Combination Feeding / EBM....

[Heulyn]

So, we've been talking about feeding, and to be honest, I could use a little help.

At first we were going to exclusively formula feed (other than the first two or three feeds, for the colostrum), but now I'm quite liking the idea of giving my breastmilk in a bottle, although not exclusively.

What's the best way to go about combining EBM feeding with formula feeding?
Has anyone done this and got any tips or pointers?
What's the earliest I can start expressing?

I'm so confused! Please help girlies!

 

[kellylou]

I do both at the moment. I feed him during the night if he wakes and when at home. If I am going out and cannot express use a carton of sma or aptamil but even if he has bf all day he has a bottle of formula in the evening if nothing expressed.
Alex takes 5 ozs normally from a bottle later at night but during the day it varies between 2-5 ozs on how long it has been between feeds.

I tend to do one or the other throughout the day really depending on my supply.

 

[Stunned]

I combine feed too. I bf durig the day and in the night if needed. I'm starting to express to give eva bottles in the evenings cos she stays awake all day and becomes overtired and therefore mental in the evenings - cluster feeding very hour And falling asleep after 5 or 10 mins meaning she doesn't fill up and wakes up after 30 mins demanding more milk. I'm exhausted by it so bought a medela swing pump cos I was having trouble using hand pumps. Today and tmrw I'm gonna express as much as I can so I will have a stock of breast milk I can use in the evenings And then express every morning and evening at my leisure. I will freeze any unused milk to use if I'm away from eva for a long time in the daytime. Eva also gets a 5oz bottle of formula as her last feed before sleeping through the night.

 

[serenitylove]

i dual fed i never wanted to bf but when daisy was a few days old i changed my mind but had left it too late [according to useless midwifes] i expressed from then she was on mainly bm for first few weeks then due to meds i had to go back to mainly formular but 2weeks later i resumed with giving her my boob as a topup and she has done untill last week my adivce would be find your nearest breast feeding club they offer a wealth of advice you can mix breast and formular together right from beginng so if your not sure you will continue breast id say for taste this would be better plus the baby would be fuller sleep better i know bf enthusiasts may disagree but after a week in hosp the only babies wailing all night long were the solely bf ones[so gona get shot for that lol]

 

[rbryan0205]

the hospital started me expressing once my milk had come in after about 2 days it started to change from clostrum my o has always been combined fed due to her low birth weight and advice of paedetrician she coped well from birth having breast and bottle x

 

[Zazu]

I combined from about 3 weeks and found my milk supply really suffered and I had to give up at 6weeks as my milk supply was so low. At the end I was feeding him on the boob for an hour and he would still need a 5oz bottle. I honestly think it depends on your supply as everyone is different, I know a few people who found combining great and their supply was fine. X

 

[Heulyn]

I was worried about my supply, but heard there's things you can do and take to increase it?

 

[Pudds86]

I had to express 4 hourly to keep my supply up and I was topping up with formula. worked wonderfully for me but I am much happier now I am using formula only x

 

[Momma`Kat]

Im combine feeding now. More formula than id like though Tommee tipee closer to nature teats flow to fast for alanna, but theres ones called BreastFlow that work really well. You do have to buy their bottles aswell though, as while the outer teat fits in the TT ones, the inner one wont without leaking

 

[Heulyn]

I've got TT-CTN bottles, so hoping they'll do the trick.
My Stepmum bought me some Dr.Brown's anti-colic bottles too... "just in case", she says

 

[Momma`Kat]

You just have to hold them as sideways as you can.. and let baby get used to it. They have a bad habit of squirting instead of being suck stimulated.. if that makes sense