We're still working on this bottle issue. As an experiment today, we tried a few ounces of ready-to-feed formula, and he took it with no issues. So there is something about my milk that is making him not want to drink it from a bottle. I've been scalding for a few days in case the issue is lipase, and that has helped but he still screams for several minutes before taking a bottle of scalded/refrigerated milk.
Anyway, if he will take formula, then I guess we might end up combo feeding (BF when I'm with him and FF when I'm at work). Does anyone else do this? Does your supply adjust to making the correct amount of milk? Or does combo feeding seriously mess with your supply?
I would really prefer we stick with breast milk....but I'm at the point where if combo feeding will significantly reduce my stress level, I'm definitely willing to give it a shot. I cried a little when we decided to try the formula today because I'm scared that it might signal the beginning of the end of BFing, and I'm just not ready to stop BFing altogether yet. I know that formula isn't bad, it's FOOD. Honestly I'm just thankful that we live in a time where we have lots of options for how to feed our babies and we can pick what works for us. But I'm not ready to stop BFing yet.
Post by fortnightlily on Jul 12, 2014 14:55:36 GMT -5
Supplementing definitely doesn't have to mean the end of breastfeeding! But at your DS's age I would definitely keep pumping to keep up your supply.
I combo fed regularly starting at 5 months. DS was an easy eater with breast or bottle, but my pumping output wasn't enough to keep up with him at daycare, and pumping 2-3 times a day was driving me insane. So around 5 months he started getting 1-2 powder-formula prepared bottles a day during the weekdays.
Between 5 and 9 months I gradually dropped to one pumping session per weekday, then zero, and dropped from EBFing on weekends to also supplementing with formula during weekend days.
Now he's nearly 10 months and he nurses when he first wakes up and at bedtime, but otherwise gets 3 bottles of formula during the day on weekdays and 2-3 on weekends. My supply has dwindled to adjust, but not dried up. It's been months since I get engorged or leak anymore, but it's all been a gradual process.
He's starting to bite, and become such a distracted eater whether it's breast or bottle, so we'll see if I make it to my goal of one year but at that point while I'll be a little sad about the end of BFing I will welcome the transition to WCM!
Right now I'm only BFing morning and night, but I have definitely noticed a decrease and TBH I'm not sure my supply will make it to a year. I'm okay with it now but definitely shed tears in the beginning. Now I'm so over it though. TBH, most of my IRL friends combo feed and it makes life so much easier.
I've been doing this for about a month and DS is 10 months.
I combo fed DD3 from about 4mo due to supply issues. It was fine. I gave up BFing around 8mo just because I was over it, nothing beyond that.
DD4 I combo fed from day 3 or 4 due to jaundice issues. I then combo fed until 2mo or so just because I didn't like NIP nor pumping. Then EBF until 10ish months because she refused formula for a stretch & she was miserable (reflux, colic, sleep issues) so I soothed her a lot BFing. I combo fed FF/BM after that until she drank cows milk at 1yr old. Now she's almost 16mo & still BFing & drinking cows milk.
We combo fed from day 1 due to a variety of issues. On my best days, he got roughly 70% BM, on my worst it was less than 50%. It worked out fine.
If I had to do it over again, I would've stopped pumping sooner. I was much happier after I did. I made it to 11m, but the stress wasn't worth it-hindsight being 20/20.
We did/do. Started supplementing around 1 week old. He was not gaining, so I'd BF then offer formula. For maternity leave, he got mostly BM, but still gave formula before bed so DH could do bedtime (since I did middle of the night) plus sometimes while out. Once I returned to work, I blew through my stash and did not respond well to the pump. DS got 50/50 BM/formula for his daycare bottles.
Around 5-6 months, it's slowly switched to BF while together and formula while apart. I gave up pumping around 7 months and now only BF for his one MOTN feeding. We've adjusted just fine. There was one night I was engorged, but no big deal. Occasionally he'll sleep through it so he'll go a full day without nursing, but I seem to still produce enough milk to satisfy him the nights he does wake.
Combo feeding is definitely a viable solution to give you some balance and does not need to mean the end of your breastfeeding relationship.
I just read your posts about bottle refusal. We had the same issue when I went back to work. DH was home with DS and DS would hold out for me. At the time I was still able to see him at lunch, so he didn't have to go too long between feedings. Eventually DH found a bottle that he liked (NUK learner cup with a bottle nipple). He also tried distraction techniques, i.e., letting him watch Adventure Time on his iPhone and being insistent that he took his bottle. It did not happen over night, but eventually he took the bottle. In the beginning he would only have 2 oz at a time, but now he takes his bottles like a champ. He never acted hungry either, he was perfectly happy until you tried to give him the bottle. He still is not a huge bottle drinker - he has about 11 oz at day care during a 10 hr day. If you want him to take your milk I would continue to try offering. I have heard from others that EBF babies can refuse the bottle even if they previously took it fine (mine did for 5 months, but when I went back to work he was not a happy camper). However, if he seems hungry then I would give him formula since he will drink it and you certainly do not want him to be hungry. Have you tried mixing BM and formula together and see if that works?
We combo fed. Dd generally had formula when at Mother's Day out twice a week plus one other time and I did not pump to replace but it wasn't daily so I don't know how that affects things.
I am so glad we combo fed. It was such a weight off my shoulders!
I started combo around 6 months after some huge dips in supply after getting sick twice in a week or so. It doesn't negatively impact my supply. I'm able to nurse all weekend without issue, but am a little fuller Monday.
Combo feeding has kept us BFing this long. He had to have formula in the hospital to keep his sugars up, he was working too hard to BF. Sometimes DS gets very frustrated at the breast, fussing and unlatching over and over. We give him a bottle then because he's still hungry and needs more but can't calm himself enough to nurse. I usually pump then to make up for it but often I don't get as much formula as he took. I also keep ready to feed bottles in the diaper bag in case he gets hungry at the gym. It's not worth trying to take Breastmilk because he rarely eats at the gym and I don't want to waste it.
We began combo feeding regularly at 5 months when DD started to outdrink me, but I was EPing so I knew exactly how much I was making. Combo feeding would not have affected my supply since I could still maintain the same pumping schedule and make the same amount. But as time went on and she drank more and more. I couldn't keep up so I started weaning from he pump. It took about 6 weeks for me to fully wean but I went really slow at dropping pumps. It is really nice now to have all of those hours back in my day and I feel good knowing she is getting/got the best of both worlds.
Thanks so much, this thread makes me feel so much better. I'm glad to hear that combo feeding is more common than I thought, and that it shouldn't mess with my supply too much.
We're still in trial and error mode with the bottles -- I hadn't thought of mixing BM with formula, but that's a great idea. My plan for now is offer BM first, and if he doesn't take it, do a few ounces of formula, then offer BM again. Or maybe we'll just offer BM mixed with formula and see how that goes. I think my husband is a little more "ready" than I am to add more formula. He's the one feeding the baby when I can't, and if formula makes it easier for him, then that's definitely a consideration. Plus I think my H just hates to see me stressed out.
This whole process has been WAY more emotional than I ever could have imagined before becoming a mom. I really appreciate the support from this board.
When she was a few months old, DD wouldn't take expressed milk from a bottle but would tolerate formula. I mixed breast milk and formula and gradually increased breast milk until that's all the bottles contained. She never really drank much from bottles, though. She did much better with sippy cups. I can't remember the brand but there's one out there that says 4 months+ on the package.
I am combo feeding and have with all 4 of my kids. I do not make enough milk despite any efforts I take to produce more so I nurse as much as I can and when the baby stops eating I supplement if she seems to need more. It works out for us and I don't sub formula for a nursing session yet but sometimes when they get older (9/10months I will leave a bottle of formula if DH and I have a date night).