combined feeding

[Rosie73]

Due to initial problems with latching on and then losing too much weight we have settled into a pattern of bottlefeeding throughout the night and then expressing during the day and breastfeeding (when he will go on)topped up with bottlefeeding where necessary. My DS has a habit of falling asleep at the breast and seems to use it as a form of comfort mostly rather than a proper feed. I am wondering if anyone has any advice on how long my supply (albeit small) will continue if we carry on as we are.

Rosie - can you include some more details?

Age of baby....how long since you bf fully....how much formula he has in total and how often?

Generally speaking, the more formula the baby has, the more often, the less time any bf persists.

But you can continue to keep putting him to the breast whether there is anything there at all - no need to lose this special close form of comfort. It's not all about the milk :)

Thanks for the advice. Baby is 2 weeks old, he has formula about 11pm, 2am and 6am (90mls each time)and then the feeds during the day are either on the breast and he generally soon afterwards will drink nearly a full formula bottle, or I give him expressed milk (anywhere between 40mls to 90mls)and he will again have a bottle formula to follow this not too long afterwards. At times during the day I sometimes dont have much milk, or he wont latch on so we give the 90mls of formula for that feed. I feel we are heading towards full formula feeding but would welcome any advice.

Hi, Rosie. This is a massive amount of formula - honestly. There is no way anyone can continue to breastfeed giving these large quantities with a baby as young as this, and it is a real shame no one helping you has explained this fully and enabled you to keep formula to a minimum when you were told to start giving it.

The good news is your baby is still happy to go to the breast on most occasions.

You will need to work out a plan to rescue your breastfeeding, by gradually reducing the amount of formula you give him, while at the same time hugely increasing the opportunities for him to feed on the breast. You can look up 'relactation' on the web or in the mumsnet archives for ideas, as well.

He needs to come to the breast and to have at least both breasts as often as you can do it. If you keep him in your arms/in a sling you will be able to respond to every little feeding cue with the offer of the breast. This needs to happen at night, as well, so the 'rescue' mission is not an easy thing to do...but it can be done, over a period of a week or two, with pretty constant bf, with formula only when he needs it. Your health visitor/midwife should be part of this, to help you work out quantities to offer. You could start by asking them if it would be ok to offer formula feeds of no more than 60 mls for instance.

You can also phone any of the breastfeeding lines - they will also help you talk through your options.

Hope this helps.

I thought that would be the case. Unfortunately he often wont go on the breast (due to problems with nipple shape - so I use nipple shields quite often)which is why we resort to so much formula to ensure he gets some milk. When I manage to get him on he falls asleep before the end. I have tried lots of techniques to keep him awake none of which are very successful.

Rosie you need to get real life help from someone who has expert knowledge and who can help you by observing what goes on and suggesting amendments.

Continuing doing what you are doing will almost certainly reduce your milk to very little indeed within a short time and I suspect this has already happened....if you want to rescue it, with shields or without them, you must change what you are doing very soon....this can be done, but you do need help.

Trying to keep him awake and to stop him falling asleep is not helpful - that would not be part of the solution, honestly.