Help me remember why I'm exclusively pumping

533 Views 8 Replies 6 Participants Last post by TexasSuz, Mar 31, 2006

mama-a-llama

Discussion Starter · Mar 30, 2006

My son is exclusively tube fed, as he will not nurse due to painful associations from reflux, nor take a bottle. He also doesn't grow on my milk alone, as he has high caloric needs but can't tolerate high volumes. So we have to fortify my milk with formula powder (at least we're using organic)--he gets about 4.5 teaspoons of the powder per day. I just was reading about formula feeding and gut flora etc, that

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Relatively small amounts of formula supplementation of breastfed infants (one supplement per 24 hours) will result in shifts from a breastfed to a formula-fed gut flora pattern.

Now I know that there are other benefits to bm, but right now I'm sort of feeling like why am I bothering with all this sacrifice if his gut is already ruined, and who knows if he'll ever be off the formula. So can someone remind me why I'm doing this, why bm is still superior.

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alegna

· #2 · Mar 31, 2006

you're doing it because you're a SUPER MAMA! That's why!

He's still getting TONS of great antibodies. AND better 50% perfect food than 0%.

keep up the good work mama!

-Angela

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bri276

· #3 · Mar 31, 2006

by that train of thought, any baby who has ever had even one sip of anything other than breastmilk might as well just forget the whole thing.

I have been EP'ing 8 and a half months now. My milk didn't come in for three solid days (except for tiny drops of colostrum) and my baby was in the NICU for five days, so she got a lot of formula. No question about it- they absolutely refused any other alternative, hospital policy. Even when my milk WAS in, they would give her formula instead and pretend they didn't notice my milk in the fridge. I've read about gut flora and I know that their forced supplementation ruined it for her. she still has a great digestive system, though, and is very rarely sick.

I can see CLEAR benefits to continue EP'ing for your son. (and I know how sometimes, it's hard to keep wanting to, so so hard.)

1. why does he have high caloric needs? what do you mean by he "doesn't grow" on breastmilk alone? can he tolerate higher volumes of pure breastmilk vs. mixed with powder?
2. do you make less than enough, more than enough, or just enough? I only ask because when my dd was that little, I was making WAY more than she actually ate. I ended up throwing out gallons of frozen ebm If you could let the milk sit in the fridge and skim the cream off the top and add that instead of powder, it would increase the caloric value.

but the real answer to your question- the bottom line is gut flora is just one of MANY reasons breastmilk is so good for babies. the supplementation doesn't change the fact that your breastmilk contains proteins that are superior and essential for brain and eye development, antibodies that protect from illness, you're still lowering his risk for diabetes, certain cancers, allergies, asthma. not to mention lowering your own risk for breast and ovarian cancers.

it's still worth it. it's even worth it for mothers who have low supply and their babies get only 4 oz of breastmilk a day. any breastmilk is better than no breastmilk. keep up the pumping. and if you haven't already joined this group, I really highly recommend it, it's saved my sanity a few times.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/EPers/

keep up the good work. you are doing the best thing for your baby.

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mama-a-llama

Discussion Starter · #4 · Mar 31, 2006

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Originally Posted by bri276
by that train of thought, any baby who has ever had even one sip of anything other than breastmilk might as well just forget the whole thing.

Yeah, it just gets hard seeing the "evil formula" stuff here over and over.

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1. why does he have high caloric needs? what do you mean by he "doesn't grow" on breastmilk alone? can he tolerate higher volumes of pure breastmilk vs. mixed with powder?

Because of his heart condition, he needs more calories/kg body weight than the average baby. Also because he's behind (just reached 5th %ile). When we weren't fortifying, he gained less than 1 oz a day, which is what they want to see. Right now we're working up from 26 oz/day of fortified to 32 of fortified. And he spits up more when we increase his feeds. Mind you they assume 20 cal/oz for bm, which isn't exactly true.

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2. do you make less than enough, more than enough, or just enough? . . .If you could let the milk sit in the fridge and skim the cream off the top and add that instead of powder, it would increase the caloric value.

I was making more than enough before they increased his feeds on Tues. Now I'm about 2 oz behind, but we have a lot in the fridge from when I was doing about 3 oz ahead. I did try the adding cream for a while, and it didn't seem to be enough.

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keep up the pumping. and if you haven't already joined this group, I really highly recommend it, it's saved my sanity a few times.

Yep, I'm there. I just joined a week or so ago. I was on Pumpmoms, but felt like I needed to just be around ep'ers

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mama-a-llama

Discussion Starter · #5 · Mar 31, 2006

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Originally Posted by alegna
you're doing it because you're a SUPER MAMA!

I don't feel very super, I guess. I'm a perfectionist, so I suppose less than 100% perfect is hard for me to take. And these issues are bringing back my frustration and guilt about my dd. My milk dried up when I was pg with ds, she was 10 mos old and losing weight, wouldn't take a bottle to save her life. So she had formula through a feeding tube. She did keep nursing until 12 months, when her latch suddenly changed to biting and I couldn't keep from saying ouch and she stopped nursing. Now she won't even drink ebm in a cup, well not much anyway. There, now all my deepest darkest bfing secrets are exposed

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Ruthla

· #6 · Mar 31, 2006

You're pumping for him because babies need Mama milk and he isn't able to nurse. Supplementing with formula may minimize some of mama milk's benefits (gut flora, for example) but he's still getting all the right proteins, fats, antibodies, etc- plus a few extra calories from the formula to help him grow faster. He wouldn't be doing nearly as well if he was on formula 100%

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bri276

· #7 · Mar 31, 2006

and all your deepest darkest secrets are NOT your fault and NOTHING to be ashamed of. I know the anti-formula is often rabid around here, but no one in their right mind would question its use when breastmilk isn't available. that is what it exists for. you should hold your head high because some of the most fanatical anti-formula people couldn't take EP'ing for a week. you're doing the best you can and it's still so good for him even if it's fortified. don't throw out the baby with the bathwater so to speak.

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VBurd

· #8 · Mar 31, 2006

You're doing it because he is still benefiting from all of the other wonderful things in breastmilk. His immune system will be much stronger for it. His brain will be better for it.

Formula is not evil. Formula can save lives! Marketing formula to women who don't need it is evil.

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TexasSuz

· #9 · Mar 31, 2006

I remember how hard pumping 8 times a day was for me. Many days I cried as I pumped at 3 in the morning. Doing all of that and still having to use some formula is heart breaking. I know just how you feel. Try to get as much support as you can from others in other to make it through those difficult pumping days. My husband was great about bringing home take-out and having bottled water and snacks always ready for me so that I could concentrate on pumping.

What you are doing is worth is it, but it is also hard. Be good to yourself...Also join Pumpmoms - the support there really helped me.

Hugs!

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