Question for those who have switched from BF to FF

[golcarlilly]

Hi there, I am currently exclusively BF (well up until two days ago when i have given two FF in the evenings) but am seriously considering switching to formula and just wondered for those of you who have made the change - what made you come to the decision and how have you found it?

Myles is a big baby (9lb 12.5 at birth and now 11lb 9) and I wonder if this contributes to the problems I am having, he is 7 weeks old on Friday and he is feeding every 1.5 to 2 hours during the day and manages one 3.5 to four hour gap at night then goes back to every couple of hours,during the day he hardly ever seems content when awake and doesn't nap much, I feel like my whole day is spent either feeding or stopping him from crying and trying to express milk to build up stores for when i need to leave him for upcoming docs appointments ( i haven't left him even for ten mins since he was born!) M is gaining weight really well so i am not worried on that score, just concerned that he is not as happy as he might be!

I want to hear any stories good or bad to try and help me decide what to do, thanks in advance ladies

 

[NatalieW]

I had to give Isobel a formula boost in the evenings, the cluster feedings are mentally draining and sometimes I needed a break from constant feeding. Isobel as you know was a GD baby, so we had to give boosters of formula for her sugars in the beginning. We then stuck to a routine at about 3 weeks of giving her a bottle of formula as her bed time bottle at 9pm, DH would do that and I would go to be at 8pm, he would feed her and bring her to bed. She would sleep until 1/2am, then it would be back to normal feeding times but I would have had a good 5 hrs sleep at that makes all the difference in me.

At about 8/9weeks she got steadily worse to put to bed, I was getting stressed, tired and not enjoying her at all, we decided to switch to formula gradually, started off as every other feed, know then she'd sleep and I would rest to gradually every feed that took about 4weeks.

She sleeps better, but we did have to change her sleeping position to on her stomach, but I started to enjoy her more and make it all alot happier with her.

Only thing you need to remember is breast fed babies are more demanding and that formula acts like suet pudding in their tummies, like us when we have a christmas dinner!

 

[golcarlilly]

Thanks Nat, I am getting to the end of my tether with the bf, I just run from him to chores back and forth and feel stressed the whole time, i know they say breast is best but I am beginning to wonder for whom cos M seems unhappy and I am so happy to have him and be a mummy but it is starting to get me down!

 

[FsMummy]

i give the twins a bottle of formula at 9pm and they sleep until about 3. maybe just try introducing the one bottle to start off with. even with the extra ff bottles the twins are constantly bfing. dont forget they have a growth spurt at 6-8 weeks too which could be a factor!

 

[golcarlilly]

not many replies - ndoes that mean most people who ff start off that way? or that there are not many people who give up bf?

 

[angelstardust]

I'm combining now. Been officially combination feeding for a week. Before that I always gave a formula at night anytime between 8-11pm to make her sleep most of the night.

The combination has really came about because dh was off on holiday for a week so our routine was all up in the air and I was quite ill so DH was giving her a formula feed so I could rest.

I get very little from pumping, 2oz is a huge amount, usually it's just 1oz and as she will only be satisfied with 5oz from a bottle, it's left to formula. I have just ordered a medela mini electric plus, a double pump to hopefully up my pumping output and shorten the time needed.

Trying to cut back to 1 formula feed a day and 1 bottle of expressed milk but I'm not going to beat myself up about it.

Amber has the opposite problem, she sleeps too much and is not gaining weight so I get constantly told to feed feed feed her so all I think now is that by BF her I'm starving her! Trying to get over that as I know it's nonesence but it's hard!

 

[NatalieW]

Tracy, I would start doing a night time bottle and it will give you some good few hours of sleep, and see how you go. I know you really wanted to BF Myles but if your unhappy and he's different on formula.. might we worth your sanity xx

 

[mumtosam]

I have just switched, about 3 weeks ago after 4 months of exclusive breastfeeding. Sam never went longer than 2/2.5 hours between feeds during the day but did go longer at night. I think he was a little and often man! Also, breast milk is easier to digest so babies need to eat more often. The last month of bf was really hard for me and I was often in tears about it so I finally decided to switch to formula. I continued to bf throughout the night until my milk supply dwindled. Sam is fine on formula and I am starting to feel less guilty about it!

 

[aries5486]

I started off bf but i had to give in and ff as jenna was the other way around she was a low birth weight (5lbs 6oz) So she was wanting to eat and eat as the midwife says as she was so small she was just wanting to eat and eat she was wanting fed every hour or so and latching on for 30mins and not really sleeping much!! So put her on sma to start off with that was a mistake!! Now on aptimil and sleeps 6 hours at night and goes 3-4 hours during the day she did only take 2oz to start of with but now shes taking 4oz!! and a much more contented baby!!! xx

 

[golcarlilly]

what was the problem with sma? i have bought some and some cow and gate, only tried the aptamil so far.

ps love your dd's name, my dd is Jenna too

 

[aries5486]

Problem we had with sma as it wasnt filling jenna atall she was soo crabby it was unreal! and she got very very constipated!! I spoke to the HV and she said to try apitimil as its the best milk as its the closest thing to breast milk and now shes hardly ever crabby and shes alot more regular with her stinky nappys!

I love the name jenna as you dont hear it alot! We just thought she suited it aswell funnily enough it wasnt one of the names we had in mind lol!!

 

[Scally]

I am going through exactly the same as u Golcarlilly, I feed her every hour and a half to two hours during the day, every 3 ish hours at night, and during the day its a nightmare she is hardly ever content, and grizzles and cries alot and hardly naps. I have started giving her a little formula in the evenings, and when i want to go out, as she will usually cry all round the shops if she is breastfed. I want to thank you for this thread, it makes me feel less guilty about the decision i need to make. How i see it is at the moment, i am unhappy and she is unhappy so why keep doing it? But its a very tough decision to make.

 

[maccy]

You know my story, so just coming in to support you hun.

I use C&G with Immy SMA gave her too much wind.

 

[golcarlilly]

We gave M two lots of formula one at tea time and one before bed, two hours later he had the worst runny poo ever, it leaked out onto his sleepsuit and through to his sleeping bag he only slept for another two hours then was back to his hourly wake ups so back to the drawing board as aptamil obv does not agree with him! we are going to wait till his tummy has settled then try sma and then cow and gate i am fed up and feel terrible for giving him something that upset his little tummy

 

[NatalieW]

Tracy, you could try the easy digest aptamil. Isobel was on that from birth with BF. THen at 4months I swapped over to normal one. I think you have to give it a week with new formula in them...

 

[FsMummy]

aptamil does not agree with the twins either, gave them really bad runny poop too. when they have bottles they have sma gold

 

[golcarlilly]

today we have given him two ff of sma and he has slept a couple of hours and seemed more settled and been happier, his poos have been ok too so fx this might just work ! just bf at the mo and gonna give him another ff before bed

 

[kk1981]

i have posted on your other thread too , i switched with ds as felt i could no longer go on, josh was a big boy too 8lb 14oz, he guzzled his sma gold down no probs and things became alot easier regarding sleep and getting in a rountine although i found making bottles a pain! wash/sterilse/water/fridge... add powder when feed needed. Mainly it was getting up in the night and having to josh crying for a feed whilst i warmed it up in the bottle warmer that was the worst part oh and the constapation was bad too,.... but that eventually passed xx
Now i have seen it through to the other side with skye my daughter its sort of a choice ff - instant milk and instant feed and fill him up as much as you like but have to drag your butt out of bed in the night or bf - supply on demand hard work for 8-12 weeks and eventually just flop it out in the night in bed prop baby on then drift straight back asleep after x oh and bf is free and bubs does not have to wait for it to warm and not constapation! x

If ff suits you both better then go for it or ff in the day and bf at night! best of both worlds!xx

 

[NatalieW]

How'd it go Tracy?

 

[golcarlilly]

Last night he slept four hours then two then another four, we didn't wake up till ten to 8 this morning!!! today has been half and half bf and ff, just given last ff, he has been really content today and slept quite a bit too