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combination feeding

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purple_socks

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Does anyone do this...i haven't had my baby yet but have been thinking abt feeding. was wondering how it would work if i decided to combine BF and FF. is there a best time of day/ night to do this or a best age for switching to this? or will this completely confuse baby?

Also if i were to combine breast with expressed feeds how would this work?- i like the idea of having option for if i was to go out/ go back to work/ wanted DH to be able to feed.

I might b slightly slow here but i don't really get how any of this works! i was always under the impression it was all or nothing with BF :p
 
I dont have personal experience of combining from the start but someone will be along soon who does I'm sure.

I used formula top top up early on but it caused me some supply issues so I stopped. Once things were established if I needed to, for example if I had to leave her and hadn't managed to pump enough, I knew I could fall back on formula. I'm lucky she will drink either if necessary!

Pumping isnt recommended early on but once you get going you can get into a pumping routine. I'm actually sat typing with one hand and pumping with the other right now!!! So you can pump and stash in the freezer for later! :)
 
My LO is 3 weeks tomorrow and last week, everytime I would BF him, he would be really fussy on the boob and not seemed satisfied after a feeding. I was just about ready to give up BF'ing all together since I was feeding him every hour or so but decided to try supplementing. I bought formula and for 2 days now I've substituted 2 feedings a day with a bottle. My LO took to it right away and since then my boobs feel like they fill up a bit more so when I do BF, LO is very happy once he's done :)
 
i plan to mostly BF but its nice to know there is the option to ebm or ff if i need/want for a couple of feeds without it ruining the whole thing...like i said b4 i was under the impression that it was all or nothing with BF...like the second i used a bottle it was no going back! apparently not tho which is great news.
 
Definately not all or nothing!! It's all about what works for you. :D
 
I used to express in the morning and get my OH to give that as a night feed, which worked for while. But it took me ages to express and i found my whole morning was taken up by feed / express / feed. So a few weeks ago i ditched the expressing routine, and my OH gives Poppy a ff at night instead.

I wasn't sure about this at first, but it's worked out fine. I have more time in the day to look after Poppy rather than struggling to fill a bottle as i pump (i am a slow pumper!), plus someone else ff's her so less confusion for her. Also she seems fine on that one ff (not sicky, which is what i was worried about) and i know i can express if i need to in the future.

i've slowly learned just do what feels right for you - there is loads of advice out there, and it's all good. You've just got to figure out what is right for YOU.
 
Gosh....you know, I read posts like the one above from kateqpr, and I really respect the choices you've made about combination feeding. I read that you've given one feeding to your DH and that (and here's the key) YOU DON'T FEEL GUILTY ABOUT IT!

Why am I so resistent to the formula feeding? I know that I would be so much more relaxed if I didn't always have to stress about my milk supply and production. I feel like a failure for thinking "WOW...if I just FF the baby, my life would be a breeze".

Argh...I think I need to stick with BFing for a few more weeks and then I have to get over myself and do what seems to be the most obvious thing (if BFing is still not working out) - just give my baby forumla and watch her grow and grow. I hate waking up and looking at her and thinking "Yikes...she looks less pudgy than last week...she's lost weight". I'm dreading taking her to the doc because I think he'll tell me she's not gaining properly.

Sorry for this random post...Just kind of getting stuff off my chest. I really do respect the women who choose to combination feed and don't feel guilty about it. I hope to someday do that too!!
 
I've had a combination-feeding-from-the-start baby for a little over two weeks now, and while it may not be a credible length of time, I can say for sure that it's working out very well for us. I would say that he takes in about 60-70% of my milk and 30% formula every day. We give him formula when he's not satisfied from my milk alone or when I'm too tired to breastfeed. The result so far is that he's a very calm baby who knows he's never going to feel hungry and sleeps long periods of time, at least 4 hours. Another result is me not feeling like I'm climbing the walls worrying about him possibly losing weight and not thriving just because I don't want to complement with formula.

I have also expressed milk from practically the start. I breastfeed him directly only about twice or three times a day. I have a very low pain threshold and the hour-long feeds drive me bonkers, so I breastfeed him more or less just to stimulate my production and feel close to him, frankly.

But I should say - we've gotten approval on our method from Luciano's pediatrician, you should definitely not get the final word from a bunch of women on a website because your baby will have specific needs.
 
Gosh....you know, I read posts like the one above from kateqpr, and I really respect the choices you've made about combination feeding. I read that you've given one feeding to your DH and that (and here's the key) YOU DON'T FEEL GUILTY ABOUT IT!

Why am I so resistent to the formula feeding? I know that I would be so much more relaxed if I didn't always have to stress about my milk supply and production. I feel like a failure for thinking "WOW...if I just FF the baby, my life would be a breeze".

Argh...I think I need to stick with BFing for a few more weeks and then I have to get over myself and do what seems to be the most obvious thing (if BFing is still not working out) - just give my baby forumla and watch her grow and grow. I hate waking up and looking at her and thinking "Yikes...she looks less pudgy than last week...she's lost weight". I'm dreading taking her to the doc because I think he'll tell me she's not gaining properly.

Sorry for this random post...Just kind of getting stuff off my chest. I really do respect the women who choose to combination feed and don't feel guilty about it. I hope to someday do that too!!


You took the words right out of my mouth!! I have an issue too and god knows why..... I have been told people who set theierself these goals and milestones can be severly affected if they dont meet them in terms of BF. We all need to give ourselves a pat on the back... and a break! :hugs:
 
I have been told people who set theierself these goals and milestones can be severly affected if they dont meet them in terms of BF. We all need to give ourselves a pat on the back... and a break! :hugs:


I disagree that setting goals is a bad thing. Setting unrealistic ones may be - dont say to yourself 2 weeks before the baby is born 'I'm going to feed for 12 months come hell or high water'....that's not a good idea. I set small, realsitic targets and it's really helped me - I feel like I can do things when I set my mind to it. So I started off saying I'd go till Christmas (she was born mid-October) then I said I'd like to do 6 months. Now I'm aiming for July when I return to work.....then a year.....

I do however agree that we all need a pat on the back, no matter what our personal goals or achievements are :D
 
Yes I was saying I will do 6 months etc, now am saying 3 months and will be very pleased if I can manage that but I know it can make you feel like a failure if you dont meet the targets if you know what I mean.

xx
 
I know exactly what you mean. :D

That's also why my first target was a vague one!! So I could meet it with some flexibility!!! :lol: I said 'Christmas' knowing if I needed to I could class 'Christmas' as the start of the school holidays or Christmas week rather than a specific date....if I'd have got really desperate then I'd have put me deccies up early and made 1st December the start of Christmas!!! I'm a cheat! :lol:
 
We've been combi-feeding since Jack was about a week old. He lost 14% of his birth weight in the first 6 days as we took a while to get the hang of BFing. I was getting very stressed, which interrupted my milk supply and one evening he was screaming and I just had no milk, so we had no choice.

But tbh, since then we've found our peace with things. In the evenings he is really hungry and just not feeding well from my breast. I don't know whether it's that he is too tired to make the effort to draw down my milk, or if my milk is less satisfying at that time of day. He gets one bottle of formula most evenings, not all, and I am much happier not having the stress of him wanting to go back on the breast minutes after a half hour + feed.

I would like to get into a good expressing routine so that we can replace the formula with EBM, but like Kateqpr it feels like the mornings I do express are purely about milk and that is very draining.
 
i you want to combine feed its best to introduce it 1 feed at a time, you can use some expressed milk and top it up to the required level with formula.

remember though when combine feeding your milk supply will decrease and if you then decide to fully breastfeed there may not be the milk for it until your milk increases which could take a few days... but it is possible to increase your milk

hope this helps a bit
 
I decided to start combination feeding yesterday!

Most days BF'ing was going fairly well for us, but I've gotten really sick and struggled to feed Grady because of my constant coughing and needing to blow my nose. He's also started getting really fussy on the boob mid-feed, and I end up getting REALLY frustrated by it.

I thought I'd feel like a failure for doing it, but I actually feel quite good about it. Already less stressed about feeds as my OH can help. Also makes it so that if I need to leave him with family/babysitter, I can without having to worry about pumping enough. I struggle to pump and get enough out for a feed.
 
i started giving a bottle of formula at bedtime about a month ago and i spent about 2 weeks leading up to it feeling guilty just thinking about it!?!!! after i did it i felt fine!

i am currently replacing a few more feeds as Fred has decided hes not bothered feeding from me anymore, hes just not insterested! so im going to carry on with our morning feed as that the only one he wants, i feel better again today, do what suits you and your family xx i love b-feeding but im also learning that situations change and you have to go with the flow xxx
 
I have got into a good routine with the expressing now and get enough for 2 feeds off got him a day. It took me a bit and now my boobs are filling alot :)dohh:) but it means OH can give me breaks :D
Also got my electric pump coming tomorrow :wohoo: cant wait :D
 
This evening will be interesting... we're out of formula and I haven't had chance to express.... Jack has started to grizzle, it's under two hours since his last feed. I'll see what he manages this feed but it could be a long and difficult evening.
 
This evening will be interesting... we're out of formula and I haven't had chance to express.... Jack has started to grizzle, it's under two hours since his last feed. I'll see what he manages this feed but it could be a long and difficult evening.

We're almost out of formula too...they didn't have his kind at the supermarket, just Nestlé, and I primly told DH "We should boycott Nestlé!" (he looked at me as if I had gone mad). :laugh2:

Good luck on that! If I were you I'd give him a pacifier while I expressed.
 

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