Please tell me how you switched from BF on demand to FF...

[runningscared]

As the title says. DD is almost 5months and currently mix fed (long story as to why), having one FF at lunchtime where she drinks anything between 3.5 and 5 oz, and another at bedtime where she routinely drinks about 5oz. The rest of the day/night she is bf on demand.

We don't really have any sort of routine but most days follow a pattern a bit like this: about 3 bf's in the morning between 5 and 11ish; a bottle sometime between 12.30-2; two bf's between about 4 and 6pm; bottle at 7ish and then she generally sleeps until about 11.30 when she has a bf; she then usually has a bf about 3-4am ish.

I want to switch her to fully FF over the next few weeks but am unsure how to do it, do I just offer her a bottle every time she demands a feed and hope she then naturally starts spacing out feeds or do I try to put her into some sort of routine first?

Any experience from anyone who has done similar would be appreciated. Many thanks!

[roslily]

I have just done this. I fed him on demand, and he would take anything from 2-5oz and they were anywhere between 2-4 hours apart. I figure that I eat on demand so he should to!

Hope that helps.

[runningscared]

Thanks roslily, thought that's what I'd need to do, good to hear its worked for you

[GhoulsAreLoud]

I did this too, mixed fed DD same as you did with one bottle at lunch and one before bed.

Switched fully to formula at 6 months and she suddenly went onto a four hour routine when there had never been any kind of routine with b/f. I was offering on demand but she just naturally wanted it every four hours.

We did start weaning at the same time too so not sure if that made a difference.

[lovemybabyboy]

I mix fed my DS like you from about 4 months and slowly added more FFs and less BFs over time, to prepare for going back to work, by 7 months he started just being FF and that was his choice, I wanted to continue mix feeding him untill 1 year, FF when I was at work and BF when I was home but it ended up being just mornings and before bed, he just seemed to prefer the bottles and started to refuse the breast! I also just fed on demand and he just seemed to make his own routine.

[runningscared]

Thank you both.

FF on demand it is then!