mixed feeding??is it ok??

[imnotperfect]

Hi all, i was just looking for a little advice on mixed feeding for my 12 week old. i have two very different experiences on feeding my two little ones, first time round i bf for 9 days then switched to ff to the horror and derision of my hv, but with hindsight i was pushed into this decision by p-i-l, who also gave my eldest a dummy without asking!!! this time round im much stronger and really enjoying bfing however little one is getting really fussy on my boob, pulling his head back and stetching out my nipple and scratching my boobs, he gets fuller quicker on ff, but at the min will not fall asleep unless put on the boob when the amount of milk he gets is minimal. he does seem to be using me as a human dummy most of the time he feeds, but refuses full stop to take an actual dummy. the mixed feeding has only happened very irregularly, and he takes a bottle off someone else far better, but i have to think about going back to work in another 12 weeks, im very confused and dont really know what to do for the best...

[ragged]

12 weeks is a long time away. I suppose I would keep muddling along as you are for another 6-8 weeks before trying to draw a plan together of when and how to consistently mix-feed.

yes it's ok If it's the best way to keep you sane :).

[mousesma]

There's a big growth spurt at 12 weeks which might explain the fussiness. The need to suck without feeding could well be an attempt to stimluate your milk supply to match his new needs.

I think if you do decide to mix feed then it might be a good idea to wait a couple of weeks until the growth spurt is over.

However I started mix feeding at 14 weeks and gave DD one bottle of formula a night. This continued until 19 weeks when I introduced a lunchtime bottle as well, DD is now 21 weeks and supply so far doesn't seem to be affected.

The one big downside of mix feeding is that your DS will no longer have the "virgin gut" and there are studies to suggest that some of the benefits of breastfeeding including a reduction in allergies and ezcema will no longer be acheived.

There is no right or wrong answer to this question you just have to do what you think is best for your family.

[ClimberChick]

My DD was incredibly fussy months 2.5 to 4 and I was dreading going back to work, but 12 weeks is a long time away (in feeding terms) so you don't need to worry about that part.

Fussy feeding is a nightmare and soul dsetroying at times. It's hard not to take it personally. If you decide to mix feed, do for reasons now and not what the future might hold.

FWIW DD miraculously stopped being so difficult to feed a few days before I went back to work (which was at 4 months). She has been fine on EBM during the workday and me all other times. Teething sometimes brings back fussy behaviour but doesn't make it impossible like she was before.

The kellymom article how to bottlefeed a breast fed baby should help you and DC not to get bottle preference. She is still a newborn teat even at 9 months.

It is hard, but not uncommon if that helps.

[floatingbuddah]

I've been mix feeding, baby now 12 weeks and find that he has only three ounces at each feed with the bottle(and even that is at a push!) little un was 8 lbs 11 when born so feel bad that he drinks so little. Any ideas how to up his milk intake? He was doing well on breast feed but Iwanted him to use bottle so dad could help out as in need of rest too.

[imnotperfect]

thanks for the advice all, i think i just wanted to know if its ok that DS has the occassional bottle of formula, and i think i just have a lazy baby, he doesnt really want to work for his milk. he is a very big baby, so im wondering if his fussiness is caused by his need to up my supply, and i think that introducing a bottle will probably confuse matters. it didnt help though that i was sniggered at in the docs surgery for bfing my son. that is one of the biggest downfalls of bfing...makes me mad

[imnotperfect]

oh and floatingbuddah my littleone is the same, never takes as much formula as breast...as long as he is actually puting weight on i think his milk intake will be fine xx

[mousesma]

imnotperfect I'm sorry you had to put up with such rude behaviour at the docs surgery. In my experience most people will not behave so badly.

floatingbuddah I don't think you need to up DS milk intake. Even when bottle feeding you should always feed on demand so if he doesn't want it then he doesn't need it. Sounds like you're doing such a fantastic job filling him up by yourself he doesn't need much more :)