Breast Milk & Formula Milk

[SaraLouise]

Hi ladies,

I did post this in pregnancy chat too, but thought you ladies may have more on an idea...

I'm going to be a first time mummy and I dont really have a clue on combi feeding as my mum (and in fact everyone i know bottle fed right from the begining). I was just going to bottle feed too, but I like the idea of doing some breastfeeding when the baby is very young (maybe up to 2 months or something). But can you use formula milk and breastmilk at the same time? So could I breastfeed during the day and formula feed at night? I was planning on expressing anyway, so I would be using bottles, but will it give the LO a bad tummy going from breast to formula?

I know that babies can get nipple confusion if you use bottles, but I willl definitely be doing this anyway with expressing (as this is actually really rare). So basically I wanna know if its safe to use both at the same time?

 

[Rowesb]

it is safe to do both together... you might end up with supply issues though
as a peer supporter we would advice to breast feed exclusively for the first few months to get your supply established, your supply hormones work better at night, and also I would have thought night feeds are easier with breast, stir, pick up LO, get them latched on and doze with a bottle you have to physically wake up to sort the bottle out even if premade...

I think there is a seperate section on combi feeding

 

[Nicnax]

I can't help with the formula question, but I BF, and my little lady has been taking a bottle of expressed breat milk once a day since 3wks with no problem. I have the Medela Calma bottle, as it's supposed to be closest to breastfeeding, as the baby has to create a vacuum and suck hard to get milk out. Ww uswd Tommee Tippee the first few times, but the milk came out so fast, it was going all over her!

 

[Karate Kid]

it is safe to do both together... you might end up with supply issues though
as a peer supporter we would advice to breast feed exclusively for the first few months to get your supply established, your supply hormones work better at night, and also I would have thought night feeds are easier with breast, stir, pick up LO, get them latched on and doze with a bottle you have to physically wake up to sort the bottle out even if premade...

I think there is a seperate section on combi feeding

^^WSS hun, I genuinely think that FF at night would be more tricky. I know there are some combi feeders here so i hope they can be of more help xx

 

[dyscochick]

We give a bottle in the evening of expressed plus formula but I still need to express. That would be the same through the night too so bf'ing is just easier. Also your milk comes in at night so you'd be better off breast feeding then. I'd agree you might happy supply issue of you don't and regardless if you want to bf for a while you'll need to establish a supply by exclusively expressing or bf'ing for a few weeks! Be warned, bf'ing is hard work but totally worth it! X