Combination feeders?

[sparkswillfly]

Posting this in both rooms!

What routine do you have? What made you choose to use both?

I mainly breastfeed and give one bottle of formula before bed. I was a bit nervous about it at first as all the websites on breastfeeding said "its the beginning of the end of breastfeeding once you give formula"

 

[Mervs Mum]

I breast fed exclusively for the past 3 months or so. I got up with my eldest at 6am (like now ) and pumped both breasts as she would sleep till 8am at least. That way I had a full feed for that night time bottle that you'd probably us formula for. I was lucky it worked out for me that way until last week! She went through a few days of waking at 6.30 ish - so no time to pump and too busy in the day to either. I do have some in the freezer but because I store it in 8oz freezable bottles, it takes 24hrs to thaw. So a couple of nights I had to give her formula at that point in the evening.
I certainly havent found it to be the begining of the end! I am getting back pumping again as it seemed only to be a blip in her sleep pattern BUT if I need to she'll get some more formula! I have also used it during the day once when I had to leave her unexpectedly and again didnt have time to thaw any frozen milk.

The way it's incorporacted in to our routine is it replaces EBM at her regular 'after bath' feed. I think you can go either way - use it randomly as and when or use it for a regular feed and your (.Y.) 's will adjust accordingly!

 

[Sarah88]

I am so tempted to give Savannah formula just before bed. She used to sleep through but then I went back to work and it all went to shit

 

[Michy]

I express all Alfies feeds and it is really hard work so I don't like to waste any EBM, therefore if we are going out and about I'll take a sterilised bottle and a carton of ready made formula just in case he decides he wants feeding.

 

[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!

 

[Mervs Mum]

 

[Michy]

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!

that's great sleep is sooooo good when you get some!!

 

[jenstar]

I started combination feding because I didn't have enough milk.

Like Merv's Mum I used to express a feed's worth or sometimes two after my baby went to bed in the evening, because his hungriest time was in the morning so I would bf him plus a bottle of EBM then. After a few months it got a bit tedious having to sit on the settee all evening expressing so I stopped and just gave him a carton of Aptamil in the mornings.

Now he is eating solids I actually don't bf him in the morning any more, I just give him his carton of Aptamil and his breakfast cereal. I just chose to do it this way but I suppose I could have dropped the formula feed at that point rather than the bf.

 

[kellyharrison]

I introduced formula a few weeks back as my LO was fussing alot on the boob and driving me crazy! It really depends on the baby and the mum ... for me I am planning on stopping b'feeding in the day and just having it during the night and in the morning when she feeds the best - I can no longer fight with her during the day - shame I know but its what my baby prefers.

 

[sparkswillfly]

I introduced formula a few weeks back as my LO was fussing alot on the boob and driving me crazy! It really depends on the baby and the mum ... for me I am planning on stopping b'feeding in the day and just having it during the night and in the morning when she feeds the best - I can no longer fight with her during the day - shame I know but its what my baby prefers.

Thats exactly what Meadow is like. In the day she comes off and on all the time and we both end up soaked. I hate it

 

[caggimedicine]

At about 3 weeks, we started giving Harry a bottle of FF at about midnight. I'd have too many sleepless nights and hubby wanted to help out to give me a rest. I BF Harry at 10pm... OH then feeds Harry with FF at about midnight... then I feed Harry from then on. I initially felt really guilty about giving him FF, but am ok now. I thought that by giving him FF he would sleep longer, but that never happened... until last night when he slept for 5 hours straight! Hopefully that's the beginning of something?!

I'm going back to work on 1st June, and plan to have Harry completely on FF apart from one/two boobie feeds in the evening and one maybe in the morning so I know i've got to turn things around pretty soon. God knows how though - my boobs hurt SO much at night after missing that one feed.

 

[sparkswillfly]

I know what you mean about the pain. I missed a feed this morning and Ive never felt pain like it! I was almost in tears

 

[carries]

We started giving a bottle at night quite early, probably when Oscar was about 2 weeks old. I was having a lot of pain when feeding so I needed the break. I haven't found it has caused any problems and now that my breastfeeding is pain free I really enjoy it but still get a break in the evening. As one of my posts says though he goes about 6-8 hours on a bottle feed at night but only two hours on a breast feed. Im going to stick with it for another couple of weeks or so but if this doesnt improve (at night I dont mind the day) we are going to start giving a second bottle when he wakes at 2am as I know he will then sleep through til about 7am,

Im so glad we started combination feeding as friend of mine didnt introduce a bottle (EBM or formula) until her LO was 6 months and he wont take it.

If it works for you id say stick with it