Combination feeders?

[sparkswillfly]

If you combination feed - what routine do you have, and why did you choose to do both?

Ive just started to do both. She had her first formula bottle tonight. Mostly to get some sanity back because shes still feeding every two hours and to get my OH more involved. Im going to give her a bottle every night before bed I think. I have to go back to work when shes four months old anyway so I figured I may as well start giving her formula now rather than switch cold turkey in four months and her not take to it.

I was quite nervous about it tbh...

 

[Mervs Mum]

I dont but I have given an odd bottle of formula when I've not been able to pump for some reason.

Maybe repost this in the BFing section too?? I dunno if that's allowed but I think it's reasonable for this question???

 

[ryder]

Nothing fwrong with it from my point of view... Since your going back to work and not planning on bfing exclusively for long then it wont hurt. Eventually if you give more and more formula your supply will likely dry up... I doubt it will do anything with a bottle of formula before bed though..

Hope she sleeps good for you!

 

[StirCrazy]

Maybe repost this in the BFing section too?? I dunno if that's allowed but I think it's reasonable for this question???

Posting duplicates in BF & FF forums is OK

 

[sparkswillfly]

I wasnt really sure where to put it

 

[StirCrazy]

I wasnt really sure where to put it

Thats cool - this is new for all of us. We'll make it clear when we sort out the 'Welcome' stickies that due to the nature of the BF & FF forums that duplicates are acceptable.

 

[sparkle]

We combination fed for a couple of months. From about 3 months he had formula at night. It didnt effect my supply at all. I decided to give up bfeeding about 2 weeks ago and so we've been gradually introducing more formula. I've found that my supply has just adjusted. I think by the end of this week i'll be exclusively ff. Hope this helps.

 

[sparkswillfly]

so after the first bottle of formula last night she slept from 12am-5am!!!! I had more than 2 hours sleep for the first time since before she was born!

 

[Gwizz]

Congrats - im thinking of doing the same for my LO... Which brand did u choose to use and how many oz's did you give?

 

[sparkswillfly]

Aptimal is the one I have. Vaguely remember reading its the closest to breastmilk. I made up 4ozs for her but she only took 3.

 

[ryder]

awww good job hun! I bet you feel soooo much better after a nice rest like that!

 

[sparkswillfly]

Yeah I do, and Im not so scared of formula anymore! I was really worried about doing it wrong and the whole sterilising process.

 

[pippam116]

i do both, and im really happy i chose to.
On my previous 2 i bf and gave up quite early, i intend to stick it out longer this time, and ff before bed and if she is messing with bf i top that up, but not with more than 2 ounces at the mo as advised by my bf midwife, its heavier in the stomach and if they drink a lot of formula they then expect a heavier feed in bf, so will feed longer and not actually need it. deffo feel better for doing it.

 

[isil]

I combination fed and I have to say it was the best decision I ever made. I found exclusive BFing so so hard and it just meant that Alasdair got some breastmilk until nearly 6 months (we only stopped in the end because he got really poorly). To start with he just had a bottle before bed, then we did loads of different thing but in the end I fed him first thing and last thing but he also had formula before his last bf. it turned into a comfort thing for him but that's ok imo.

Glad she slept so well for you! I think formula had a similar and very welcome effect on Ally!