Category: Supplementing and Combination-Feeding

Frequent Feeding VS Cluster Feeding: How to Know If Your Baby Is Being Adequately Breastfed Before Lactogenesis II

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Frequent breastfeeding and cluster feeding are often used interchangeably, creating confusion for parents. This educational blog will help parents clarify the differences between the two.

What are the differences between frequent breastfeeding and cluster feeding before lactogenesis II for newborns?

Frequent Feeding-Newborn babies feed frequently (every 2-3 hours) before lactogenesis II, the onset of copious milk production. Frequent feeding is expected and normal. 

Cluster Feeding-Cluster feeding occurs after the arrival of lactogenesis II and is defined as a series of short feeding sessions lasting 2-3 hours daily. 

The Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine supplementary feeding protocol states cluster feeding before lactogenesis II requires a prompt evaluation to determine if the baby is getting enough colostrum. 

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Are Ounces Counted Before Or After Mixing Powdered Formula With Water?

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The answer is yes; ounces are counted after mixing the water and powdered formula.  Let’s talk about why.

Calculating accurate total volume intake is important for all babies.

  • Parents need to know how much their baby consumes to be sure they are trending accurately on their growth charts.
  • If a parent is not calculating the formula mixture properly, they may unintentionally overfeed their baby, thinking they need more formula intake.
  • Babies requiring careful intake calculation, such as preemies or medically complex babies, must account for accurate caloric intake for optimal growth and development.

Regarding nutrition, infant formula and human milk have an 87 percent water content, a very important part of your baby’s diet. In a powdered formula recipe, both the water and the powdered formula contribute calories and fluids. 

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I’m Sharing My Mindset Shifts As A Low Milk Supply Mother To Help Others

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 The current breastfeeding culture instills the belief that all women can exclusively breastfeed without any acknowledgment of our biological, physical, social, and psychological abilities to exclusively breastfeed.

Auli shared with us how her mindset shifts as a low milk supply mother. She has insufficient glandular tissue, which is thought to affect up to 1 in 20 mothers.

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Sacrificing Your Mental Health Is Not Worth It To Exclusively Breastfeed

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Hopefully, my experiences will help another family avoid the psychological trauma that I endured while breastfeeding my daughter. This is what I learned:

  • Sacrificing your mental health or your baby’s health (or both!) to exclusively breastfeed is not worth it. 
  • Some breastfeeding advocates don’t see (or don’t want to see) the risks of exclusive breastfeeding which include a baby who isn’t gaining weight sufficiently, an emotionally suffering mum, or a strained mother–baby relationship.  
  • Seek help from lactation professionals who are open-minded enough to suggest combo-feeding as an option and are willing to support your choice because sometimes exclusive breastfeeding is not an option.

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Dr. Beth Elston, Pediatrician, Shares Her Fed is Best Story and How She Supports Moms

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Dr. Beth Elston is a mother and a general pediatrician. She talks about her experience as a breastfeeding mother. She talks about how breastfeeding education taught to moms and health professionals often does not fit with reality and discusses the harm caused by programs like the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative. She shares her insights on how to best support mothers regardless of their ability or decision to breastfeed and how to respect mother’s decisions, including breastfeeding, formula-feeding or combo-feeding. She shares how her experience has changed how she supports her patients in their unique infant feeding journeys.

Dr. Beth Elston’s Fed is Best Interview