BLW and reducing BF

[curlyLJ]

DD is 21 weeks (ie 5 months next week) and I am planning to start BLW as soon as she is ready - I don't think this will be long tbh as she is already watching me intently and has had a few 'tasters' (brocolli, banana) already

My question is what to do about BF once BLW has commenced. I'm not ready to stop entirely, but would like to maybe introduce some formula for day feeds here and there (although I would like to continue BFing morning and night for as long as poss). Does this sound feasible or is it not advisable when BLW? if so, how the hell do I start, do I just gradually swap a BF for a bottle? Presumably you can still do BLW but using formula as well as BF, or am I completely barking up the wrong tree??

Alternatively, if I were to give the odd bottle of formula here and there instead of a BF (If I wanted to go out for instance), will my supply be affected or will I be able to do this?

Any advice gratefully received!

I'm no expert but I suggest you post in weaning. Aitch's blog is pretty useful and she often lurks and posts on the weaning threads.

Good luck

I did BLW with DS and TBH he didn't noticeably reduced his breastfeeds for ages, about 9m at least.

At 6m your milk will be well established so I wouldn't expect, say 1 bottle a day, to wreck your supply. But I would avoid giving the bottle at night time becuse the nighttime feeds are esp important for maintaining a good supply.

But at over 6m if you were only going out for 3-4 hours I would leave them food and water and expect a catch up feed or two later.

What moaningminniewhingesagain said.

DD had droped one feed by 8 months. We did the give milk first then offer food aproach, this keeps your milk supply up and means baby isn't to hungery when trying new foods. After all 'food before one is just for fun' :-).

Just wondering why you wanted to introduce formula, if it's just for the odd ocasion when you wount be there you shouldn't really have a problem with supply. If your planning on going back to work and are thinking you need to intorduce a bottle, you may not have to depending on when and for how long.

I have also posted on the weaning boards...

I just wanted to have a bit more freedom and be able to go out without DD once in a while... but maybe I am thinking just of myself here and not DD - the general consensus from the replies on the weaning board is that it's not a very BLW approach to introduce bottles/formula!

I'm just feeling a bit down/fed up with BF all the time at the moment as DD is constantly pulling/squeezing/tugging at my boobs and so feeds consist of a battle to keep her hands still, she is also making my boobs sore DD is also so distracted when feeding in public (in fact anywhere but a quiet room at home) that I was thinking a bottle might be easier...

I suppose I could express rather than introduce formula, but I need to have more of a think about what I really want here. I am thinking of the long-term I suppose as I am planning on returning to work, probably when DD is 10 months, although possibly 1 year.