My feed
Premium

Please
or
to access all these features

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Infant feeding

Long term mixed feeding?

14 replies

WineandDine · 23/02/2018 14:18

Please excuse the essay, will try to keep this as brief as possible!

Had bf problems with DS1 a few years ago. Traumatic EMCS meant my milk only came in one side after 6 days by which point DS had lost weight and we were sent back to hospital. A brutal 3 hourly feeding, topping up and expressing regime followed which didn’t last long as DS never latched properly and my poor nipples were severely damaged. We lasted about 10 days before switching to ff and we were all much happier all round.

Fast forward and DS2 is now here & almost 3 weeks old after a much calmer ELCS. My milk again took its time and came in around day 6 by which point again DS2 had lost 12% of birth weight and was dehydrated despite me putting him to the breast every 3hrs and topping up with syringes full of colostrum as often as I could. I preempted us having problems again this time around so arranged to see a lactation consultant on day 4 who was great and corrected a bad feeding position and put in place a plan to get DS2’s weight and strength back up.
This means that since day 4 we’ve been topping up with formula after each feed. I tried pumping but got such pitiful amounts and it brought back awful memories of first time around so knocked that on the head quite quickly. The topping up has been fine whilst I’ve had help at home but as of next week I’ll be on my own with a newborn and a VERY active 2.5yr old so breastfeeding for 30/40mins and then offering a bottle at each feed just isn’t practical.
Has anyone had success with mixed feeding after a similar situation? In an ideal world I would like to bf first thing in the morning and in the evening/night but whilst I am out and about with the toddler during the day at groups etc I do not have the time to bf and then do a bottle so would like to replace these bf/top ups with a full bottle feed.

Just to add that we tried to get rid of the formula top ups but DS2 became very weak, dehydrated and lost weight again so it seems he has become used to the extra calories. I have started taking Domperidone to up my supply but im not sure I’ll ever be able to catch up and a babymoon/pumping for hours on end isn’t an option unfortunately.
He is not yet up to birth weight but hopefully should be after a weigh in later today.

If you’ve got this far then thank you, I’d really like to continue giving some breastmilk for as long as possible so any tips or experience would be most appreciated.

OP posts:
Report
Countingsheeeep · 23/02/2018 14:25

No advice I'm afraid but following as I am in a very similar situation.

Ds due in 5 weeks, DD will be 14 months old. Failed miserably with breast feeding DD, lots of issues, and can totally relate to the pump bringing back awful memories. I could never pump again, the thought makes me feel physically sick.

For similar reasons to you I am hoping to mix feed from first if we are successful with latching this time.

I have friends that have done it from birth with no issues so I think there is hope, but hopefully someone will jump on this thread with some personal success stories!

Report
Situp · 23/02/2018 14:31

We combination fed dc2 very successfully. BF continued until weaning at 6 months. I could have continued but family circumstances made it hard.

Dc3 is 4 weeks and we are doing the same.

I would advise avoiding "top ups" but give the bottles at the same time each day. With dc1 we gave bottles when I felt too tired or was in too much pain to bf and it ruined my supply. Only managed about 10 weeks.

We do the feed around 10pm with a bottle. I go to bed and DH spends time with dd. I then get a decent stretch of sleep.

It is totally doable if you have a routine for the bottles.

Report
Situp · 23/02/2018 14:33

I am also very unsuccessful with pumping. For me, the benefits of using a bottle a day was negated if I had to pump it so I prefer to use formula. Don't have a pump now and it takes the pressure off.

Report
HotCrossBunFight · 23/02/2018 14:33

What you've described is how I fed my son for approx 1 year. Once his solid food intake was sufficient I then continued with just breast milk for another six months.

Report
WineandDine · 23/02/2018 14:43

Thanks Counting and sorry to hear you had problems too.

The evil pump! All psychological of course but it took me back to a horrible dark place when I started using it again a few weeks ago & we’ve been fine so far without.

Just hard to know where to go from here as normal life needs to resume fairly imminently and I haven’t been able to find much information on how to try to make mixed feeding work.

Best of luck for the next few weeks and for the birth Flowers
If you are able, I would highly recommend hiring a lactation consultant to see you as soon as possible after the birth. The NHS are great but I’ve found the advice fairly inconsistent.

OP posts:
Report
WineandDine · 23/02/2018 14:54

Thanks so much situp and hotcrossbun really encouraging to hear that this has worked for you.

DS2 isn’t really in any sort of routine just yet so I’m wondering how replacing certain feeds with bottles would work as we’re different from day to day at the moment? He goes 3/4hrs between feeds.

Does anyone know if I run a big risk of engorgement/mastitis by not bfing during the day when previously I’ve been bfing day and night? Or should my supply adjust according after a few days?

OP posts:
Report
Moregilmoregirls · 23/02/2018 15:21

I had tongue tie issues with my second and combination fed. As previous poster I gave a full formula feed last thing at night and breast fed him during the day so I think consistency helps. However after about 5 months he did start refusing the breast before his afternoon nap as I think my supply my lowest then he was tired and a bottle is much easier so I moved to two bottles per day and once he was weaning he was then down to 2 breast feeds per day so it depends how long you want to feed for and whether your baby prefers a bottle. I would have liked to bf for longer but it was getting stressful so I guess you have to do what's best for you and your little one. A fed baby is a happy baby! Good luck op

Report
Situp · 23/02/2018 15:31

We don't have a routine either but I have a cut off which is when I go to bed at 9pm. DH then gives the bottle the next time she is hungry. Sometimes it is at 9:15 and sometimes at 11. It means I then usually have one feed between 1 and 3 and the next between 4 and 7. By doing this I haven't had any problems with engorgement.

The specific time doesn't matter and again, if you try and put it off until a specific time, especially if the baby is cluster feeding it can get stressful because you have an artificial deadline. If she has the bottle at 9:15 and needs a top up we do it with breast milk, we never give extra formula.

Just remember that you are doing this to make life easier so anything which makes things more complicated or stressful is not welcome!

Report
TonicAndTonic · 23/02/2018 22:02

No tips just Flowers OP

I'm in a similar position - DS is 6 weeks old and has been formula topped up since day 5 - he was tongue tied and my milk didn't come in until day 7 so he lost 12% body weight and was jaundiced, sleepy and dehydrated. I did a night from hell in hospital feeding, pumping and topping up in a 2 hour cycle. Completely unsustainable so ditched the pumping as I was getting almost nothing out. I struggle to go near a pump now Sad.

I'm still topping up every feed as DS is my first so have time to do so, but like you OP I'm confused about how to do this long term. My supply is still really low despite cluster feeding, skin to skin, babymooning and all the usual things to boost supply. Getting fed up of people telling me that I just need to try harder and that of course I would make enough milk if I just stopped the formula. Believe me I've tried, I'm worried that my supply is too low even to be able to move to an easier feeding pattern like just formula in the morning and evening. While there is some milk I want to keep bf what I can as DS now has a great match and moves between breast and bottle really well.

Agree theres no info on mixed feeding, I just keep getting told to keep doing what I'm doing, even though it's a huge faff to top up every feed.

Report
WineandDine · 24/02/2018 10:00

So sorry you’re going through the same TonicAndTonic. I too have had well meaning family tell me to just ditch the top ups but what I don’t think they understand is that such small babies rely on the extra calories from the top ups to gain strength and to be able to bf more effectively. It really is a catch 22 situation made harder with a toddler to contend with but also really draining and exhausting on a first time Mum like yourself. Have you considered Domperidone? I got a prescription easily from my GP so might be worth looking into?

I’m feeling a bit deflated today. Bf a few times overnight and tried to put DS back down after a good feed of 20mins on each side and he was rooting and clearly still hungry/unsettled so had to topup. Finding all the double feeding pretty hard going and I’m also not sure I’ll ever be able to completely replace a bf/top up with just a bf as my supply just doesn’t seem to be there.

OP posts:
Report
tmc14 · 24/02/2018 12:59

Hi all,
No real advice but just to say I feel your pain. I’m mixed feeding at 12 weeks (since day 5) due to low supply, tongue tie, few other things). Luckily he’s my first so I’m able to give the time to bf then top up, which I do for half the feeds. This week I found out his tongue tie has reattached and he hasn’t put on much weight so have added in extra top ups. I don’t expect to get to ebf at this stage, but I’m so disappointed to be adding in extra top ups. I feel like I’ve taken so much advice, done everything I could but it just hasn’t worked out. I’m just hoping to continue to bf as much as I possibly can, even if his main supply of calories is the formula.
Probably not a very useful post but good luck to you all xx

Report
TonicAndTonic · 24/02/2018 16:54

Thanks OP, I had wondered about domperidone, I have my 6 weeks GP check next week so will ask then. Did you get any side effects?

I think I just need to know I've tried everything, just had lots of sanctimonious well meaning folk at the local bf support group saying that I am imagining low milk supply and of course DS would get enough milk if I would just quit the formula and just sit on the sofa doing skin to skin 24/7 till the end of time while he chewed my nipples off in hunger apparently it's a bit self centered to want to have time in the day to do anything other than feed your baby and people only give formula for their own convenience Angry Angry

Sorry, rant over, I don't really have many people to talk to about this. DP thinks the top ups are a great halfway house and doesn't really understand why it's making me so sad that I can't ebf.

Flowers tmc14, and well done for getting to 12 weeks keeping the mixed feeding going, I'm really hoping I can do the same as I really want DS to have whatever breast milk I can produce.

Report
tmc14 · 25/02/2018 12:43

Oh it is SO frustrating when people tell you you definitely don’t have a supply issue. I had loads of great suggestions on here as well as from Lactation consultants & clinics in real life, but when I reduced top ups my baby would lose weight. I have had several baby moons doing everything possible. It’s not just about the time it takes, I also refuse to leave my baby hungry.

The only thing I haven’t actually tried is domperidone, my Dr wasn’t keen to prescribe it and I confess I wasn’t sure about it. Maybe I should try another GP though and see.

I also know a woman who mix feeds with bottle during the day and bf at night and her baby is now 18 weeks, so it can be done that way.

Report
tmc14 · 25/02/2018 12:45

@wineanddine do you find the domperidone helps?

Report
Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.