Can I mix feed now without losing my milk supply?

[MandMand]

At what point is breastfeeding sufficiently established that I can give more than one formula bottle a day without affecting my milk supply too badly?

I exclusively breastfed until 8 weeks, but then started giving a formula bottle at bed time, since he would cluster feed for 3 or 4 hours solid in the evenings and I was too exhausted to cope any longer. He is now 18 weeks, and still breastfeeds every 2 hours or so during the day.

Could I start giving him an additional bottle of formula during the day, so I can go out, or would this still mess up my supply? I really want to keep breastfeeding until at least six months, and particularly still want to be able to keep breastfeeding during the night.

[duke]

Your body will produce what the baby asks for. If you do the odd bottle every now and then, for a trip out, it should only take a day or so to get back on track. I sometimes felt a bit fuller but didn't notice too much difference. I also dropped an afternoon feed for a few days, went away for the night and picked it back up again when I got back. To successfully mix feed I think you have to be determined to keep the breast feeding up, as the bottle can some how take over.

[melsy]

dd2 is 12 weeks and Im doing 50/50 , I feed for bed time , may be twice 6 ish and then at 7. I feed her during the night and then 1st thing in the morning also may a couple of times. During the day is when I do bottles of formula. Like you I was feeding on and off for hrs and have a 3yr old , I was also expressing and so had no time for much else. It seems to be going ok , although we get some fussing here and there about bottles, but Im perservering. I would Bf during the day , but I thought if I keep up Bf at night it woud keep my supply going due to the high prolactin at night.

[MandMand]

Thanks everyone for your responses, this is really reassuring!