Week Three: days 21 - 28

Feeding

Sometimes the pathway to breastfeeding involves supplementing breastmilk with your own expressed milk, donor milk from another mother or infant formula. If exclusive breastfeeding was your goal then you might feel disappointed, frustrated or even angry that this hasn't been possible for now. However temporary mixed feeding doesn't mean you will need to do so permanently and it helps to understand you have options to try.

If you are pumping your milk to boost low milk supply, there are ways to maximise the impact of this. If you are concerned that bottle feeding might lead to nipple confusion or breast refusal, looking at options like cup feeding or using a Supplemental Nursing System (SNS) - also known as a supply line - will minimise the risk.

If mixed feeding is going to be an ongoing practice due to insurmountable issues like Insufficient Glandular Tissue (IGT) clefts of lip or palate or previous breast surgery, then try using the Finish at the Breast technique, where the supplement is given first followed by feeding and settling at the breast. This way you both get to enjoy the relaxing effect of hormones and breastfeeding won’t feel like something you have to hurry before topping up.

Sleeping

If you haven't yet had a chance to try babywearing, now is a great time. Babies often go through an unsettled stage around now and being able to calm them to sleep against your body while you move about is useful. Daytime sleeps are safest when your baby is on you, beside you or near you. Babywearing means you can go from room to room tidying up or you can go for a gentle walk.

You might have family or friends telling you your baby needs to learn to self-sooth and fall asleep by himself. They may suggest you will create bad habits by carrying your baby or allowing him to fall asleep at the breast. Perhaps you have been told to put your baby down drowsy but awake. It helps to know there is no science to support any these separation strategies but there is science to support babies being safer if they sleep near their caregiver night and day. In fact 75% of daytime SIDS occurs when babies are sleeping in a different room to their mother. It is very normal for babies to fall asleep at the breast and to wake easily if transferred while in light sleep. This state is around the first 20 minutes of the sleep cycle.