expressed BF from day 1 - anyone done this?

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Hi, I am planning on bottle feeding baby2 from day 1 - for various reasons I don't want to breast feed but am happy with expressing.

I plan to bottle feed expressed milk, rather than use formula, for the first couple of weeks and then switch to formula gradually as my milk dries up and I express less.

I just wondered if anyone had done this?

Also, can anyone explain to me what normally happens in the gap between having baby and milk coming in? last time DD was given colostrum with a syringe and then we had to give one feed of formula to tide us over till my milk came in. Is this normal?
TIA.

Heya - I was advised not even to try to express colostrum - but seeing as you had to do this with your dd then maybe its ok?

I went to the baby show last week and got some really good advice - although midwives advise not to start expressing till six weeks, it is generally fine from week 1 if thats what you have decided to do. I think its hard to change your mind later on (baby wont know how to latch onto the breast properly after learning only to use bottles etc) - but it sounds like you are pretty decided.

I dont really know about that milk coming in gap - I always understood that giving formula affected your supply. Colostrum is all the baby needs for the first few days so i dont believe you need to top up the feed.

Any thoughts from more expereinced mumsnetters?

thank you MP.
Yes, am certain i don't want to bf, so not worried about changing mind. Def had to give the colostrum with a syringe (was trying to bf DD1 but unsuccessfully) but maybe that's not normal? (or common maybe rather than normal).

I think it is common if the baby has trouble latching on at first. I have heard of quite a few people having to use syringes in the first few days.

There is some talk that pethidine etc can effect the babies desire to feed for a few days after the birth, so this could be why it is common. Although of course, some babies would have troubles anyway.