Nipple confusion?

[Squashpocket]

My 2 week old is combination fed (breast + formula top up at each feed). It had been going ok - baby is content, gaining weight, lots of wet and dirty nappies. However, every feed is becoming a struggle.

If I offer the breast first, baby sometimes refuses to latch and only wants the bottle. Other times I offer the breast first, baby latches on for a couple of minutes but when milk stops, he cries but then won't accept the bottle. It's becoming quite stressful for both of us.

I would love to fully breastfeed but can't make a full supply due to insufficient glandular tissue, so switching to fully BF is not an option. However I want to try to preserve the breastfeeding relationship as long as possible, so would prefer not to fully FF either.

Does anyone have any tips for combination feeding? Or do I need to give up on the breastfeeding and just give the bottle?

[arbrighton]

Have a look for 'supplemental nursing systems'

[CanaBanana]

You can get slow flow teats that mimic breastfeeding. If you're using an ordinary teat then I'm not surprised if baby develops a preference for the bottle which is easier to drink from.

If you're only producing a couple of minutes worth of milk is it even worth breastfeeding? Especially if it's upsetting your baby? If you really want your baby to have breast milk then you might be better off expressing and feeding with the same bottle you use for formula.

[RidingMyBike]

Slow flow teat and paced feeding could help?
It is possible to combi-feed (I did it for whole of DD's first year) and put her to breast first then topped up with a bottle. We used Lansinoh bottles which are meant to be very like a breastfeeding action.

[Narya]

I've been bf with formula top ups for 5 months (I have suspected IGT). One tip I was given was to give 10 ml or so of formula to take the edge off hunger, then bf both boobs, then the top up. I would try a different brand of bottle if LO is refusing bottle. We used Avent Natural, the Lansinoh ones are also good. Don't give up the bf until you and LO want to, even if not much milk comes out, whatever you can give is beneficial, as is the closeness and comfort it gives.

[Thissameearth]

I don’t know about combi feeding but agree with @narya re only giving up if you want to as my DD has been ebf since birth (9 months) and has only ever fed from one side per feed for sometimes a few mins but max of ten mins and is 96 percentile. Time at breast itself is no indication of amount and in any event as Narya says, still get benefits l. Doing tops up sounds like a lot of work, sounds like you’re doing amazingly.