Combi feeding 6 day old

[AuntVictoria]

I recently had DD. I've been mainly bf, with one formula feed in the evening, given by my husband while I sleep. We started doing this with DS at 6 weeks and it worked really well.

Last night DD was cluster feeding til 11, so DH decided to give her 2 bottles so I could sleep longer, which I found out when I woke at 3. I know this is hormonal but I'm so upset, I haven't been able to go back to sleep and keep crying. DD only woke for her next feed now, so I've essentially been a whole night without feeding. My milk has only come in in the last few days and my boobs didn't even feel engorged. I'm so worried I have messed up my milk supply with this and it will stop me feeding. I bf DS til a year and will be gutted if I can't bf DD.

One missed feed isn’t going to ruin your supply, with my second my boobs rarely got engorged yet with my first I got mastitis loads. If you’re concerned you could spend today just feeding loads trying to get your supply up a bit but I very much doubt one missed feed will be bad for your feeds as some nights babies sleep longer than other nights.

So you cluster fed until 11 and then had a 4 hour gap til 3am when you fed again? Totally fine. I really wouldn't worry.

It’ll be okay. I know how you feel though, everything around breastfeeding early on is so emotionally charged.

I had low milk supply with my first and worked extensively with an IBCLC. I was working nearly 24/7 to build my milk supply (pumping 8 times a day, using a tube at the breast, etc). Even with all those issues my IBCLC said I was fine to have 1x 5 hour period a day with no milk removal to allow for sleep. So you’ve gone 7 hours - barely more than that and it’s only for one day. It takes a pattern of issues with milk removal to create supply issues.

It’ll be okay I promise!

Thank you all! I managed to grab another hour's sleep after the last feed and I'm feeling much more rational. I think the heat and the hormones just really got to me last night and made me start catastrophising.

Breastfeeding is such an emotional topic, totally understand why you were stressed about it. I’m sure all will be fine, I think one delayed / missed feed won’t make a difference.

Jeez love. You've got a 6 day old baby and it's baking hot. Well done for getting 4 hours sleep. She will be fine, bless her little cotton socks!

Please don’t worry, and don’t be upset with your husband, he tried to give a bottle so you could get more sleep. There’s so much pressure (especially on MN) about only breastfeeding for the first months to establish supply and anything else will ruin it, but you have to do what is right for your family. If your baby and your body gets used to a bottle feed in the evening then it’ll be fine :)