Would you drop the supplement and how?

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hello, posted a while ago and got some great advice but looking for a bit more!

My ds1 was in the nicu for 10 days but we managed to establish breastfeeding a day or two before he left. They did give him some top ups in the hospital though, which I felt ambivalent about. He is now 9 weeks. The first two weeks home he only put on grams, partly I think because I had such sore boobs and didn't really know what I was doing. Since then he has one bottle of 5 oz aptamil and i breast feed the rest of the time. In the last 3 weeks he has put on 11oz, 8, oz and 12 oz, so good gains.

If you were me would you drop the aptamil and how? Is it affecting his future health or does all the bfeeding compensate? Part of me likes the safety net it offers in terms of stopping him getting dehydrated, extra vit d, but another part of me would like to ebf. Ww you do? I could say if it's working I shouldn't alter the routine.... But would he benefit from being ebf more?

If I decide to try ebf, how do I do it? I have read the Kellymom stuff, but would find it hard to follow that routine.....

Advice and opinions appreciated! Are ebf babies healthier than those supplemented with one ff, or is there not much difference?

Thanks!!

My DD was put on Aptamil top ups (30ml) in hospital and the hospital midwife sent me home with a load of aptamil and told me to slowly reduce the doseage over the next week to get back to exclusive breastfeeding. I continued the top ups the first day i was home and then spoke to my community midwife who said i was ok to just stop using the formula. My DD had no issues going cold turkey so to speak and i now exclusively breastfeed. You will produce enough milk if you want to give ebf a go. I just fed her when she wanted feeding, no routine. For the first 4 weeks i did wake her by changing her nappy if she hadn't eaten in 4 hours but my midwife said i was ok to just feed her when she wanted feeding after that. I do not know whether ebf babies are healthier but i wouldn't think one formula feed a day would impact your babies health in any way. The benefit of dropping the ff would just be that your body will accurately know how much milk to make.

Any more thoughts on this (thanks bouncy). I think if I hear dp or mum say shall I give him a bottle every time he cries, I will scream. I feel so angry that our bottle feeding culture is so undermining! :(

I mean if dp or mum say it one more time.....

A baby gaining this amount of weight and having only one bottle a day is clearly getting the vast majority of his nutrition from breastfeeding.

Can you ask the HV about just dropping the formula?

Or start by only giving 4 oz for a time, and then 3 oz, then 2 oz and then nothing?

Thanks tiktok. I am seeing the hv on Thursday, so I will ask him about dropping the formula. Incidentally, he (the hv) admitted that a formula company gave him his diary and he had to stick an immunisation sticker over the logo to avoid advertising to mums. Clearly he's heavily incentivised / a formula rep got to him. He also told me some incorrect advice, back before I knew what I was doing..... Like if a baby stays on the breast too long, the mother will get tired and the baby will lose weight.... He also said formula won't affect milk supply. I like to think he's misguided rather than anything worse!

"Like if a baby stays on the breast too long, the mother will get tired and the baby will lose weight.... He also said formula won't affect milk supply. "

Oh dear :(