combi feeding and total switch to ff - help!!

[kellycontrary]

hi all

Im really confused with what to do for the best so im hoping someone can help!

I exclusively breastfed for 6 weeks until I just was in tears so much as connor wasnt giving me a break (I know - normal) I then was pumping as well as occassionally giving aptiimil. I never really established this - I mainly used this when MIL came to stay or I wanted a break and husband took him out.

Now I feel like I want to combi feed properly and eventually - as in the next month - move totally off of the breast and on to formula. My questions are:

When do I do it? The last 4-5 ive been giving him a bottle at 7pm. He doesnt have a real problem taking the bottle - but occasionally will fuss over it/play with the teat. Will always root for my breast whenever I hold him (but I guess thats habit!)

This also leads to my next question, as the last two days hes been hungry at 6pm ....if Im trying to establish this properly, should I try and make him wait? I havent so far, ive just breastfed but then the bottle doesnt work very well at 7pm!!!

How does everyone else do it? How long in between?? And how do they stop wanting the breast in between feeds? I think a lot of the time he is comfort sucking - another reason Id like to get into a formula routine so that I know he has had what he needs.

Ive loved breastfeeding but I feel like for my own sanity Id like to slowly edge him towards formula. I jsut have no clue to to establish it...help!!!

p.s - he is 11 weeks old tomorrow. x

 

[heyyydayyy]

I'm in a similar situation as you....I started off EBF, then eventually started combi-feeding, and now I only breastfeed about 2 or 3 times per day and always top up with formula. Honestly, I don't really have a routine. I feed her when she's hungry and don't really time it. She never goes longer than 4 hours without eating, except at night. Maybe I'm just doing it the sloppy way because I don't keep a routine?

 

[Krystal 123]

Hey

I bf for 6 weeks then started to combi feed ... I also had to start ebf due to Lucas using me as a human dummy.

I would alternate between each feed from breast milk to aptimil and it was great for his dad or nan to feed him (bond) while I could shower or get some house work done

theirs no right or wrong time to do it ... Some days I would bf more than others but I just went with him and what I thought was right at the time. Lucas would also try and root for my breast but eventually he stopped ... He liked to do it for comfort too .

I didn't set up a feeding routine at that point with Lucas , he was a very hungry baby and could feed every two hours so I just went with him. Lucas gradually stopped having an interest in breast feeding but I still offered him it until he just totally didn't want it ( mainly when he was really upset ) he was a very sucky baby, so in the end he had a dummy and a little blanket teddy thing which he loves!

It took about about 3 to 4 weeks before he was totally of the breast and I did miss it , I did express for a while before totally switching to ff . Only you no what's right ... And as ppl say a happy mummy equals a happy baby

 

[Twinkie210]

I think he might be a little young for a set routine. I would just pick a feeding and replace with a bottle. Even at 5 months old my LO isn't on a set schedule. He eats 5 bottles a day and solids 3 times a day, but the timing varies on when he wakes up and how hungry he is. You can still feed on demand with formula.

Good luck. I have been EPing, but I am moving toward switching LO over to all formula. Have you tried introducing a pacifier? This may help keep him from comfort sucking.

 

[kellycontrary]

heyyydayyy thought I would share my first successful (fingers crossed as its only 8pm!) day with you!

And for anyone else in future that might have the same question as I did and couldnt find answers. Ive tried to put down everything that I wanted to know from others - times, feeds inbetween etc. Dummys are a lifesaver inbetween feeds when he wants the boob!

It started on saturday night - my first connor-free evening as my parents babysat whilst my husband and I went to dinner. When we got in at 10pm (too anxious to stay later!!) my mum told me with the confidence of a woman who has brought up three children successfully that he had a 7pm bottle and then started to cry so she laid him down - he fussed a bit for about 10 mins and then went to sleep!
Infact, he was asleep until 3am when he woke up and I breastfed him. amazing! i think ive been holding on to him too long when he is tired and assuming he is hungry when he is not.

Today I thought Id make a note of all the times he was fed and slept and then I can see a pattern so that I can eventually fit all his needs, so here it is:

6am - awake, changed and then breastfed brought downstairs, little play with toys with him and then put him in his vibrating chair.

8am - nap in the carrycot

9.30am - woke up hungry (had bottle prepared! had to keep boiling and cooling, throwing it out getting fresh water and starting again as he hadnt woken up! but timed one for 9.30 luckily!) - took 6oz (connor is 12 weeks tomorrow and weighed 14 lb 2oz as of last week)

11:15am - nap in the carrycot downstairs

1:45pm - eventually awake from his nap! had to do the same as before and this time he had to wait a little for it to cool down! changed his nappy to pass the time and keep him amused! had roughly 6oz again

2-3pm - play time and tummy time until he started to get a bit ratty!

3pm - nap again!

3.40pm - awake and happy

4.30pm changed and then fed - this time took just 5 oz

5pm - nap - took him 15 mins to settle down and stop crying/moaning. could tell he was shattered again.

6.10pm - awake!

7pm - started to get a bit grumpy could see he was hungry but wanted to bath him first and give him a routine. Bathed him and he seemed much happier and more content. Loves the water!

7.30pm - Feed. I would usually put the kettle on as I was doing the bath so that the water would be ready for the powder just as id finished but my mum works in boots and brought home some aptamil hungry milk to try so I had a ready made carton to just warm up.
Dressed him downstairs and put him in his chair whilst I warmed teh bottle and prepared our bedroom. Turned bedside lamp on low and laid out his sleep bag/gro bag. Took him upstairs and fed him in virtual silence. ONly had 4oz of hungry milk.

8pm - laid him down awake. Last night he cried alot so I had to pick him up and sooth him but tonight was gurgling away to himself on the monitor when I went downstairs. its the first time ive left him up there whilst ive had an 'evening' to myself. Last night I couldnt bear it and just stayed up stairs with him!
Its now 8.45 and Ive just checked our monitor and he is sound asleep. Ill admit ive run upstairs twice already to check hes breathing!

Im hoping this is a good guideline for tomorrow. usually he will wake once in the night around 2-3am so we will see. Im hoping he will take more milk tomorrow - but its hard t know with bf isnt it! Now im only on the middle of the night and the first thing bf and Ill drop these for ff too soon. x