bf baby- mixed (milk) after 6 months tips?

[squizita]

Hi
My lo is going to be getting first solids pretty soon.

She is ebf. I would like to continue to bf when shes taking solids but also offer one bottle/beaker of formula alongside once a day. She is a "little and often" feeder and I'm exhausted and sometimes can't even wash: knowing I have a window daily of 2 hr where dh could feed her even if I'd not expressed would be grand! She takes expressed milk fine from a bottle: it's just always those days when I've not had time to pump I'm most knackered!

I know a lot of people do this successfully in real life ... Please share your tips if you're one! eg:
-when you give it
-bottle or beaker
-preferred brand
etc.

Thanks!

[worldgonecrazy]

We replaced one feed with cows milk after 6 months, just one cup in the morning, or a plain yoghurt . We found a very steep decline in milk needs between 6 and 12 months, I stopped night expressing around 8 months and day expressing around 10 months.

[ApplesTheHare]

Squizita I've just started switching dd from ebf to ff at nearly 6 months, and so far have just been giving her one ff per day at her 10am feed. She's taken to it fine, and seems to really enjoy it. I was worried she'd have a reaction as she's got dreadful reflux but all seems fine. Boobs adjusted after about 3 days! Think you just need to pick a feed and give it a go

[squizita]

Thanks! Well it sounds pretty simple. I will pick one of her failsafe regular feeds and go with that one then. Probably not bedtime as the boob has those sleepy hormones that help her drop off but maybe lunch time.

[ApplesTheHare]

I'm leaving bedtime boob until last for that very reason!

Also I forgot to say I've been doing the ff in a bottle, but will start offering cooled boiled water to drink soon, and probably ffs in the cup once she gets used to that. Of course she may have other ideas Does your lo take ebm from a bottle?

[ApplesTheHare]

Sorry just realised you've already answered my question. Dd isn't sleeping well this week so everything's a bit of a blur!

[Micah]

You probably don't need to give a bottle, I found weaning made breastfeeding far easier as I could work to a schedule rather than feeding all the time!

I fed in the morning, 10am, 2pm and bedtime. Then breakfast, lunch and dinner around that. Always gave milk in a lidded cup at mealtimes.

They dropped the daytime feeds about 9m, and morning not long after.

It is so, so much easier being able to hold them off yet another bf by giving them a couple of rice cakes while you have a cup of tea :)

[squizita]

Thanks all. Sounds positive with lots of options!

[Eminybob]

I replaced the bedtime feed with formula at 6 months, as I found that DS would fall asleep so quickly on the breast that he wasn't getting much milk. He was then waking much more frequently in the night. This seemed to happen just as we started weaning for some reason. I don't know if it because he was still full from dinner?

Anyway, he now takes a full bottle (7-9 oz) at bedtime and seems to sleep much better. I still bf during the day and when he wakes in the night. I do find that the daytime feeds are much less frequent now he's weaning.

[squizita]

Thanks. That's a definite option as dh always helps at bedtime and so it would fit naturally in with the day, he could share that feed.