formula topups. Advice please

[funnylittlekaty]

I'm just looking for some advice really, I've posted on here many times before re: my breastfeeding rollercoaster and was hoping you could come to my aid once again! Babba is 15 weeks and from week 6 was being fed expressed bm in bottle with formaul top ups. The 5 x daily expressing was getting right on my tits (excuse the expression) and HV advised to cut oput middle man and bf then offer top ups which I have been doing for a week or so. He feeds from booby for roughly half an hour and then seems fine, a bit grizzly sometimes but think he has sore gums (dribble, red cheeks etc) but if I offer him a top up he takes it, sometimes only 30ml, sometimes 100ml. Also he is doing more poos (often at every feed) and being sick after the bf more.
So my questions are these
How can I phase out the top ups? Or should I even?
Is he being sick and getting hiccyups after bf because he's full?
Do you have any success stories to inspire me?
I've got v little confidence in my bfeeding due to a difficult start and what i think may have been low supply.
Thank you xxx

It's a tricky thing to actually advise on as there's no yes or no answer to this one really. I'll have a go.

• How are you feeling about the direct breastfeeding? It's not possible to answer whether or not you should stop the top-ups yet because really that's something that needs to be worked out in person. Often babies will take a top-up whether they need it or not. Do you have the time, instead of a top-up, to offer both breasts and then a "third" (ie the first again)? You might try doing this for one feed where you'd normally top-up rather than all of them and build up from there. If possible it's best to do this with the support and guidance of your local NCT, LLL or ABM breastfeeding counsellor.

• He may be being sick because he's over-full, or because he's taking in too much, too quickly from a bottle. It could well just be normal. What BFing problems did you have? If you've had difficulties, this may also be related to hiccups and/or mild refluxy symptoms.

You've worked really hard to get to where you are now, and you've every chance of getting to full, exclusive BFing. :)

Thanks OCC. I will try offering the 1st again. It's just a bit tricksy because I think he's teething he's grumpy often after feeds and finds it v hard to go off to sleep so I'm worried that he's hungry and offer the bottle.
I'm going to go back to NCT BFsupport group next week when term starts and see what they say.
I don't tthink the sick is from the bottle, as he's been bottle fed ebm and formula for quite a few weeks and vomming was less frequent then. I guess he's just full.
I'll keep going with it....it's hard being a mummy sometimes isn't it?!!
xx