Supporting your baby to feed as effectively as possible – Plan Three

Plan 3 – If your baby needs more milk than you can express. Include all the elements of Plan 1 and 2

Formula milk

In some cases, babies need extra milk for a short time or longer term. If donated human milk is not available, the only safe alternative is infant formula milk. The appropriate amounts will be calculated for you to ensure your baby’s nutritional needs are met.

It is never safe to suddenly stop or dramatically reduce supplements of expressed breastmilk formula or donor breastmilk. This needs to be done gradually, to allow your own milk supply time to increase, or your baby to start feeding more effectively.  If supplements are being reduced it is very important that your baby is weighed regularly, to make sure that they continue to get enough milk. The regularity of reviews will be planned with you and included in your feeding plan.

Use paced bottle feeding after breastfeeding. This method helps mimic the natural rhythm of breastfeeding and supports your baby’s ability to regulate their intake. Find out more about paced bottle feeding here

There are other ways to supplement your baby, for example at breast supplementers.  Find out more about at breast supplementers here. If you would like help with this, you can ask to be referred to the SCFT Specialist Infant feeding Team

This page will explain how to make up formula milk safely

Keeping the breast a happy place for your baby

If your baby is getting upset at the breast, you can try

• Offering some extra milk before offering the breast. This can help calm a baby so they are less hungry and can learn.
• You can offer expressed or formula milk between breasts if your baby is getting unsettled, then return to offering the breast.
• You can give milk by bottle with your baby’s cheek against your breast.
• You could try a supplementer, so your baby can have extra milk while breastfeeding.
• Skin to skin at the breast without feeding can calm and offer comfort to you baby

Whether or not you are producing all the milk your baby needs, you can still have a meaningful feeding relationship with your baby. The breast can calm, comfort and soothe your baby, even if your milk supply remains low. Any amount of your milk that your baby gets will be beneficial to them. Some of the immune components of milk become concentrated so that babies get the same amount, no matter how much of your milk they get each day. Whatever feeding looks like for you and your baby, we are here to support you.

📍 Visit your local MILK! drop-in sessions

📞 Speak to your midwife, health visitor or GP

Call the National Breastfeeding helpline 0300 100 0212
🌐 Find trusted info on Healthforunder5s.co.uk

All images are Curtesy of;

LactaMedia – A Clinical Image Collection is published on LactaHub, a partnership project of The Global Health Network (University of Oxford) and the Family Larsson-Rosenquist Foundation. © Family Larsson-Rosenquist Foundation”.