Breast Feeding to Formula Feeding?

[bloodbinds]

Is there anyone on here that has gone from giving their baby expressed breast milk to formula milk? Just wondering if there was a difference in the quantities that the baby would take? I think i read somewhere a while ago that the amount of formula you give a baby is different to the same amount of breast milk, if that makes sense? Like 5oz of breast milk has more calories in it or something? Or that 5oz breast milk would be more like 4oz formula? Does that make sense? Does anyone know if that's true? Did your baby take less breast milk, then starting taking more when switched to formula?

Any help muchly appreciated!

 

[Nic1107]

I don't remember very well as we switched over quite early, but if I recall correctly she started formula full-time right when her first growth spurt started, so she drank a little more.

 

[Alisha1985]

He drinks lots more formula then he did breast milk. He seems a lot happier for it too. All babies are different though. Give it a try... you can do both. It doesnt harm them.

 

[babybliss]

Hi there, I gave my LO expressed milk up until yesterday actually and She always took more breast milk than Formula. When she was 4 weeks she took 4-5 oz EBM and 3-4 oz formula. I wouldn't worry too much about the quantity (as I did : ) ) as long as your LO empties the bottles and is happy and putting on weight it's all good. Good luck.

 

[OmiOmen]

I probably should not be on this section as I am breastfeeding but the midwife in the hospital told me that you need 7 times more formula milk. E.g, so 1oz breast milk it equal to 7oz of formula.

 

[PinkCar]

Is there anyone on here that has gone from giving their baby expressed breast milk to formula milk? Just wondering if there was a difference in the quantities that the baby would take? I think i read somewhere a while ago that the amount of formula you give a baby is different to the same amount of breast milk, if that makes sense? Like 5oz of breast milk has more calories in it or something? Or that 5oz breast milk would be more like 4oz formula? Does that make sense? Does anyone know if that's true? Did your baby take less breast milk, then starting taking more when switched to formula?

Any help muchly appreciated!

Used to give EBM and switched to FF. Yes, there was a big difference. I couldn't produce enough BM to keep him satiated. I would give him 4-5 oz of EBM but he always seemed so hungry afterwards. I started topping him up with formula pretty early (3 weeks?) due to weight loss, and he really thrived on the formula. He would take 3 oz every 2 hrs or so (after the EBM) in the early weeks, by 8 weeks we were at about 25 oz/day (mixed EBM & FF). We are now FF only, and at 13 weeks he eats about 32-34 oz/day. He is a big eater and a big baby =). From what I understand, formula is 'heavier' and has more calories, therefore they need less of it then BM. BM is virtually unwasted, all calories are used up and easily digested. Formula is not as easily digested and makes them feel more full, for longer. They usually eat less formula. My little man likes to eat and I just feed him if he's hungry. HTH.

 

[Kit]

I probably should not be on this section as I am breastfeeding but the midwife in the hospital told me that you need 7 times more formula milk. E.g, so 1oz breast milk it equal to 7oz of formula.

I'm not convinced that is right. When I was mixing BFing, expressed milk and formula I didn't notice any difference in how much he would take from a bottle. I can quite believe there is a small difference but not seven times! He was drinking 7 oz at quite a young age so that would mean that when he had formula he should have been finishing his bottles and when he had breastmilk he should have had just a single oz - this certainly wasn't the case as if it had been he would have got a lot more expressed milk feeds - he usuall had to have expressed milk followed by formula as I couldn't pump very much.

 

[babybliss]

I probably should not be on this section as I am breastfeeding but the midwife in the hospital told me that you need 7 times more formula milk. E.g, so 1oz breast milk it equal to 7oz of formula.

I'm not convinced that is right. When I was mixing BFing, expressed milk and formula I didn't notice any difference in how much he would take from a bottle. I can quite believe there is a small difference but not seven times! He was drinking 7 oz at quite a young age so that would mean that when he had formula he should have been finishing his bottles and when he had breastmilk he should have had just a single oz - this certainly wasn't the case as if it had been he would have got a lot more expressed milk feeds - he usuall had to have expressed milk followed by formula as I couldn't pump very much.

I agree with Kit 7:1 ratio doesn't look right at all.... as my LO took lot more booby milk than formula. And there I was thinking that my boobymilk was not good enough.

 

[OmiOmen]

I have no idea how true it is, I am just saying what the midwives told me at the hospital.

 

[Mum2b_Claire]

Ruby drank more breastmilk than formula in the early days.
Breastmilk has more calories than formula but formula is more filling because it takes longer to digest.