BF or combi?

[Kittenscales]

Up until recently my LO has been exclusively BF. last week we had a horrific time with his sleeping, we ended up giving a couple of ounces of formula AFTER his bedtime feed. He then slept 6 hours!!

So since then he has had about 3oz formula at bedtime after I've fed him. All his other feeds (7 or 8 a day) are boob.

So if I'm asked...am I breastfeeding or combi feeding?

I suppose I'm asking as I feel very guilty giving formula as I really wanted to breastfeed him. x

 

[jessicaR4bbit]

Babies go through a bazillion growth spurts and there is a big one around 3/4 months and again at 6 months. I can't say no woman ever successfully combi-feeds because it does happen, but it is a risk. The risk of course is that whenever you supplement with formula rather than signalling breasts to produce more milk you will eventually produce less and less and he will rely more on formula to meet his needs. I would think about this seriously because if your intention is to breastfeed it may compromise your breastfeeding relationship. I know there are women on here who combi-feed, hopefully they see this thread and can offer their own advice x

 

[kitabird]

I know what you mean, my LO gets one bottle of formula a day, so technically I combi feed but he is mostly breast fed. I haven't had any supply issues. Whenever he wants an extra feed I give the breast and always stick to just that one bottle per day, so my supply keeps up with him. If giving formula works for you then keep going with it, but if you'd rather cut it out have you tried offering a bottle of expressed milk at bedtime?

 

[Kittenscales]

I know what you mean, my LO gets one bottle of formula a day, so technically I combi feed but he is mostly breast fed. I haven't had any supply issues. Whenever he wants an extra feed I give the breast and always stick to just that one bottle per day, so my supply keeps up with him. If giving formula works for you then keep going with it, but if you'd rather cut it out have you tried offering a bottle of expressed milk at bedtime?

I'm doing the same with extra feeds - always boob. It would only be one small bottle at bedtime to top up.

It works giving expressed milk at bedtime but I'm struggling to pump more than 3oz a day.

I suppose its a pride thing...not wanting to admit in failing at BF

 

[Rickles]

OMG - you are NOT failing at BF. It sounds to me like you are BF with a top up!!

For what it's worth my SIL did what you are doing very successfully until 18 weeks when she decided to fully FF... nothing to do with supply just the right decision for her and her other children.

Please, PLEASE be really proud of what you are doing and kick any hint of guilt into touch.

xx

 

[New Mrs W]

That's what I'm doing. I never supplement a feed for a bottle, i offer it after a full breast feed. Sometimes he takes as little as an ounce, sometimes as much as three ounces. But then he sleeps for 4-5 hours. I'm not going to mess with that!!! During the day he feeds from me as and when and i don't mind but that stretch of sleep at night has saved my sanity xx

 

[CeeDee]

Your combi feeding not EBF.

 

[stockers697]

We combi feed - LO has one bottle at lunchtime and one at bedtime and it works great for us.

I just give the bottle at these times and bf all other times and I've not had any supply issues I just made sure I was established - nightie bottle was introduced at 6 weeks and lunchtime bottle during the 12 week growth spurt.

I don't think your failing at all - you have to do what's right for you as happy mum makes for happy baby and there's lots of research to show there are still benefits of some breast milk and I personally see it that some is better than none!

I did feel guilty at first but once you get past that the way I see it is that I don't think I would still be bf now if I hadn't introduced the bottles

Good luck x

 

[sewing_mama]

I understand the pride thing, I wish I could ebf but I had to give a formula top up due to slow weight gain. I've been giving 4oz a night since 6 weeks (she doesn't always drink it all) and I'm still successfully bf the rest of the time. Weight gain is good now & I get good few hours sleep too, so despite my misgivings I'm happy with the way it's going now.

 

[.Mrs.B.]

I would just tell people your BF, after all you're still putting all the effort in.

 

[kitabird]

I know what you mean, my LO gets one bottle of formula a day, so technically I combi feed but he is mostly breast fed. I haven't had any supply issues. Whenever he wants an extra feed I give the breast and always stick to just that one bottle per day, so my supply keeps up with him. If giving formula works for you then keep going with it, but if you'd rather cut it out have you tried offering a bottle of expressed milk at bedtime?

I'm doing the same with extra feeds - always boob. It would only be one small bottle at bedtime to top up.

It works giving expressed milk at bedtime but I'm struggling to pump more than 3oz a day.

I suppose its a pride thing...not wanting to admit in failing at BF

Yeah, I wanted to EBF, especially since I failed with DS1, but we had a lot of obstacles in the beginning. I'd quite like to drop the bottle now, but by having OH give it I can put my toddler to bed, cook dinner etc rather than be sat feeding all evening. I feel guilty for doing it but OH wants me to stop BF completely so it's a compromise

 

[Celesse]

If your just chit chatting to a random non crazy internet mummy person then you are "breastfeeding", or perhaps "breastfeeding, but giving baby a bottle at bedtime". Only place you would need to define yourself as "Exclusively Breast Feeding", "Combi Feeding" or "Formula Feeding" is on a baby forum or in Mummy-Wars!

My DS had a bottle from my choice form 4 months old. I have "Combi-Feeding" in my sig, but any time any real person asked how I was feeding I'd just say "breastfeeding"

 

[Kittenscales]

I would just tell people your BF, after all you're still putting all the effort in.

Haha this is totally what I wanted to say.

I know I'm not EBF but is 95% BF and only 3oz top up for a 4 month old. Just explaining that to people is hard.Since I've started he now sleeps a good 6 hour stretch and during the day seems happier for it.

 

[Kittenscales]

If your just chit chatting to a random non crazy internet mummy person then you are "breastfeeding", or perhaps "breastfeeding, but giving baby a bottle at bedtime". Only place you would need to define yourself as "Exclusively Breast Feeding", "Combi Feeding" or "Formula Feeding" is on a baby forum or in Mummy-Wars!

My DS had a bottle from my choice form 4 months old. I have "Combi-Feeding" in my sig, but any time any real person asked how I was feeding I'd just say "breastfeeding"

Yup this makes sense xxx