So when we first found I was expecting, I was definitely formula feeding from birth. After some reading around and conversations with my MW (who has been very supportive whether I decide to BF or FF as she did both) I decided I would BF until my milk came in so baby got the goodness of colostrum etc. I then thought well I might aswell go for 6 weeks.
Anyway, after a chat with DH, we have bought some small ready made formula bottles "just in case" I/baby/both of us don't/cant BF.
Now on my various reads etc I read that often BF babies can feed more as BF is digested faster. I also read that if you intend to BF and FF together, that giving a FF too early can scupper BF and that baby can reject the bottle/nipple in favour of the other.
We have bought Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature bottles as eventually, we will swap to FF completely.
So my question is... Has anyone successfully combined BF in the day and FF at night from birth? TIA
~Please note I am not asking for opinions on which is best but asking if you have combine fed from birth and your experiences~
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Pregnancy
Feeding conundrum
mrsnlw · 16/07/2014 20:05
Congratulations on your pregnancy!
I suspect you might find it tricky to get your supply established if you aren't feeding at night, even at the outset. Breastfeeding works on a supply and demand basis so if you have a large chunk of time overnight where your breasts aren't being 'emptied' your body will be sent the signal that milk isn't being taken and to slow down milk production. In the early days you really need to feed at regular intervals 24 hours a day and (unfortunately) especially at night because the hormones that control milk production (eg prolactin) are higher at night. If you were planning on breastfeeding long term, once your body is properly into the swing of making milk, it can be more flexible with longer gaps in the day or night.
Sorry that's probably not what you wanted to hear. 
I'm not remotely trying to put you off though - by all means give it a go and every feed the baby gets from you will give them antibodies and lots of good stuff. 
There's good evidence-based info on breastfeeding on //kellymom.com which might help you if you wanted to do a bit more research before he/she arrives.
Sounds as though you have already done some research and are trying to avoid things that could damage your option to breastfeed which sounds great.
You could ask for your post to be moved to breast and bottle feeding as you might get some more responses.
Congratulations again and lots of luck with your new baby 
Yes to, what Searching said. Unfortunately.
If you see every bf as a bonus that might not bother you. If you were set on bfing long term I would say it was a risky plan.
Also bear in mind that you personally might get very uncomfortable if you don't bf overnight. You might want to plan at least one overnight feed for that reason alone.
Yes, I'm not trying to convince you to do anything. Just that your plan is likely to be a difficult one to have work, so if you wanted to share your aims people might have suggestions about things they'd done that were likely to be easier. As Scones did.
Also, it's quite an unusual choice to mix feed this way round (I know quite a few people who have mixed fed by adding bottles at various points in daytime, but they have always done bf at night as they have said it is easier), so I was just chatting really in enquiring about why you wanted to do it that way. Obviously don't say if you don't want to.
I agree with insane in that the longer you leave it the harder it is to introduce a bottle. Mine was breast, bottle (and NG tube to start with) cause he was premature. He started on the bottle as soon as he was able to suck, swallow and breath all at the same time (approx 34 weeks gestation so pretty early!) as the nurses bottle fed him when I wasn't at the hospital at night. However, I did express A LOT!! Including setting my alarm to get up in the night while DS was still in hospital. Mainly to ensure that I kept ahead of his demand so that probably helped to establish BF longer term. However, my back up supply of stored breast milk ran out a few weeks after we got him home and he wasn't remotely fussed about switching to formula milk for one bottle a day. I was a little offended 
but very relieved that he took it!
From then on he was on 1 FF in day and BF the rest of the time until 6 months when I gradually increased the FF in the day and had dropped BF completely at 9 months. I have friends who have left introducing a bottle until later, or have done it and then left it for a few weeks, and haven't been able to get their babies to take bottles at all from then on. I'm not sure what we'd have done if not guided by the hospital mind. It just worked out well for us (one of the few advantages to having a baby on SCBU).
A bottle of formula around 11pm (either done as a dream feed or on the first waking) is quite a popular choice for introducing one bottle feed a day.
The problem with doing no overnight feeds from day one is that you stand a good chance of supply issues. And if you don't, it's probably because your supply is so strong that you're up at least once in the night pumping because you're in pain (particularly frustrating if you were also the one who did the night bottle feeds!).
If you do a late bottle, and have someone to help, you can often get a good stretch of sleep if you have an early night. Plus you aren't going for a long stretch without feeding, so less likely to cause either of the issues. And the feeds you actually have to wake up in the night for are easy (once you get the hang of bfing) as opposed to getting up to get bottles, etc. I fully bf myself, but I have quite a few friends who've done this with success. Generally when they've wanted to introduce a second bottle they've then picked a day one, mostly for their own comfort so their boobs don't go long periods between feeds and get sore.
Would that sort of plan be any good to you? If your heart isn't totally set on bfing, then the risk of supply is probably worth it for the freedom and the block of time (as opposed to someone who would be devastated not to bf, where the advice would generally be to get it well established before bottles).
I am trying DS on a bottle at the moment. Thankfully, unlike his refusing sisters, he doesn't seem to much mind as long as he gets fed (it's EBM, so no taste difference, but his sisters just starved themselves until I came back). He's 2.5 months.
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