Do you find your baby gets more bugs and illness if formula fed?

[Sarah lo]

My first was combi fed until 4 months and bottle fed thereafter. My second exclusively breastfed for 10 months. Both regularly had colds and bugs.

The only difference I noticed was that with the breastfed baby I tended to catch the bug too, whereas quite often with my bottle fed baby I managed to avoid catching it from her. I'm guessing that's maybe due to the co sleeping and skin to skin-ish-ness that BF entails

 

[vickyandchick]

I have no experience with ff but my son has just turned 7 months and got his first cold the other day.

 

[x__amour]

Both my LOs were formula fed so I don't have insight on breast feeding. Both my little's though have very rarely been sick and have never had a serious illness. (Knock on wood.) I do know an exclusively breastfed child who is always getting sick. Croup, bronchitis, etc. I personally think it comes down to the child.

 

[SoupDragon]

Thanks everyone if I stop I will be combi feeding for as long as I can. Soup dragon with expressing and bottle feeding when did you start that?how often do you express?is it. 50/50 between the 2?do you feed formula at a particular time?i.e formula at night and expressed in the day?

I started expressing when we came home from hospital (DD was 4 days old, as I had a section...we managed a few bfs in hospital wth a midwife to help with positioning but mostly I hand expressed and spoon-fed colostrum, and she was cup-fed formula). It's not through choice - DD has a tongue tie that was undiagnosed until about 10 weeks of age and she couldn't latch. I pump as often as I can...4-5 times a day at the moment.

At one glorious point I was able to do 50/50 ebm/formula (separate bottles!!) but at the moment my supply is really poor as my double electric has broken and I've had a series of bugs including tonsillitis from hell. I never had a great supply due to a total lack of support for pumping from the midwives/doctors in the early weeks, and I didn't know what I was doing. I can't tolerate fenugreek and DD can't tolerate me taking domperidone. But hopefully as you're already bf-ing, you wouldn't have those issues!

I tend to keep the ebm for when we go out as it saves me faffing about with flasks and powder pots. Obviously if we're not going out on a particular day she still gets ebm but I don't give it for any particular feed.

Sorry for the essay...I hope that was helpful...I know a LOT about pumping now so if you decide to do that and have questions, please do ask!

 

[bdb84]

My first child was formula fed. The worst he's ever had was a cold.

My second child was breastfed for 2.5 years and she gets more colds and fevers than her older brother. She's also had the flu which somehow skipped DS.

I'm combi feeding DD2. She gets one bottle of formula a day. I prefer bottle feeding, but since she's my last child, the idea of drying up and never nursing again makes me incredibly sad.

 

[sweetcheeks78]

No, I BF both of mine to 9 weeks, then switched to FF. Neither have been sickly kids at all, in fact if anything they seem more robust than a lot of my friend's BF kids. I'm sure that's just coincidence though, lol!

 

[Midnight_Fairy]

No not at all. My first 2 were formula fed and neither have had antibiotics (they are 9 and 11) no allergies, no excema or Hayfever. Xx

 

[Bevziibubble]

My LO is breastfed and was ok for the first year but since that she's caught absolutely everything!

 

[Mushymilkfor2]

Ds is ebf and had had one cold. I believe it was a lot worse than it would have been if he didn't get his shots a day into the cold.

 

[Thumbelina 3]

Thanks for all the replies you are helping to put my mind at rest that my little one won't necessarily be more ill if he has a it of formula

 

[Buttercup84]

My 3 year old never caught anything as a baby really, I don't recall her even getting a cold until she was 2! My 7 month old seems very prone to colds and had a chest infection recently, but I think that's just 'her' rather than down to being ff.

 

[londonangel]

Why not combi feed? My eldest was ebf to eight weeks when told to add a formula due to not gaining enough weight. Same at 4.5 months. Switched to totally ff at seven months as she refused the breast.

I plan to combi feed this one eventually to make it bit easier for going out with the big daughter who gets antsy eventually if having to wait for me to feed sis for a while when out.

My big girl is rarely unwell despite full time nursery up until now from 11 months. My friend only breastfed her daughter for three was and she is not sickly either.

If it does not work for you though do not worry about switching to formula.