Introducing the odd bottle of formula at 6 months - should I feel guilty?

[Jammers]

I have been EBF DS since birth and am thinking of introducing the odd bottle of formula when I start weaning at 6 months. This is partly because I want to do an evening class one night a week and it would be good to feel I have a bit of freedom occasionally. Expressing simply does not work for me - I hate the process, get very little milk and find it really time consuming. For some reason, I am feeling really guilty about the prospect of introducing formula at all. Provided I continue to BF for most of the time, the odd bottle won't hurt after 6 months will it?

[RJandA]

You definitely shouldn't feel guilty about doing what is right for you and your family, and this is coming from someone who EBF'd for 6 months, still bfing at 9 months and planning to keep going until.... well, haven't really thought about what the end of that sentence is!

Congrats for getting to 6 months, you have done really well. Feel very proud of yourself and your DS. And as long as you follow the instructions about making the formula up with hot water, and wash up bottles and teats properly, then no, the odd bottle won't hurt. What might hurt is getting him to take a bottle at all if he hasn't had one up to now!!

Good luck

[tiktok]

In terms of your baby's health, presuming your baby is on solids by then, and having foods other than breastmilk, the occasional bottle of formula is just a part of widening his diet. You could of course give the occasional cup of ordinary cow's milk - this is fine as long as it is not his 'main milk drink' which should be formula or breast before the age of 12 mths, according to guidelines.

But I would suggest you wonder if it's worth the bother of worrying about it - esp as you don't like the idea of formula. A baby of 6 mths should be able to cope with you having an evening class once a week and if he gets hungry or thirsty when you are not there, he can have other foods and water to drink, if you prefer him only to have breastmilk for his milk.

Hope this helps!

[Jammers]

Thanks both. I'm just being silly really - I had always thought of it as just widening his diet then spoke to my mum who was horrified at the idea of introducing formula even once I have started weaning (but she is bf fanatic who thinks it is simply the most beautiful thing in the world and who wouldn't have wanted to miss a single opportunity to bf!!). I'll just crack on as I had intended to...good to have the reassuarance.