can you bottle feed as well as breast, or will it put them off the breast??

[Tangas]

hi there
my dd is 3wks old and i'm breast feeding on demand, i'm finding it all a bit too much because she is wanting ti be on the breast all the time-which is very hard when you have a 2yr old also demanding you constant attention!
i really wanna introduce 1 or 2 bottle feeds a day, so dp can do some feeds.
i'm afraid that giving a bottle will put her off of the breast. has anyone ever been successful? would appreatiate any responce or advise. thanks x

[abroadandmisunderstood]

I expressed once a day for both my boys. Did it in the morning when supply was at its highest. It then meant say a 10.30pm feed couldbe done by DH while I chilled out, got early night etc. It takes a bit of balancing but if you get baby on one side and express the other, the letdown is strong and you should hopefully get a good bottle in one go.

Best wishes

x

[abroadandmisunderstood]

oh and had no problems with the boys rejecting the breast either as those late night bottlefeeds were when they were quite dopey so didn't register.

[MrsHappy]

My DD had a bottle of EBM each day from about 4 weeks old. She never went off the breast - I think that one thing that helped was that I always used the slowest teat available so it wasn't that much easier getting the milk out of the bottle.

If my DD had seemed to prefer the bottles I think I would have given them up for a bit to get her back on track. Maybe just try it and see what happens.

[Tangas]

oh sorry i should of said, i want to introduce formula, as well as breast. i've tried expressing and i can only ever get 1,2oz at a time. x

[Jojay]

DS1 had a bottle of EBM once a day from 2 wks, ieht no problem. I replaced that feed with formula at about 4 months, but continued bfing with no effect on my supply.

I tried the same with Ds2 but he refused the bottle at about 3 months and wouldn't take it again - so no worries about going off teh boob here.

But it can happen. I agree with MrsHappy. Give it a try and see how it goes. If she seems to prefer the bottle over the breast, or your supply plummets then you may have to think again, but it may work out fine for you.

Some people say to wait until the baby is 6 wks old, when breast feeding and your supply are properly established, before giving a bottle. Seeing as you are planning to give formula rather than express, it may be worth doing this if you can face a few more weeks. It would then be less likely that giving a bottle formula would affect your supply.

Congrats btw

[trixymalixy]

I introduced one bottle feed of EBM a day from about 3 weeks. DS never had any nipple confusion.

I could only ever express an ounce or two very early on, so I would persevere and you'll find your supply will increase.

[thehairybabysmum]

I mixed fed ds2 from 6 weeks with no problems; carried on for 5 months.

[MrsTittleMouse]

It's possible, but it's difficult, especially when you're just starting (as you are). My Mum and my SIL tried mixed feeding (breast and bottle) and it really messed up the supply of breastmilk for both of them. They ended up giving up breastfeeding fairly soon after.

I can easily remember the early days with a toddler and a newborn - my youngest is 9 months now - and you have my sympathy. It does get easier, but it is completely normal to feel that a breastfed baby is constantly on the breast. Especially in this hot weather as she's going to be very thirsty. I promise that doesn't last forever though. Do you have anyone that can help you out with your toddler? Or take the baby out for a walk so that you can play with your toddler and stave off some of the jealousy?

[Tangas]

ok ladies, thanks, i will give it ago and wiat for the six wk mark. i'm feeling a bit better about the fact i can only express a little bit. i thought i was weird!! lol x

[Tangas]

mrstittlemouse-it is bllody hard isn't it! i do have a good support network, so i'm ok there. i just have found myself wanting on the next stage, but likewise i don't want to whish it away! how long b4 it gets easiyer??

[idontbelieveit]

Hi Tangas, my dd2 is now just 5 months and dd1 is just 3 years. I reckon it got easier around 6-8 weeks. Mrs tittlemouse has excellent advice. Have you tried expressing from one breast at the same time as feeding with the other. I always get the most milk if I express like this first feed of the day.
The hot weather doesn't help as all my dd2 wants to do is feed. I think 3 weeks is the worst bit actually and if you can get to 1 month you'll start to find things get better as your older one gets used to the baby and you get used to managing 2 at once.
I find getting out for a walk to the park first thing helps to tire out dd1 so she's happier to chill out in the afternoon while i feed and means that dd2 has a sleep so i get a break from feeding. Good luck{smile]

[idontbelieveit]

[MrsTittleMouse]

I found that there were massive leaps forward at 6 weeks, 3 months and 6 months. The age gap between mine (just under 2 years) is starting to shrink already and my DDs will be silly together and make each other laugh.

The worst time was probably from 2 to 6 weeks - after DH had gone back to work but before DD2 had really settled down to life outside. So right where you are now!

[Tangas]

Thanks for the reasurance guys. seems i'm rite at the most difficalt point now, i'm gonna try my hardest to get tho this with out the formula, after all brast is most defenitly best!

[CookieMonster2]

Holding out sounds like the best plan, but I had to top up both of mine with formula (and I don't want an argument, I really did have to do this), and I haven't had any trouble at all. The best plan is to get a routine with bottle feeds and stick to it, for the benefit of the baby and your milk supply. The other thing is to make sure you always breast feed before you bottle feed, that will help reduce the chances of them giving up breast feeding. If mine didn't want to breast feed I took this as a sign that they weren't hungry and they didn't get the bottle either.

I know a lot of people who have tried to combine breast and bottle feeding and soon ended up just bottle feeding, but they generally didn't have a good routine, or the will to carry on with breast feeding.

My first was breast fed for a year and I am hoping the second one will be as well.