when to introduce formula??

[NICCI]

i know some ladies breastfeed until LO is old enough to have cows milk (1-2yrs old)! im not sure i want to breast feed for this long, although it is enjoyable there are also a lot of difficulties that come along with it! my LO has been exclusively breastfed for nearly 3 mnths now, but i bought formula the other day because we were really struggling (althoughi didnt use it). i have reached my first milestone of 3 months my nxt is six months! i think i might stop aT 6 months! (not sure yet).
if i am to stop at 6 months when do you think would be best to introduce formula?? should i start introducing a bottle a night sooner rather than later?
my LO has had ebm from a bottle so he is used to bottles!!
thanks ladies xxx

 

[Sherlock]

Well if you make it to 6 months before weaning and want to carry on breastfeeding then The amount needed should drop anyways. Or then you could go to follow on formula at that stage iirc.

Atm if you want to introduce a bottle I'd maybe do so with a bedtime feed (but not night time) and try to start going overnight sleep wise if your LO does not already. Around 12 weeks is when BF babies are able to start sleeping longer overnight without needing feeds. It takes a while for their bodies to adjust to this but usually they do. I toughed it out and don't generally feed at all overnight now as LO has learnt to fill up in the daytime and does so very well. I realised my LO was comfort feeding if he woke at night rather than actually being hungry.

Just be aware that if you start to drop boob feeds your supply will alter accordingly so ensure whichever feed you drop its the same one each day. I'd not start messing about with different times and so on. My thing would be the bedtime one. Or one around 5-6pm. Depending on supply.

 

[purple13]

if your aim is to breast feed until 6 months, then i'd just keep going with exclusive boob for the time being

you can introduce formula along with solids at that point if that's what you decide you want to do? your LO will be starting to drop boob feeds then too.

you've done sooooo well getting this far already

 

[Laur_250]

Im like you, i always said i'd only breastfeed til my wedding to get in shape which would of been when he was 6/7 weeks if on time but like you am now at 3 months! I think im gonna move my goal to 6 months now too all going well but will exclusively bfeed til then and then go straight to formula when i wanna stop like purple13 says. You're doing well nic! I know what you mean though i cant wait to have my body to myself again and be able to drink without manically expressing and miss a feed without boobs like bowling balls! Oh the days.......!xx

 

[Jade&Evie]

No advice but well done for getting so far!

 

[kalia]

Do you want to give formula at night so that you can have a rest or so that baby can sleep better?

If it's to give yourself a rest then that's fine.

If it's so that baby sleeps better I just wanted to make sure you are aware that it doesn't necessarily follow that formula=better sleep. We started giving DD a bottle of formula at night a couple of weeks ago and she is now not sleeping as well. We've moved the formula feed to during the day and to be honest, not every day now.

Once you open the thing of formula (assuming it's not the ready made stuff) you have to use it within 28 days. I just thought I'd mention that as I thought I'd be able to use it until the tin ran out but fortunately noticed this on the tin.

 

[trixipaws]

i didnt introduce formula until millie was 6 months old. at first it was just the odd bottle if i had a nite out, then i started giving her one FF mid-afternoon and BF from evening thru til morning. i kinda set a "no BF during daytime" rule lol.

i decided to quit BFing after 8 months and one day just suddenly switched the remaining breast feeds (there were 2 or 3, usually one at nite one in morning) to formula. hipp follow-on was my favourite closest to my breastmilk i thought!