFree. Several of my children have been lactose intolerant.

Keep up the good work!

God bless,
Jill

Hi Amy,

Actually it may be that he's being a little bit overfed. A newborn typically eats every 1 1/2 to 2 hours. They take in anywhere from 17 oz to 25 oz in a 24 hour period. So they average between 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 oz per feeding. If you are producing 1 to 2 oz per feeding, your baby is getting most of his nourishment from you. That's EXCELLENT!!

My advise is to breastfeed first from both breasts and then offer the Lact-aid if baby is still hungry. Watch baby's feeding cues, if he fusses at the breast with the Lact-aid, he's probably done feeding.

Fondly,

Thanks, everyone for you posts! Lenore, I think you are right. The day after I posted that I started coming to the same conclusion and started cutting out some of the supplement. Right now, I don't supplement at all during the two nighttime feedings, and he gets alot less during the day. I'd already been nursing him w/o the l/aid first and now I do the same, but I only let him have an ounce or so from the l/a before breaking him off to burp him. Many times he is satisfied at that point, and if not I let him have another ounce or so. I find that if I let him do it, he will finish off the majority of what is in the l/a, then happily spit it all over me when he is done, so making him take a break every ounce or so has stopped that.

I've been really paranoid about him getting enough ever since I read a story about a mom cutting back on the supplement too fast (maybe I even read it here somewhere?). Anyhow, he's doing great so far. I took him in on Monday to have him weighed (just over a month old), and he was at 11 lbs. so he is certainly gaining just fine, however I hadn't really started cutting back on the supplement at that point, so I may take him again sometime before his 2 month appointment.

Sounds like you are doing great, Amy .. keep up the good work! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Hi Amy,

Excellent work!! Remember, you are the expert when it comes to your baby. Weight checks is a very good idea. Takes the guess work out of the picture. You're doing fabulously well!!

Fondly,

Hello, My La Leche group just handed me an outline of the Newman/Goldfarb induced lactation protocols, with a link to this site. I had been pumping for about 4 weeks in anticipation of our adopted baby, resulting in colostrum droplets. She was with us for 2 weeks and we were doing pretty well with a lact aid system. Then, the birthmother changed her mind. Our adoption agency is looking for another newborn, which could be arriving as soon as December. I'm interested in trying the "new" protocol, but wondering which one to go for. Should I try to establish a milk supply, or back off and save the colostrum? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. -Fawn [color:"blue"] [/color]

Fawn, try to establish a new supply. What you are getting is not colostrum. You can only produce colostrum if you have given birth because without a placenta there is no colostrum. The first milk you see can look pretty thick and sticky but it doesn't have the same properties as colostrum. I would say do the protocol.