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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Formula top ups - Aibu to think this is possible?

35 replies

Sweetnotsalted · 23/03/2019 13:22

I have ds 8 weeks exclusively breastfed.
He cluster feeds constantly in the morning until lunch time or later and again on evening.
Im exhausted but would be just about bearable if I didn’t have a three year old who is bored witless and getting into lots of trouble while I’m pinned to the settee feeding all morning. I am hating every minute of it. So stressful and tiring.

I’m thinking about one formula top up in the morning. To free me up as he takes bottles (if expressed milk up until now) much more quickly.
I could then express when I get s chance and use that milk later at night so dh could do a bottle.

Aibu to think this could work and let me keep up breast feeding for a few months longer if possible.
At the moment I’m exhausted, fed up and my three year old is sick of this too.

Does combination feeding work longer term? Or is it just the first step to giving up?

Also no unhelpful comments please. I know breast is best but I’m trying to think about what’s best for the whole family.

OP posts:
Dutch1e · 23/03/2019 13:34

We combi-fed our son starting at 6 weeks and it worked well. I ended up bf-ing over a year before he decided he'd had enough

ScarlettDarling · 23/03/2019 13:37

Of course this can work. I managed to bf for over a year just because of formula top ups. Your ds is old enough now that feeding is established, he's already familiar with the bottle from having expressed milk, it should work great.

WhenZogateSuperworm · 23/03/2019 13:40

I plan on doing this for DD. I breasted DS for the first year but I remember the cluster feeding well and I can’t do it this time as it isn’t fair on my 2 year old. DD is only 5 days so just breastfeeding st the minute but I intend to start combie feeding in a few weeks.

user1493413286 · 23/03/2019 13:42

I introduced a bottle of formula a day from 6 weeks and from 3-5 months was doing two bottles of formula a day (I then increased it and eventually stopped breastfeeding at 7 months but that was by choice). I was told by NCT counsellor that it’d effect my supply for other feeds and it only works as a nighttime feed but that was complete crap; the first bottle of formula was generally given around 11am for the same reasons as you as I was stuck feeding otherwise.
Oddly once we started formula DD wouldn’t accept ebm in a bottle almost as if it was only formula she’d have in a bottle. It’s likely that’s just her though as I’ve never heard another baby doing that

frankiefirstyear · 23/03/2019 13:43

I combination fed. I pumped rather than bf which is also time consuming but I bought Argo calypso which can operate by mains and battery so not like I was stuck sitting down but wasn't particularly easy to get things done either! I bought a pumping bra which helped.

NabooThatsWho · 23/03/2019 13:44

I think combi-feeding is the best of both worlds. The nutritional benefits of BF and the convenience of formula.

If it makes your life easier, go for it! Especially since you also have a toddler.

NuffSaidSam · 23/03/2019 13:45

I know lots of people who have successfully combination fed. Often they're the ones who breastfeed longer term because it's easier/more workable.

Original poster
Sweetnotsalted · 23/03/2019 13:46

Thanks.
I’d read stuff about baby suckles to increase your supply, so as they grow if you supplement with formula, your supply won’t increase with their growth needs, so you need more and more formula. Hence why intorducing a ff could be the first step to stopping....
but I’m glad to hear other people found otherwise. I can’t continue as I am.

OP posts:
Original poster
Sweetnotsalted · 23/03/2019 13:49

@scarlettdarling how did you introduce the ff and progress with it?
Just interested in what times of day etc as it clearly didn’t harm your supply if you did a year that’s great!!

OP posts:
abcriskringle · 23/03/2019 13:49

Combination feeding can absolutely work despite the bad press it gets! I know several women who have done it successfully and it was my plan to do it with my son but he turned out to be a total bottle refuser (annoyingly).

Ilikeviognier · 23/03/2019 13:49

Ignore - it’s not the first step to stopping at all. I did one bottle if formula per day for the dream feed for months with both babies. Didn’t affect supply at all and I like you was worried about that.

Like someone else said, if anything, it allowed me to continue feeding for longer as it was more manageable and allowed me a bit of a break.

SarahAndQuack · 23/03/2019 13:49

My DD was combi-fed from the start. We didn't intend to, but she got sepsis just after birth and was tube fed for a few days, and they recommended carrying on topping her up.

I would definitely do it again - it was so nice to be able to share night feeds! Never had any issues with nipple confusion, either. My DP (who was the one who breastfed) had the odd few days when we went away and didn't bother to take formula and do top ups, and it didn't cause any issues with supply.

She was mix-fed to six months and then went over onto formula exclusively because we started weaning and it seemed the right time, though, so I can't comment beyond that.

ZippyBungleandGeorge · 23/03/2019 13:50

I'm combi feeding and my supply hasn't dropped but I do take fenugreek which makes a noticeable difference, if I don't take it for a few days or accidentally double dose (only once, leaked through a pad, bra and t-shirt!), It's noticeable

RavenousBabyButterfly · 23/03/2019 13:55

I did a mix with DD and it worked fine. My supply just adjusted to the feeds that she had. No problem at all.

BabyDarlingDollfaceHoney · 23/03/2019 13:57

I did formula top ups and went back to EBF. Its totally possible!

HJE17 · 23/03/2019 13:58

“Combination feeding can absolutely work despite the bad press it gets! I know several women who have done it successfully and it was my plan to do it with my son but he turned out to be a total bottle refuser (annoyingly).”

^

This! Argh! Do it, and start it soon! I waited too long to introduce DD to a bottle and then I was stuck. I know lots of people who have combination fed very successfully, and in your situation I think it makes total sense. I wouldn’t bat an eyelid about it if I were you!

hedgehoglurker · 23/03/2019 14:04

Combi-fed from start with 3rd baby, and from 2 weeks with 2nd. No nipple confusion.

Lookingforadvice123 · 23/03/2019 14:04

Following! I am currently combi feeding DS2 4 weeks old, he has two bottles of formula a day, at bedtime 9:30pm ish and night feed (2-3am).

I don't know how long I'm going to continue BF as like yours he loves to cluster feed daytime too. Evenings aren't an issue as DS age 3 is in bed at 7 (although it would be nice to be able to do bedtime!) but it's not fair on my elder DS for baby DS to be feeding all day.

It may be the beginning of the end for us but I do know people it's worked for. It's great that you've been EBF for 8 weeks - I lasted 2 weeks before we introduced the first bottle of formula!

Captaindobbin · 23/03/2019 14:16

DD had one bottle of formula a day from about 10 days old. Worked very well and meant she always took a bottle and I could plan to do stuff with DS or friends. DS has been a bottle refuser and I was very keen to avoid that again as it had been hard work at times.
She breastfed for almost a year in the end and was easier to fully wean off the breastfeeding as well because she liked her bedtime bottle.

Gruffin · 23/03/2019 14:51

That’s what I did, worked beautifully and kept me sane in the process. Grin

Original poster
Sweetnotsalted · 23/03/2019 18:08

Thanks everyone really helpful replies. It’s strange as in real life i only seem to know people who are advocates of one or the other and breastfed until their child weaned, or started on formula pretty much from the start.
L ookingforadvice i understand completely. It seems so unfair on the older child doesn’t it!
I’m truth, i would prefer to fully ff if this is what breastfeeding is like constantly tied down to a sofa, the logistics of formula feeding are so much easier. but I just want the health benefits for ds for as long as I can tolerate this.

OP posts:
Nat6999 · 23/03/2019 18:17

If you would prefer to FF then do it, do what's best for you, a fed baby & a happy mum are what matters. There is too much pressure on new mums to BF, being a new mum is hard work at first without the additional pressure, take the pressure & the guilt off yourself so you can relax & enjoy your new baby.

angelikacpickles · 23/03/2019 18:21

Cluster feeding from morning until lunchtime is unusual - much more common in the evenings. Is he transferring milk well?

That aside, do whatever works and keeps you sane!

SarahAndQuack · 23/03/2019 18:22

nat, she's not asking about FF, she's asking about mix feeding. She wants to carry on BF too.

sweet, in my NCT group virtually all of us did some mix feeding. A couple tried BF and went to formula within weeks and a couple tried formula once or twice but gave up on it, but the rest of us did combination feeding. I wonder why? It worked well for all of us, though.

SoyDora · 23/03/2019 18:24

I BF my first 2 and had 2 complete bottle refusers... in all honestly it nearly broke me. So I have combi fed my 3rd (now 11 weeks) from day 1. It’s working really well for us. My supply has matched the demand perfectly, and it means I feel I have a certain amount of freedom. I give one bottle in the morning and one in the evening (one formula, one expressed breast milk).

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