Advice on switching from EBF to combination.

[Taurusgirl]

Hi,

My LO is 9 weeks old and I have been EB at the start I did top up with formula after a traumatic birth but we managed to get rid of the top ups.

I'm looking to switch my LO to combination feeding as I will be going back to work and need to start planning for this. I would like to give him bottles throughout the day and bf at bedtime and night time feeds which there are normally 1 or 2.

Does any one have advice on how I drop the daytime feeds and the speed I should do it as I don't want to get engorged?

Any advice would be great.

Em xx

 

[Samsgirl]

Hello...I will be doing this at some point too...I was told by a friend to drop it one feed at a time. So replace one breast with a bottle feed and so each drop over a week to give your boobs time to adjust and make it less painful.

Xx

 

[Becky1]

Don't know how relevant my advice is as my lo is 9.5mths and I've just started combi feeding. He was on 3 bfs and I switched the afternoon one for formula. I had no issues and although my boob felt a bit full at bedtime this only lasted a few nights.

x

 

[Dotty_woman]

I'm in the process of doing the same. I started by dropping the second feed of the day and then added the second to last feed after a couple of weeks. I'm now on first and last feed of the day with formula in between. I'm going back to work at the end of May and still not decided if I'm going to drop the first feed as I'm not sure how much time I'm going to have in a morning to bf. I think I'll try it and see how it goes. I'm just laying here at the moment waiting for my lo to wake up with a pretty uncomfortable right leaky boob. Oh the glamour. xxx

 

[Taurusgirl]

I just posted on your post. I've switched over now I did a feed at a time and wasn't to bad at all my lo took to it very well. Also I didn't leak to bad I hope yours levels out soon as it is a nightmare when all you want to do is feed them to get some relief.

Thanks for all the advice from everyone x

 

[Melanie3103]

Oh really - 1 feed at a time?

Been EB for 3wks but ive had enough - want to share as the pressure is getting to me and its getting in the way of me enjoying him, so for me its time to combi. We have been expressing a bit after each feed to get a feed's worth so hubby can do 1 feed per day which has been working well but i'm ready to combi. As lo gets stronger he seems to 'fight' with me during feeds which hurts, not sure why he does it, he latches on ok and all is well for a while but then he seems to move his mouth and pull back/fight me. I can tolerate during the day when less tired but night times are tough when tired/half asleep and getting up alone. So id rather express than breastfeed at the moment. So he still gets breastmilk but cant hurt me. Boobs are constantly full and tender (not painful but sensitive to touch etc) so carrying/cuddling lo can sometimes be difficult as he squirms or kicks me in the boobs (!).... Having made the decision and chatted to my hubby, feel tons better - we made some kind of plan/alternative - feel more positive, bit guilty but more positive. Feel like i can enjoy my baby again, rather than dreading feeds.

He had his first 'readymade mini bottle of SMA' that we bought to take in hospital bag but didnt need (3.5oz ready to go).... and he greedily took the lot so he seems unphased so far.

So alternating isnt an option then ? (between expressed breast and formula - ie halfing the breastfeeding in reality) will that hurt ?? Should i instead think of dropping 1-2 breastfeeds per day and replacing with 1-2 formula feeds per day - is that more realistic ? Dont want painful engorged boobs!

 

[luratraloora]

I like you have made the decision to do half and half. I express / occasional breastfeed in the day but when i would normally feed i would express into a bottle and give that way. Im formula feeding at night cos its easier for me as I again struggled like you with my little one fighting me and she was on / off the breast every 5 mins. Im now on day 2 and things much better for me personally and have had no confusions between bottle and breast she quite happily will take either when hungry and again no probs with the formula. I tried missing a feed and my boobs became engorged but then i just expressed and they felt better. Today miles more settled. My DD is 3 weeks old too.

 

[Taurusgirl]

Hi Melanie, I think 1-2 is realistic as in the first few weeks I seemed to make loads of milk until it settled down. So I think 1-2 feeds drop every 4 days would be realistic. I wouldn't express if your planning on dropping those feeds for good as expressing will keep them stimulated. Unless you want to feed your lo the expressed milk?

 

[Inga]

Oh really - 1 feed at a time?

Been EB for 3wks but ive had enough - want to share as the pressure is getting to me and its getting in the way of me enjoying him, so for me its time to combi. We have been expressing a bit after each feed to get a feed's worth so hubby can do 1 feed per day which has been working well but i'm ready to combi. As lo gets stronger he seems to 'fight' with me during feeds which hurts, not sure why he does it, he latches on ok and all is well for a while but then he seems to move his mouth and pull back/fight me. I can tolerate during the day when less tired but night times are tough when tired/half asleep and getting up alone. So id rather express than breastfeed at the moment. So he still gets breastmilk but cant hurt me. Boobs are constantly full and tender (not painful but sensitive to touch etc) so carrying/cuddling lo can sometimes be difficult as he squirms or kicks me in the boobs (!).... Having made the decision and chatted to my hubby, feel tons better - we made some kind of plan/alternative - feel more positive, bit guilty but more positive. Feel like i can enjoy my baby again, rather than dreading feeds.

He had his first 'readymade mini bottle of SMA' that we bought to take in hospital bag but didnt need (3.5oz ready to go).... and he greedily took the lot so he seems unphased so far.

So alternating isnt an option then ? (between expressed breast and formula - ie halfing the breastfeeding in reality) will that hurt ?? Should i instead think of dropping 1-2 breastfeeds per day and replacing with 1-2 formula feeds per day - is that more realistic ? Dont want painful engorged boobs!

I think it takes about 2 month to establish milk supply and to have pain free BF. If you start replacing feeds with bottle now yr milk supply will go down and shortly you might have no milk. I was the same dreading every feed and expressing as well but continued until 5 and a half month and than dropped one feed every week or more. One thing what did help me was nipple shields. I do keep wondering weather I would have had more enjoyable time if I didnt BF. But, hey, my 10 month old LO is very healthy, only cought something just recently, no colds no nothing until then.

 

[Melanie3103]

Thanks all - i am continuing to give breastmilk (expressed mostly as he hurts me) while i gradually introduce more ff - i think dropping 1 bf and adding 1 more ff every 4-7 days seems more realistic.

And rather than stop bf-ing cold turkey which would be painful i am continuing (albeit exclusively expressing) so that he still gets my milk for now (and for the next few weeks).

I'm hoping this way my milk will gradually reduce over the next few weeks... Right? Hoping i've understood it right...

X

 

[Taurusgirl]

Yeh the less you express your milk will gradually reduce. So if you stop expressing one feed and give ff instead once a day instead that will phase out that feed if you do it for a few days. Then once that one is dropped and your comfortable move onto the next one. Hope that makes sense.

 

[Melanie3103]

Thanks Taurusgirl... that's great. Hoping that doing it gradually it will avoid them becoming engorged, or whatever the word is...

appreciate your help ladies.. thank you..
x