6 months Breastfeeding switching to formula?

[KJM2]

My goal was to breast feed for 6 months- two weeks to go. Not sure whether to carry on or not. My baby still requires one feed a night and his sleep has been poor lately waking every couple of hours and cant get back to sleep (not hungry). Weve just started him on solids.

My question is to those that stopped Bf and switched to formula at 6 months did you switch to follow-on milk or other type formula and did you find your baby slept any better i.e didnt need a feed or feeds through the night?

thanks in advance from a very tired mummy

 

[Vesta]

I switched to formula shortly before 6 months. Although I still find myself breastfeeding once every couple of days if nothing else with sooth LO. I used stage 1 to start with, as it was about 2 weeks before 6 months. But then I moved onto Follow on. LO sleeps much better. From waking every hour he now sleeps through the night.

Good luck whatever you decide to do!

 

[katy1985]

I'm in the same situation and very confused about what to do. I'd like to switch to formula so I can have a rest, a night off! But then when I think like this, I feel guilty for wanting to stop bf. but 6 months is good going, right? I also think she's gonna get some teeth soon and that seriously frightens me!

 

[lola]

My dd started to refuse to bf just after 7 months.... With a dwindling supply that was the end of bfing however, she did miraculously start sleeping better so I guess she really wasn't getting enough milk any more! Anyway, we went to follow on milk but dh just bought stage 1 milk because he is a boy and milk is milk to him.... Grrrr. But il still give it to her! Saying that he hadn't really noticed she'd stopped bfing, even though I told him I was sad about it! Meh

 

[Nat0619]

I plan to slowly wean off BF by 6 months too. Just my personal choice. I've already done way longer than I expected! I already combi-feed though (LO has 2 bottles of formula a day) so just going to gradually increase this. My main worry giving up is that LO will miss it and still look for the breast? She also feeds to sleep (although not after her two bottles) x

 

[Ozzieshunni]

If you and baby are happy, continue Who needs all that formula making?

 

[lozzy21]

As some one who had to FF exclusively from 4 months if your able to continue BF then do it, formula is a pain in the arse. All the washing, sterilising, boiling the kettle, letting the kettle cool, making the bottle, making sure its at the right temp and then do it over again for the next feed. Making sure you have enough when your going out, having to make up a bottle up just in case and then having to pour it down the sink because LO dident want it after all. Its way easier BF untill your LO is old enough to have cows milk in a cup.

 

[TheNewMrs]

If BF is established and going well why switch?

I FF my baby for almost 4wks in total ad well as combi fed since day 2. It is a pain in the backside... I relactated, have been EBF now for nearly 3months. It's so so much handier than all that steralizing, boiling, cooling, washing bla bla bla!

It's you choice Mama but FF was a serious amount more work for us than BF.

A tired, but not half s tired as I was when FF Mama,

 

[KJM2]

If BF is established and going well why switch?

I FF my baby for almost 4wks in total ad well as combi fed since day 2. It is a pain in the backside... I relactated, have been EBF now for nearly 3months. It's so so much handier than all that steralizing, boiling, cooling, washing bla bla bla!

It's you choice Mama but FF was a serious amount more work for us than BF.

A tired, but not half s tired as I was when FF Mama,

I am thinking about stopping as iam seriously exhausted physically- BF really saps your energy and it is draining in my opinion. I get that FF is a bit of work with washing bottles etc but at least my husband can help. I get that BF can be handier to just whip out a boob but Iam seriously knacked.

 

[KJM2]

I'm in the same situation and very confused about what to do. I'd like to switch to formula so I can have a rest, a night off! But then when I think like this, I feel guilty for wanting to stop bf. but 6 months is good going, right? I also think she's gonna get some teeth soon and that seriously frightens me!

thanks for that good to know someone else is in the same boat hardly any of my friends are still breast feeding. I really dont know what to do. Iam keen to stop for lots of reasons but there is an element of guilt as my son is doing really well on it but I am just so tired of it all.

Good luck with whatever you do and yes 6 months is bloody good going

 

[lozzy21]

You dont have to quit all together for your OH to help, you can introduce a bottle every now and then. If BF shouldent be making you tired unless your LO wants feeding every hour or so unless your not eating enough to keep your energy up.

 

[pinkpolkadot]

I am thinking about stopping as iam seriously exhausted physically- BF really saps your energy and it is draining in my opinion. I get that FF is a bit of work with washing bottles etc but at least my husband can help. I get that BF can be handier to just whip out a boob but Iam seriously knacked.

Hi, we switched at 6 months, I felt exactly as you say above and LO used to BF every 2 hours and was a long feeder.

Funnily enough my DH keeps saying how much more time consuming LO became after 6 months whereas I say the opposite (something to do with sharing the feeding no doubt ) I actually find FF less work than BF (although I would BF again and glad I did).

LO was not having a feed in the night when we switched but I have heard from others that it may not make a difference. She did have a phase of waking every hour or 2 (not to eat) just past 6 months but this passed.

We just used first milk as recommended by the ladies on here and the HV, apparently follow on is a bit of a con!

 

[Jellysecret]

I'm in the same situation at the moment although lo is 8 months now. My goal was 6 months but here I am still going.

Could you start off gradually switching bf for ff? I'm thinking the only feed I'm still happy doing is the morning one, as it saves me getting up lol

lo just has no interest through the day in feeding off me and it's all just becoming a struggle and I'm sure my milk supply is fading

Did everyone find their lo adjusted easily, did they become more windy/constipated?

 

[ellie27]

I am still breastfeeding

First thing in morning, last thing at night and if he wakes up (which is just 1 time if he does, but most times sleeps through) and he has 2 very quick 4 min feeds during the day.

LO is 9 months - thats all he needs.

I cannot be doing with all the hassle of bottles - my first LO was ff. In the time it takes my LO to have a quick afternoon feed - I would be still boiling the kettle to make a bottle!!!

Remember if you have got to 6 months you have done the difficult part - exclusive breastfeeding!!!!! From 6 months on, with weaning onto solids it could be that feeds generally get shorter and longer between feeds too.

 

[TheNewMrs]

If BF is established and going well why switch?

I FF my baby for almost 4wks in total ad well as combi fed since day 2. It is a pain in the backside... I relactated, have been EBF now for nearly 3months. It's so so much handier than all that steralizing, boiling, cooling, washing bla bla bla!

It's you choice Mama but FF was a serious amount more work for us than BF.

A tired, but not half s tired as I was when FF Mama,

I am thinking about stopping as iam seriously exhausted physically- BF really saps your energy and it is draining in my opinion. I get that FF is a bit of work with washing bottles etc but at least my husband can help. I get that BF can be handier to just whip out a boob but Iam seriously knacked.

It's entirely your choice hun, but naively I thought that way too! It's just my personal experience but FF nearly done me in as I ended up doing it all myself anyway... Even when my husband went to feed her I was watching his every move in case he wasn't doing it right!!

Whatever you chose I wish u the best.

 

[lisa1980]

When I got to 6 months exclusive BF I also thought about switching as my LO was (is!) such a bad sleeper and I was desperate for someone else to be able to help me out.

I tried it for a while, switching some BFs to formula (just regular infant formula) and letting OH do the bedtime bottle, but it really didn't make any difference to my LO's sleep at all as most of the time he wakes it isn't through hunger anyway, and it's surprising how quickly the novelty of giving a bottle wore off with OH so I ended up giving most of them and the hassle of it wasn't worth it to me in the end (particularly when having to get up to make a bottle in the night rather than just lopping out a boob. I am very lazy though). Also the older my LO gets the quicker he becomes at BF so now it literally takes 5-10mins at most, maybe 3-4 times a day. It seems to take him much longer to get through a bottle (but he plays with it and talks to it for ages so maybe that's why ).

I was lucky that my supply has always been very stable and I restarted with mainly BF with bottles only when needed without any problem..

I'd say that if you're happy to switch then don't feel guilty at all. 6 months is great - since I got to 6 months I've been pretty much playing it by ear and i'm much more relaxed about the whole thing. But I'd also say that if you're doing it to improve sleep just be aware that it won't necessarily make any difference and may be harder work for you

 

[lola]

Can I add that if my supply hadn't dwindled and she hadn't started to refuse (still breaks my heart) I would still be bfing you can only Di what suits you when the time is right..... As others have said it doesn't have to be all or nothing in every case x

Saying that, 6 months is amazing! I am very proud to have made it to 7 x

 

[babyjan]

If BF is established and going well why switch?

I FF my baby for almost 4wks in total ad well as combi fed since day 2. It is a pain in the backside... I relactated, have been EBF now for nearly 3months. It's so so much handier than all that steralizing, boiling, cooling, washing bla bla bla!

It's you choice Mama but FF was a serious amount more work for us than BF.

A tired, but not half s tired as I was when FF Mama,

This is exactly what I wanted to say

I thought about switching but we both love breastfeeding so I thought why not just carry on plus he has cmpa so I thought its best for him
But I totally understand why some may feel its better for them. x

 

[Ozzieshunni]

Also, learn to feed laying down and cosleep through rough patches.

 

[KJM2]

Also, learn to feed laying down and cosleep through rough patches.

thanks but there is no way I could cosleep -think I would sleep less due to the fear I would crush him