Advice on Combination Feeding

[NE90]

I have been exclusively breastfeeding since my baby boy was born 6 weeks ago but started to switch to combination feeding. Baby is getting very hungry, dont feel like I can keep up, nights feeds are a struggle seen as other half cant help with feeds and I don't feel confident breast feeding in public. Anyone know how your milk supply is affected by combination feeding? Would I need to express during the times he's having formula? Started with 1 bottle feed a day as instructed by health visitor and upping to 2 now as it's been a few days since the switch.

Any information/tips/help greatly appreciated.

x

[Cheekymonkey85]

Your supply won't disappear, it will just adapt accordingly just as when your little one drops a feed. I would, however, make sure you give the bottles at around the same time every day. You could express & give that if you wanted, otherwise there's no need to express unless you start to feel full & engorged. The last thing you need is to end up with blocked ducts/mastitis, so if your feeling at all uncomfortable just express a bit off to ease it xx

[Starry2007]

I have been doing combination feeding for 3 months now. Pretty much a few days after my daughter was born. This was due to medical reasons and at the paediatrician’s advice.

Baby isn’t confused between breast and bottle. Sometimes she prefers the faster flow of the bottle, sometimes she wants the intimacy of the breast.

Try to breast feed and bottle feed around the same time every day.

Express in place of a breast feed to avoid double stimulation.

Good luck!

[Joey89]

I just started combo feeding my 11 week old son he just wasn’t fully satisfied with nursing alone and would get to frustrated at the boob. I started off with one bottle now I’m on. To two I usually nurse all night then give him a bottle in the morning then nurse after he wakes up from his first bottle and then I give another bottle in the after noon and then nurse until his bottle before bed now so I’m upping him to three a day I don’t go out much but if it super busy place where there no nursing areas I give a bottle or nurse in the vehicle before we go in and then nurse again in the vehicle before we leave

[Hidden]

Milk production is a supply and demand situation, so if you’re nursing or expressing less frequently you’ll produce less milk. In order to keep your supply at its current level you’ll probably want to express in place of direct breast feeding at the times baby is being given a bottle.

There’s lots of great info here, that you might find helpful: kellymom.com.

[JLew]

I combination fed after exclusively breastfeeding up until my little one was 7 and a bit months. Yes, my supply dropped as bottles were upped but as long as you do skin to skin, express regularly so as he has a bottle express etc and feed off the breast; it will be fine. (Apparently they get more milk that way according to HV). Good luck on your breastfeeding journey❤. Xx

[Georgielouise]

I started breastfeeding when my baby was born and he took to it but seemed unsatisfied so decided to offer bottle also and started combination feeding. After about a week he started to pull away from the breast and seemed to be looking for the easier option - bottle. So to keep him happy I carried on with the bottle and still offered him breast but my milk wasn't coming out as much as it was- they weren't as full and hard but went quite soft. As he wasn't stimulating them but I still do have milk now but would need to express it out as he doesn't seem to want to do it. So now he is just bottle fed which has caused him to be very windy and he guzzles the bottles back. I have had to buy anti colic and slow feeding teats which sometimes get blocked and he doesn't get anything out so gets in a state. If I give him a faster teat too much comes out and he gets in a state. I am also giving him infacol to relieve the wind. Basically I really wish I hadn't combination fed and just stuck with the breast feeding for longer. But up to you - of course your baby may be different and prefer the breast.

[NE90 in reply to Georgielouise]

I'm only able to breastfeed with the aid of a nipple shield due to really flat nipples that just cannot reach far enough into his mouth even with him sucking so he's naturally taken very well to the bottle as the 'teet' is very much similar to the nipple shield I use. Thank you for your advice though. I would love to exclusively breast feed but I'm just finding it harder than I thought! x