From BF to FF

[Lucy_lu_84]

I've not made the switch yet but it's something I have been thinking about for about a week. My LO is currently have one bottle of forumla at around 9 -10pm and for the past few nights he's not settles very well when we put him down at 7! Even had to top up that feed last night as he was getting frustrated, cried for about an hour and in the end i caved and gave the top up. he went to sleep straight away.

Day time feeds are becoming a battle as he is getting so distracted, if anyone is around and talks he pops off to look at them.

so basically i wanted to hear from people who have made the switch and why you chose to do it? Also when? How long did you BF for before changing?

Are you glad you made the decision or did you regret it? I am having trouble deciding as I feel guilty for even considering it and I'm worried if i make the switch I will miss breast feeeding!

Sorry for the long babble

 

[Scally]

I made the switch when Izzy was 4 weeks. I did it because of an infection i had/have and the concoction of antibiotics i needed. I cried so much, but have made peace with it now, and she is so much more content on formula.

 

[Mum2b_Claire]

.

Day time feeds are becoming a battle as he is getting so distracted, if anyone is around and talks he pops off to look at them.

Just to let you know, I have this exact same problem with my 100% FF baby. I can't talk at all when I'm giving Ruby a bottle or she will stop drinking.

Do whatever you feel comfortable with, as that'll be good for your LO and OH, too. If you do move to FF most of time, maybe you could give a BF first thing in the morning?

I'm sure there will be others who have been there and have advice for you.

 

[Lucy_lu_84]

Thanks!

I was thinking with a bottle we can feed, and he can look around while feeding but maybe I am wrong!

Had THE worst night fed him every hour from 6pm last night... gave a bottle at 9 and then a bottle at 5:30am, and he then slept for 4 hours. Make me consider the switch more

 

[Annaspanna]

Heya my little girl is 7 weeks on weds and I made the switch at 5 1/2 weeks as she was feeding every hour, not settling and crying all evenings from 8pm-1am with frustration and I couldn't cope. Im now on 100% FF and she is much more content and settles for longer at nights. She still feeds on demand however and sometimes only wants 1oz, whereas others she wants 4oz, which makes it hard to know how much to make in the bottles!! I did feel very guilty about switching and she still looks round for the breast even now, and sometimes I wish i could just pop her on, but all in all she is much happier and I most definately am too!
Do whatever you feel happy with hun, you've given your LO the best start anyway xx

 

[Lucy_lu_84]

Thanks Annaspanna
Why do we always feel guitly? Cos you are right we have given the best start. My OH isn't bothered what I do, so may start introducing the odd extra bottle. Although I LOVE bf but it's hard work all the time now and we both get stressed

 

[Annaspanna]

Yeah my OH was very supportive over whatever I chose to do, that really helps to know that they don't mind! Its no good getting stressed, which is what i was doing! Why not try just giving one or two bottles like u say and see how that works out for you. I would have loved to combi-feed but my LO is an all or nothing kinda baby and when i tried that she would only have a few sucks on the bottle and then scream for the breast so i had to decide one way or the other! xx

 

[Lucy_lu_84]

Having support is important, think my OH will enjoy giving more feeds to. He is getting frustrated at the breast today, like its not enough or not coming faster. So think I might up it to two bottles and gradually swap over. Keep our morning feed as long as possible as thars my fave.

 

[angelmummy]

hi hun, just to say i felt same as you. my lo is now 4 weeks old and is on breast and bottle combined. I am finding though that when i give him breast feed or bottle of expressed milk that it does not seem to satisfy him and he is either snacking constantly from 5 on an evening till 10 at night and just seems frustrated and keeps pulling at my breast and crying and geting cross, and needs a formula not long after his breast milk to top him up, where as when i give him formula during day he goes 3 hourly between feeds and just seems more settled.

therefore, i am considering putting him completley on formula for my sanity and his bless him. he seems to tense and frustrated ont he breast and its upsetting me seeing him so unsettled.

i feel so guility though, part of me just cannot stop b/f as i feel i am letting him down (although i know formula is perfectly good and i am not in any way saying formula is bad at all). i just feel guility as his older brother i b/f for 6 months and wanted to do that for my little man this time, but with older brother jealousy and all this hassle i just feel its not worth it and i need to consider both my chidlren and our sanity and life and happiness as family and if formula is the best way to go then so be it. Just wish i could stop feeeling guilty. why as mums do we always feel bad. when we are doing the best we can?!?!?

sorry this has prob not helped you at all lol but just wanted to say you are not alone in your dilemaa over what to do and its normal to feel guilt but at least our los have had the best start with breast milk from birth.

marie x

 

[Lucy_lu_84]

Hi Marie,

I guess cos we are told Breast is best for so long...that we feel that when we don't or want to change that we are some how not doing what is best for our babies!

I haven't made the switch yet, but I am going to. We were giving only one bottle of forumla at bedtime, but now he is having a bottle midafternoon to. Ove the next few weeks I'm going to wean him onto forumal completely. Or how ever long it takes. Apart of me wants to hang onto feeding him myself as long as possible but for everyone sanity I know we need to make the change.

I don't feel as guilty as I did when I posted, had time to think about it and talk with my Oh more!

I do love feeding him and ideally I would like to keep our first feed of the day, but I'm guessing thats not going to happen as my supply will dry up!

Marie don't feel bad cos u bf your first for longer, as long as you Lo is fed and happy it really doesn't matter and I do beleive a happy and relaxed Mummy = a happy and relaxed baby!

*hugs*

 

[alio]

i changed after six weeks. i was feeling extraordinarily trapped and felt that fin was constantly frustrated with my boobies. it was liberating. he's a year now and i don't regret it for a minute. it was sooo much easier and pleasant for us. xx

 

[sweetcheeks85]

Hiya hun, ive just switched from BF to FF too, initially we started off with a night time bottle and whenever it was convinent i.e when we were out and about. I loved BF but found it really demanding and felt tied down. I wanted to continue combination feeding as I felt it was the best of both worlds however the decision was taken out of my hands as my LO became increasingly frustrated at my boobies and would scream until I gave him a bottle. I found ths really distresing for us both so this helped me make the switch sooner as it just wasnt fair on my LO anymore to combination feed.

Hope u find what works for you

 

[Dukechick]

I've been pumping since about the first week, because I wasn't producing enough, AND he kept falling asleep at my boob. We've been doing 50% formula, and 50% pumped milk. I just decided today that I'm no longer going to be pumping. I'm surprised I made it to 4 months, but BOY.... is it ever tough!!!! I'm going to feel like I have so much more time when I don't have to bloody pump all the time, and clean the horns! ARGH! Also, the other day (which made it easier to decide to stop), my LO won't take my milk anymore.

I STILL have the guilty feeling!!! But, I know I did what I could have, and he had a great start, and he'll be just fine! I'm sure for every 1 person who breastfeeds, there's 10 who don't. We're all good mom's who love our little ones to bits

 

[Lucy_lu_84]

I STILL have the guilty feeling!!! But, I know I did what I could have, and he had a great start, and he'll be just fine! I'm sure for every 1 person who breastfeeds, there's 10 who don't. We're all good mom's who love our little ones to bits

That's so true...the guilty feeling gets less! Although I've not made the complete switch yet so i might get the guilt all over again when I do.

For those you switched how did you do it? I'm giving him two bottles this week, next week I'm gonna up it to 3 and so on. I have no idea how long it takes missing a feed for the breasts to stop producing. Could I say introduce 3 bottles today and then maybe 4 tuesday or something?

 

[golcarlilly]

HI there,

How you going on the switch now? i have been combi feeding Myles for 6 weeks now and I am trying to wean him off the boob altogether now, we are at the moment on BF first thing in the morning, one early afternoon and one of the two night feeds

 

[Lucy_lu_84]

Hiya

We are feeding in the morning, once later afternoon if he needs. Then bedtime and once during night. Going to add the bedtime feed as a bottle in the next few days!

Hows your Little one getting on with the bottles?

 

[golcarlilly]

fine thanks, we are still on slow flow ones so it does take around half an hour to get 6 oz down !!

 

[GG76]

I just want to thank all of you for the support system! I have suffered from a breast yeast infection since week 4 and caught the H1N1 from a visitor when LO was 5 weeks...so my supply has been challenged. I had to pump during the flu and give it to him through a bottle to help restrict his exposure time to me. I depleted all my stored milk (having to suppliment the lowered amounts I was making) towards the end of that week and we started to suppliment with formula...the ease of the ff is amazing! I wouldn't mind going all ff, but as everyone has said, I am feeling very guilty about this...and the husband is pro-bf and wasn't happy about having to use formula at all. I'm struggling with all of this and just to know there are others out there having to make these same decisions make me feel comforted.
Thanks girls!!!

 

[Lucy_lu_84]

GG76 you need to decide what is best for you n LO, if you want to switch just explain to your OH. As long as baby is happy and putting on weight it doesn't matter how they r getting the milk. You've given him a great start anyway

golcarlilly: we're on slow teats to, but only takes us 10/15 mins he's a quick eater lol

 

[golcarlilly]

Can you tell Joshua to give M some tips please!!