Can you do breast and formula?

[Becs]

Am considering making the switch and wondered if anybody does a combination of breast and formula. Austin takes 2 bottles a day now of ebm and one of those is pretty fowl tasting as it has his vitamins in.

I think we will probably switch to formula in the next month but wondered if it is possible to still do a couple of breast feeds a day such as the first one of the day and the one before bedtime.

Any advice at all would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Becs x

 

[debecca]

I think laracomps does a mix - perhaps ask her?

Good luck

 

[Pregnopaws]

Absolutely. I've been feeding LO formula top ups since he was about 6 weeks and now he still has 3 breast feeds (early morning/afternoon and night) with formula bottles + two small solid meals a day.

 

[laracomps]

Yep I do mixed feed indeed. Mainly as I had such problems getting Phoebe to feed in the first place.

I breast feed her before every bottle during the day (if I am in).

My main concern was losing my milk, as sometimes it can dry you up. But fingers crossed so far my milk seems to have remained the same. I don't have loads, never have done, hence having to top her up with almost a full bottle!

It works for us now, but then again it has to!

If you have been mainly breastfeeding, I think they recommend mixed feeding for a while anyway, otherwise you might end up with mastitis when you stop.

So you should be fine doing the 2 feeds a day. I think your body adjusts so it knows to make milk at those times?! Someone correct me if I am wrong.

In a way you have the best of both worlds with mixed feeding. Tho I still would have loved to have fully b'fed her! Next time eh Don't let the OH hear me say that yet

 

[Suzie and Faith]

I mix the two - I express what I can and top up with formula. She probably has half and half a day!

 

[Redshoes]

Isaac had breast and formula up to 6months just fine Though we did change through a few brands, from SMA to C&G to HiPP, which he's still on now.

 

[fothers]

Maisie refuses to eat during the day as the world is just too exciting

Since Saturday I have been trying to feed her formula during the day and then BF still at night- roughly 12 hours of each.

So far no problems, I have started with Aptamil.

 

[Becs]

Great, thanks for all of your responses. I will try to intergrate. Austin never sleeps on his nap time from 7pm to 10pm despite a top up of EBM so I am going to introduce a little amount of formula in his top up EBM this evening to see if it makes any difference. Slowly, slowly I think for me. I'd be really pleased if I can do both. Fingers crossed it works

 

[Happybunny]

Hope it works out for you Becs, I am interested to hear how it goes as I am going to be doing mixed feeding now.

I have anguished over whether to do it for a few weeks now. April has been very very slow to gain weight (was 7lb 7oz at birth, now she is 8lb 15oz at 9 weeks!, she is on the 2nd centile curve)

I gave April her first formula top-up today. She seemed to really enjoy it and she has been amazingly content today! I haven't really been given much clear guidance on how to incorporate the formula, so I am BF most of the day and trying a bottle for the last two feeds of the day. (I will express when I miss a feed and store the milk for EBM top-ups.)

Good luck with what ever you decide to do!

 

[KJ]

I breastfed exclusively until Asher was 6 months old.

I then gradually dropped feeds. I've been breastfeeding morning and evening now for a good few months. He has boob when he wakes up, 1 bottle of formula during the day, and boob before he goes to bed.

It works very well for us. But then I am back at work part-time so it was important for me that he would take a bottle of formula during the day.

K.xxx

 

[Suzie and Faith]

Hope it works out for you Becs, I am interested to hear how it goes as I am going to be doing mixed feeding now.

I have anguished over whether to do it for a few weeks now. April has been very very slow to gain weight (was 7lb 7oz at birth, now she is 8lb 15oz at 9 weeks!, she is on the 2nd centile curve)

I gave April her first formula top-up today. She seemed to really enjoy it and she has been amazingly content today! I haven't really been given much clear guidance on how to incorporate the formula, so I am BF most of the day and trying a bottle for the last two feeds of the day. (I will express when I miss a feed and store the milk for EBM top-ups.)

Good luck with what ever you decide to do!

I've had no advice really either so I'm making it up as I go along! I tend to feed whatever I have at the time!

It doesn't seem to make a difference what she has when so do it so it's convenient to you!