BF with 1 FF - when to introduce more formula ... or not?

[Newmummytobe79]

I'm new to this section but I'm hoping to gain some knowledge!

I ebf up to week 6 (expressed one bottle daily so DH could do bedtime feed) and have now introduced 1 bottle of formula for the last feed of the day. I didn't feel comfortable doing this but the HV advised this so that I could get some sleep!

I had trouble bonding with my DC at first and hated expressing and wasn't too keen breastfeeding but I continued to give my baby the best start.

I'm now head over heels in love with DC and am learning to quite enjoy bf.

I still don't enjoy feeding in public and time my periods outside of the house by feeds ... but I fed for the first time today at a baby group and it wasn't that bad!

I planned to feed up to 3 months but as that time nears I think I may want to carry on for longer.

Is it ok to feed more formula on special occasions - say at Christmas when I want a good drink! Or should I stick to 1 bottle a day?

Also - what do I do when I take a bottle out? Can I take boiled water in a bottle, formula in a pot, mix and then heat up the bottle or is that incorrect?

I have a family party in a couple of weeks and will take the ff as it's at night and I want a glass or 2 of wine but I really don't know what to do when feeding formula away from home!

Thanks in advance!

Well you can drink a glass or two of wine no problem while BF so if you don't want to both with the faff of formula then don't. If you where going to get drunk though you would need to give formula instead.

Have you condidered going to a BF group and getting more confidant feeding while out and about. If you sit in front of a mirror at home and practice feeding you'll see that you really can't see anything while feeding a baby. To be honist I though that was one of the best things about BF vrs FF as I never had to worry about taking out bottles or if I'd run out of milk before I got home.

Once feeding is estabilised then adding the odd extra feed now and again shouldn't be a problem. The biggest issue mite be for you if your doing it to often as missing feeds can make you uncomftable and if your unluky cause problems like blocked ducts. So to much random feeding is not always a good thing.

Why did the HV advice it by the way? There are other's ways to maximaies sleep with out the need to add a bottle.

Although I do appicate this works well for some people.

You definitely can feed a baby after a glass or 2. As long as you aren't so drunk you'd drop the baby.

As for mixing ff out and about. You need to make sure the water is at least 70c, to kill the bugs in the powder. Or a lot of mums just open a carton.

Have you thought about expressing milk to take with you (and for the morning after if you are planning on getting really drunk!!)? It would save the faff of formula but otherwise I would go with the cartons like lilham suggested. I used them occasionally when I bottlefed my DS; DD wouldn't go near a bottle so I just stuck to a glass or two of wine and breastfed as normal; it was easy and she was fine.