Combination feeding

[Wishing84]

Hi bigbee. Our little one also had 3 ozs at 9pm. He wouldn't settle so put him on boob at 10pm. He settled off at about 11 till 4! I just don't think the bottle is enough for him. Will try him on 4ozs tonight and see how he goes. Hope we crack it! X

 

[kumber]

Great news for you too Wishing!

 

[Rooster30]

My daughter took a bottle of expressed milk the other day, so pleased! I'm now pumping away ready for tomorrow evening as will be leaving her for the first time I really don't think she'll take well to being away from me (well, my boobs more to the pointl).

She'll have to have some formula today to keep her used to the bottle and so I can keep a good stock of expressed for tomorrow.

 

[bigbee]

Wishing, great! I am slightly envious your little man slept from 11 till 4!!! Our longest sleeps are 3 hours.

We are going for it again tonight.

My partner has gone to Boots to get a perfect prep machine...took him 40 minutes to make up a bottle last night!

 

[caseysmummy11]

I need a perfect prep machine soo bad, making a bottle in the middle of the night takes far too long especially when half asleep. Big bee lily's only going 3 hours max with sleep now, I feel tired 99% of the time too zzzz. It's great that he took a bottle though! Xxx

 

[Wishing84]

We are trying again tonight with 4ozs so hopefully won't need topping up with boob. We have a perfect prep machine. Its great. Bottle ready to go in 2 minutes. I just put the formula in the bottle to begin with rather than the first bit of water. I figured it makes no difference and it easier to have the formula ready in the bottle. OH just feeding him in the nursery. I am in bed. Fingers crossed it works tonight bigbee. X

 

[bigbee]

Caseysmummy, I didn't bother buying the perfect prep machine when I was stocking up for the baby before his birth; figured it's a waste of money. After 40 minutes of faffing about the night before, my partner categorically refused to hand make the bottle so made a trip to boots! £90 well spent, I hope (would've been nice to get it on offer, but never mind)

Baby only took 2 oz tonight then boob an hour and a half later. Not sure why he doesn't just take more???

 

[bigbee]

Wishing, I am glad it's working for you. Isn't it nice that the feeding duty can finally be shared??

 

[kumber]

It can take them a while to get used to the formula. Formula is much thicker, so fills them up quicker and it can confuse hem q bit as they think they're full when they're not.

 

[Wishing84]

Well last night was a bad night. He had the 4ozs but was very irritable. Ended up putting him on breast to settle him off. Finally settled him off at 11.30. He woke at 1.30, fed, nappy changed but again irritable and didn't go back off till gone 4. OH ended up taking him downstairs. I am shattered today.

 

[Jessiecat]

How are you both getting on now? We have given a bottle for the last 2 nights. Clearly a massive growth spurt as baby feeding constantly!! He was also getting very stressed at my boobs around 9pm when they felt well and truly drained so I tried him with some formula and he drained 4oz! That's 4oz that I clearly didn't have for him. I know it will mess with my milk supply and I should just let him continue to suck but we're still battling thrush and my poor boobs are still agony so I couldn't let him just chomp away.
He didn't sleep any longer on it though haha!

 

[bigbee]

Well, we had a go twice... We intended to feed him from a bottle every night at around 11, but then he'd fall asleep about 9.30, and by the time he wakes up it's quite late, so I just give him boob to stop faffing about with bottles.

We are basically just going with the flow

I went out for most of the day yesterday, and took a bottle of expressed milk with us. He didn't really have that much although he was starving... I wonder whether it's because he gets bored, as the bottle takes ages to drink, but he is normally on the boob on average between 4 and 8 minutes! He is very efficient.

Is your thrush clearing up, Jessie? So good that baby took 4 Oz of milk! Clearly doesn't mind the bottle

 

[Rooster30]

I started combo-feeding last week. Just going with a bottle a day and will slowly increase it. I don't want to be fully off the breast until my baby is 12 weeks as by then initial windy/tummy issues are resolved. I don't want to be a long-term breastfeeder either. I'm proud that I've gone 6 weeks to be honest!

 

[Jessiecat]

Nah the thrush is so hard to get rid of, we just keep passing it back and fourth.
Do you walk up the milk before you give it to him? When we first tried a bottle of formula we used one of the ready made cartons and tried to give it at room temperature. It took an hour of fuss for him to take an oz. when I tipped the bottle upside down nothing came out so I tried again with some warm milk which flowed straight out the same bottle and he took it really well.

 

[kumber]

Bigbee, have you tried a faster flow teat? Might help him if he's used to a faster flow from the boob.

 

[bigbee]

Jessie, such a shame about thrush. Hopefully it won't take much longer to get rid of.

We make warm formula bottles, but I gave him boob bottle at room temperature yesterday.

Kumber, I did think that... We are using level one teats. The next level up is for "3 months olds" apparently. I wasn't sure whether that would be too much for him.

Rooster, I am the same regarding long term breast feeding. I am hoping to breastfeed until he is ready for baby food

 

[kumber]

I ignore the recommendations and just go with what suits - ds was on size 2 teats (3 months+) from birth

 

[bigbee]

Ahhhh, cool. Well try that poor little thing just gets bored haha