some formula/breast feeding questions

[MyLittleAprilSunshine]

Hi.

I am just curious how long everyone breastfeed for - this includes just one feed if you just had one feed, would just like to know.

Also, if you did any combine feeding - I am formula, expressing and breastfeeding and yes it can be tiring but rewarding and works for my DD so I have no qualms with it.

Just wondering for those who breastfeed how long they plan to breastfeed for.
For those who combine feed how much breastfeeding/expression you do
and what formula do you use?

Also curious how old your babies are/were at this time. I know it's a lot of questions but just very curious. If you could answer them that would be amazing. Thank you :)

[blossombath]

EBF DS to six months, with some bottles of EBM now and again - went through periods of giving them every night, but he was never very keen on them so in the end gave up.

Gave occassional bottles/beakers of formula to 12mo - around one/two a week, otherwise bf on demand. As I say, he didn't like bottles much so was always more hassle to give formula.

Now he is 14mo I bf first thing when he wakes up and before his bed time story. And at night if he wakes and nothing else works. If I remember I give him cow's milk in a cup with afternoon or snack which he pours on floor.

[Offred]

first two babies 1 year with no supplementing and some expressing but only for babysitting, second two (twins) 2 years. Some temporary top up formula (forget which brand) for about 1 month with twins who had undiagnosed lip ties and briefly struggled to gain weight. If I had another I think I'd probably breastfeed longer.

[blossombath]

*occasional

[ShowOfHands]

I've never given a bottle of any kind of milk. Both dc were exclusively bf to 6 months and DD self weaned at 3yrs 4months. DS is 20 months and still bf though I did express and feed him with a syringe when he was a few hours old as he was a wee bit early and not up to waking up and sucking. It perked him up enough to get him to latch on a while later.

[Whatalotofpiffle]

Dd is 2.4 and I am still breast feeding. She is gradually cutting down to 1 or 2 feeds a day. So pleased she is self weaning. It was hard for the first year. I tried expressing but have very large breasts so attachments were ineffective unless very engorged. Just carried on feeding, didn't want to formula feed. No idea why, it is just something I have never wanted to do. My dd loved bf from the start though, so never had to consider it, which I suppose I would if my next one didn't take to it

[Whatalotofpiffle]

Meant I am glad she is self weaning as I wanted her to cut down when she was ready, not when I wanted her to. I don't mind how long she feeds for

[FreeButtonBee]

I am EBF twins- they are 13 weeks. We had a rocky start as both were tongue tied and DTS couldn't latch at all til 8 days. So he had a far bit of formula fed throuh finger feeding for the first 2-3 weeks while my supply built up. After 3 weeks, he was having just one ff a day and then I ditched the last bottle at about 4 weeks because I couldn't be arsed with the faff - it didn't feel like any time saving with twins and a DH who works late regularly.

Hoping to keep going til 6 months and then it will depend on how they take to solids as to whether I introduce some formula. I would like a wee bit of time away from them. But since I am sole career for 90% of the time, bf, for me, is the fastest way to manage my twins.

Was fucking hard work for the first 5 weeks though!

[FreeButtonBee]

Oh I can't be arsed to express either. Might dally with it again in a bit but frankly I have my boobs out and meddled with enough each day without adding another round of squeezing and squishing. So until they are going 3 hours between feeds and sleeping much more at night, I am not going to bother with expressing.

[noblegiraffe]

DS never had a bottle, I was completely unable to express. I ebf him for 6 months then continued bfing till 17 months. I meant to give up at 13 months when I went back to work, but I wasn't ready and it didn't seem right, at 17 months we were both happy to just leave it.

DD is currently 15 weeks and EBF. No plans to express, it didn't work last time and I haven't got a pump any more. Plan to bfed till at least a year then see how it goes.

Unless disaster strikes I have no plans to ever give formula.

[dietcokeandwine]

Seven months for DS1 and DS2. They had small top up bottles of expressed milk daily from 2 weeks, plus an occasional formula top up when I felt they needed it. I then introduced a single daily bottle of formula at bedtime from 3 months. At six months I gradually cut down feed by feed and replaced with formula; they were both fully formula fed from seven months.

I plan to do the same for DS3 and finish breastfeeding by seven months. Introduced the bottle slightly later for him as he was slower to gain weight, and haven't really been able to express this time, so he had a daily bottle of formula from 3 weeks and is breastfed the rest of the time (he's 3 months).

I have used aptamil formula and each baby has always taken that happily. Have to say I have huge respect for people who manage to breastfeed exclusively for long periods of time, but mixed feeding has always worked brilliantly for us.