how to switch - help please

[dandycandyjellybean]

After much soul searching and agonising I have decided to switch from the breast to the bottle. Realised that sterilising bottles, making up feeds and actually feeding ds is something that my (disabled) husband can do, whereas almost everything else to do with ds is proving very difficult for him and I am finding doing all of it (plus looking after dh) just way too much, particularly on so little sleep. I have absolutely no problem with actually producing milk, so I am assuming that I can't just stop bf and switch or else I'll explode! I know most folks on msnet are very pro breast feeding (as am I in truth) but this is something I have to do, so could really, really do with some practical advice on how to go about it.

I would do it gradually - drop a feed a week and express by hand just to reduce any engorgement.

You could also express some feeds to keep the baby geeting some BM though as you say BF'ing is important to you.

Going through this at the moment and as pennies says try to take your time and ease out of it as slowly as possible - easier physically and emotionally I think. I've dropped a feed every 10 days or so. Wear a bra with good support at night - that's when I've found I was most engorged.
Try not to feel guilty about moving on - there's really no point at all. You've done your very best for your little on and now you can start the next phase of your life together as a family.
Good luck

Be careful with this. Both times I swapped I ended up with very painful mastitis. Go gradually as others have said and watch out for the symptoms - high temp, flu like feelings, hard lumps, hot areas on breast. I found that I switched to bottle and started expressing to empty them fully. For a couple of days I did alternate expressed feeds and breast feeding, then cut down over a week- this way I slowed down production and she got more of my milk. I also found that a warm bath after expressing helped to release any excess milk intot he water - a waste of milk but would help avoid mastitis.
Don?t feel bad about your decision. I felt terrible about switching, combined with the mastitis I had an awful time - instead enjoy your baby.
If you do think you may have mastitis developing - massage any posisble blocked ducts, hot baths and tell you health care immediately to get antibiotics. Don?t wait until you are really ill (as I did )
I am not trying to frighten you - just making you aware that mastitis is a real issue when swapping and worth cutting down very carefully and gradually.
My DH loved feeding ours and gave me a welcome break. Hope DH enjoys it too xx

I've read (but not experienced) that a very supportive bra during the day helps too. I guess if your bra is slightly snug like a Sports bra then your boobs will be less willing to produce milk.

Also, you don't have to stop breastfeeding completely. Many women mix breast and bottle very successfully. This could perhaps be a happy compromise? Some women bottle feed during the day and breastfeed at night, or bf in the morning and evening and give bottles the rest of the time. I presume breastfeeding is fairly established now, so this would be possible to do. You need to decide when you are going to give bottles though, and stick to it more or less, so your body adjusts accordingly. You'd stil need to cut down gradually though.

I switched with dd. First I knocked back a feed she didn't take much from, usually in the middle of the day, and I replaced this with 3oz in a bottle. My boobs would be pretty full for the next feed, but after a couple of days they adjusted. I then did the same with the other feeds, leaving about 3 or 4 days inbetween to let my breasts get used to it and avoid engorgement. For the really big feeds, i.e. the morning and night one, I would feed her half on the breast and half on the bottle, and cut it back this way.

The main thing is not to let your breasts become engorged or you risk mastitis. So go slowly.

Hi Cubby

You probably know I'm very pro-breastfeeding, BUT I am also very pro making families work well - sometimes circumstances are such that bottlefeeding is the way forward.

I second the advice about not just stopping - but as you have such an abundant supply, and you say breastfeeding is very important to you, you could try expressing so that the baby has a mixture of EBM and formula - and you could also breastfeed morning and night maybe?

If you do want to stop altogether, don't worry - plenty of people on here have switched and will have some good advice for you. But I didn't want you not to have considered the possibility of being able to mix feed.

Good luck with whatever you decide - and well done for making it this far with all the various stresses you have in your life - you're a star!