Author Topic: bm;formula;water...  (Read 1162 times)

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Offline teezee

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bm;formula;water...
« on: January 23, 2006, 06:08:33 am »
we were having a discussion in one of the other forums and i was just wondering if it is ok to 'water' down bm for any reason?  we were thinking that if we were to pump and then water down bm in a bottle in the night might be better than cutting back on 'minutes' for night feedings.  i have heard something once upon a time about NOT watering down bm or mixing it formula...just wondering what the 'truth' is b/c i know i can always come to you guys for a dose of that.  ;)
Tawnya
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June 11, 2005




Offline First Time Mom

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Re: bm;formula;water...
« Reply #1 on: January 23, 2006, 13:22:46 pm »
Breast milk is very easily digested (much more so than formula).By adding water you would be cutting back on the calories and nutrients in a feed, baby would think that he/she is "full" and not needing more but the "full" feeling would be from non-nutritious water filler. This could impact their growth and weight gain.
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Offline teezee

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Re: bm;formula;water...
« Reply #2 on: January 23, 2006, 16:00:02 pm »
...but...if i were to water down the nighttime feeds would she then eat more during the day instead of at night??  i am now finding that she eats alot a night and doesn't eat well during the day...i am assuming there is then something i can do to correct this prob...b/c if i just cut her night feedings by minutes she then just wakes more often at night to feed... 
Tawnya
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Offline Glynis

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Re: bm;formula;water...
« Reply #3 on: January 23, 2006, 16:22:30 pm »
Giving her water will only fill her tummy, but with no nutritional value.  That's what the previous post was saying.  What is the trouble through the day.  Perhaps she's too distracted to eat?  I find that with Samuel now.  Is she more interested in solids (if she's on them)?  I would focus on improving the day feeds if you feel that is needed.  Good luck!
Mom to Samuel born Aug 17, 2005
& big brother Brett July 11, 1993

Offline teezee

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Re: bm;formula;water...
« Reply #4 on: January 23, 2006, 16:41:58 pm »
for over a month now i have been trying and trying to improve day feedings..and yes she is a very nosy, distracted, spirited little girl and no matter what i do i cannot get her to take more milk in.  i have tried to be in a dark room when feeding - she still finds something to take her attention off of feeding, quiet or with soft music, tried bfing, pumping giving it in a bottle, or even in a straw cup.  the only  one that remotely gets her to take in more milk is the straw cup - and i wanted to continue bfing mainly (sometimes a bottle ) but i'm at a loss again.  i have tried putting her down and letting her play and then feeding again after a bit but that doesn't do it either.  the last thing i am in the midst of trying to to give her longer between feedings which she will go 4 1/2 to 5 hours with no problem at all...should i just keep going this route?  even when she's longer than 4 hrs between feeds she still doesn't take in much more milk than when she was only 4 hrs between feedings....  :?
Tawnya
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June 11, 2005




Offline teezee

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Re: bm;formula;water...
« Reply #5 on: January 23, 2006, 16:44:04 pm »
by the way dd is on solids - 3 meals a day, and loves it.  and yes i have already tried limiting the amount of solids she takes in but lately that hasn't made any difference either..is there something i am missing here????
Tawnya
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Offline Glynis

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Re: bm;formula;water...
« Reply #6 on: January 23, 2006, 16:47:21 pm »
If you know that she doesn't need the calories/nutrition at night & that it is just habit, I would give her just water in the nighttime.  She will likely get upset, but will come to realize that nighttime isn't for eating, it's for sleep & hopefully she'll take more through the day. 
I also wonder if she's getting filled with solids in the daytime.  Do you bf her before or after she eats?  I would do it before, when she's hungrier. 
Others may have better ideas.
Mom to Samuel born Aug 17, 2005
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Offline teezee

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Re: bm;formula;water...
« Reply #7 on: January 23, 2006, 18:21:11 pm »
yes i do bf her before she eats - and have cut down time and again on solids.  with that said, i have tried to rationalize and hope that it's teething or developmental that she doesn't eat as much during the day (she is a small eater to begin i believe it's due to reflux) she takes around 3 and half to 4 oz a feeding.  she'll have a good few days and then go back to small amounts for the next few weeks.  is it habit if she's not waking at precisely the same time each night.  it seems she wakes within two hr block - like from 12 - 2 am and the from 3:30 -5:30 am??
Tawnya
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June 11, 2005




Offline GraceKellysmom

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Re: bm;formula;water...
« Reply #8 on: January 23, 2006, 19:38:24 pm »
I personally wouldn't water down a bottle, but then again I wouldn't offer a bottle in the middle of the night because I am soooooo lazy it's hard enough to roll over to nurse! *wink* LOL

No really, I wouldn't give water. I'd figure out what is causing the nightwakings and try to fix that first.

BFs during the day should be 3-4 hrs for a 6 month old.(4-6 feeds per day) Solid meals once, maybe twice for a big baby. No water or juice, just bm at this age. Waking once (maybe twice for a patient mom and insistant baby) at this age is still ok to eat.

I would be tempted at her age, to offer a paci or do PU/PD at that first nightwaking. Wouldn't you settle for getting up once, maybe 3-4ish am to feed and that's it?
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Offline teezee

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Re: bm;formula;water...
« Reply #9 on: January 23, 2006, 20:23:36 pm »
would be REALLY nice to just get up once and feed.  i do the dreamfeed and then she's usually only up at around 4ish...which i am not complaining about but that's just the last few nights...since i have figured out that she is nappng too much in the day.  dd is 7 and a half months old and is on 3 meals a day...she is growing fine and is healthy (besides reflux) but doesn't take much in a feeding which makes me feel badly when i hear of other's lo's taking 6,7,8 or even 9 ounces in one sitting!!  should i just admit defeat in the fact that she's just going to eat 3 to 4 ounces in a nursing??  i mean there is at least once a day she has a good feeding and by good i mean almost 5 ounces but the rest of them are way less....
Tawnya
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June 11, 2005




Offline teezee

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Re: bm;formula;water...
« Reply #10 on: January 23, 2006, 20:40:38 pm »
also wanted to add that i have been giving her more A time so i could eliminate the catnap but now she is going closer to 5 hrs without a feeding...i am feeling very bad about this and don't know if i should be or not..  i mean wouldn't she get up if she was hungry??

her schedule goes like this for the time being:

8am - bf
9am - solids
10:30-11am-nap
12:30 - 1pm - wake and bf
1:30ish - solids
3-3:30 - nap
5-5:30 - wake and bf
5:45ish - solids
7ish bath
7:45 bf and bed

now i used to have a good routine of 4 hrs between feedings but then i stopped with the catnap and it kinda threw all the feeding times out the window.  i don't necessarily like to feed her only 2 and a half hours after she wakes from her last nap BUT i think i would rather do that than have to feed her again after she's asleep.  AND this bedtime feeding IS usually her best feeding...can u make sense of any of this to me PLEASE??????????
Tawnya
Mommy to Alecksandria
June 11, 2005