Any success stories with mixed feeding?

[Xmasbaby11]

DD is 4 weeks old and because of my low milk supply, I have been giving her both breast and bottle since birth - about 50-50 (as far as I can tell). She has the breast first (approx 20mins) and then the bottle (60ml), same with each feed. I don't express as despite repeated attempts never got more than 20ml absolute maximum.

My milk never properly 'came in' (no engorgement, breasts pretty much the same size), and I couldn't give my baby enough milk in the early days (she was 9lb15 but lost weight fast - hence pressure to get her weight back up). I already felt bad enough about that, as no health professionals seemed to have any experience/ knowledge of this happening. So I am pleased I am managing to bf at all, as it has not been easy.

For now, it's working ok (although she feeds quite erratically in the daytime), but I am wondering if it is sustainable, especially since I feed on demand, so can't prepare a bottle in advance. I've found so little advice about mixed feeding, and my health visitor is very supportive but has no experience of it.

I wold love to know of anyone with a similar experience. Surely some mothers do mixed feeding? Please tell me someone has a success story, or if not, please advise me how to avoid any potential problems. Thanks in advance!

Hi there
Well done for continuing to breastfeed!
I mix feed my twins. They're only 12 weeks old so not that far ahead of you. But its going well, they have both gained weight rapidly (were very small when they were born) and seem happy babies!
I don't feed on demand but by on a schedule, was 3 hourly but now 4 hourly. I will bf inbetween feeds if one or the other twin needs more food.

Have you considered using premixed cartons? I always used those at first (until it got too expensive, double the cost for twins!), and still use for 1st feed of the day as can keep them in my room. Need no preparing, and if you store at room temperature do not need warming.

Make sure you steralise bottles well in advance, 6 at once, and always make sure you've got at least 2 ready to go.

For the last feed of the day at 11pm, I just give formula (I express just before I go to bed). This is because my husband gives the feed, and formula seems to help them sleep longer.

I have also tried to increase supply to try and cut out a couple of the top-ups. I am taking fenugreek, and expressing as often as I can manage. The expressed milk is used for night feeds (I don't bf during the night) and top-ups

I am no expert but its working so far!

Best of luck

You're doing a great job to feed her yourself at all, well done! I ended up mixed feeding numbers 2 and 3, having fed 1 exclusively (although I had to stop at 12 weeks due to return to work and I couldn't express). Mixed feeding worked well for me and the kids. It allowed me to take a break so DH did the 11pm feed. If you plan to breastfeed for a lot longer than I managed then you might find mixed feeding a bit of a pain in the longterm. your breasts will regulate the amount they produce according to demand, or so they say, so might find it harder to produce enough volume if you mix, but either way you should not feel guilty because ba is getting the benefit of mum's milk.

I used to sterilise and make up a few bottles with 4oz of boiling water each morning and carry the formula powder with me in sachets or in a wee formula holder. That way you can make them up on demand, because you just top up with 2oz of boiling water and you have a 6oz bottle at the right temperature.

Good luck with it and keep reminding yourself that you're fabulous!

My ds was born a week ago and was breastfeeding fine, but had jaundice and dehydration and basically told i had to top up with ebm or formula or he would be admitted to hospital and given formula then. Since then he has lost his sucking reflex but i do put him on my breasts for a feed first, he sucks erratically and fusses, but stimulates my let down so i use a hospital grade breast pump 5 times a day to express the milk and top up with formula if he needs more. I feel sad that he has lost his sucking reflex but do not give up hope, i will continue to express as much as i can so that he gets all the goodness of bm. Well done for coming this far btw.

I mixed fed DS1 for 7 months in a similar way to you (top ups after each feed - other than first thing in the morning when he didn't need it). I had a couple of big goes at increasing production (babymoon, switch feeding, compressions, pumping after each feed to boost production, fenugreek, domperidone etc) but ended up relatively OK with continuing to feed like this. I was sufficiently determined to BF that DS1 wasn't given much option to prefer a bottle (which is a risk). I partly feel that I wasted a lot of emotional energy assessing how happy I was by how much top up he took after each feed. I agree with posters above about giving some BM being a good thing to do and that you can keep going like this for as long as you want. In terms of process, there are guidelines on making up formula (with hot water) but I think the second best approach involves making up the day's worth in advance then speed cooling (there will be links to this) - and my DH did that (it was his baby related job of the day).

There is a La leche Book called "making more milk" which you can get on amazon which I found helpful and nice to have recognition that some (perhaps not many) people just don't make quite enough.

I've been on a similar regime since dd was two weeks old and lost too much weight.

I bf for 10 to 20 minutes before each formula feed. Initially 60ml and now as much as 120ml at 8 weeks. I make up bottles in advance and she is on a pretty clear schedule these days of around every 4 hours. Sometimes I skip a bf on that schedule but other times she'll want one between feeds so I am always BFing about 6 times a day.

I am really happy with how it's going and never seem to be short of milk, though I don't think she'd be satisfied without the bottle.

I have been doing it for four months. Same story in the beginning with rapid weightloss etc. I was advised by a lactation consultant specialising in breastfeeding after breast reduction surgery (the reason for my low production) to use a Lactaid. It's not pretty, but it had the benefit of stimulating milk production every time baby feeds, regardless of whether he's getting a full breast milk feed.

I found that it worked with me. It was a hassle and tbh, I haven't used it for a few weeks as I'm now using bottles, but I would definitely recommend it for increasing 'production'.

The other thing I do which wasn't directly recommended, but seems to work is that when bottle feeding, if I start on the breast and give him a bottle when he's finished, I keep his head against my breast. He seems to like it and apparently as much skin to skin contact as possible is also good for 'production'.

I have tried expressing twice but only got about 1/2 a teaspoon, which I found so upsetting, that I didn't do it again.

PM me if you want more info.

I have been mix feeding since my twins were 3 weeks old as I had thrush and mastitis so nearly gave up. My hv suggested it and said the key is to keep the bottle feeds to the same time. dtds have a bottle early afternoon and then before bed. They are now 5 months and doing really well. My milk seems to be enough but it took until 12 weeks for them to truly get the hang of bfing as they were prem. dd1 was a breeze and I ebf for 8 months until I was very ill and my milk supply went overnight, these 2 are a whole nother story! Each baby and mum is different and it's about finding what works for you and them. Good luck

I am mix feeding my 6 week old ds, and did with my dd too. Managed to still bf my dd up to 8 months and hoping the same with ds. I give a 4oz feed mid afternoon and then another about 9pm and usually manage to express 4oz to keep in the fridge. It doesn't seem to have affected by supply either. Your doing very well bf is really hard and stressful for some people. Mixed feeding is never promoted and I'll bet lots of mums give up bf completely instead of try it. Its not as "good" as bf for baby but surely its a compromise instead of giving up.

Maybe try give formula as a full feed instead of a top up which might let your boobs fill up ready for a full breastfeed next time your baby needs feeding? My boobs are always full on the feed after iv given the bottle.

I did exactly the same as you did for DS due to low milk supply. I stopped at 6 months (DS now 7 months).

I know a lot of people make up feeds in advance, I didn't feel comfortable doing this (I'm sure I would for my next!) so it is difficult with timings.

But I did find that, even though I was feeding on demand, there was a pattern and he really was feeding every 3hours (ish)...it's worth jottign down the times to see if a pattern is emerging, or there are some good apps! So I could get bottles ready when I thought it was time or when he started getting tetchy then it would cool while I BF him (can use a flask of hot water rather than having to boil the kettle each time)...the formual is good for 2 hours after it's made up so you have some leeway.

I also had a supply of ready made cartons for night time, emergencies, going out.

Over time I really felt that I had the best of both worlds, and as he got older I wouldn't always do both at each feed - so a carton if I was out was often easier, but always able to BF if he needed milk NOW! Over time most of my friends moved on to mixed feeding as the babies needed it for various reasons, so really you just have a head start :-).

I suppose I'm a mixed-feeding 'success' story, though it often doesn't feel that way! I'm still mixed feeding my 7.5-month-old in the way you describe. Her eating is very erratic (not sure if because I've made her continue bfing, or because she has reflux). She only wants to eat little and often, which is difficult with bottles after bfing. You can search my old threads on here.

We've sort of been through hell and back to continue bfing, but I am very happy that we've been able to make it this long. I hope to drop bottles rather than breastfeeds as she eats more solids.

The thing I would worry most about is nipple confusion/preference. My DD has been through times where she's screamed when offered the breast. I just kept offering, switched positions, didn't give in immediately, skin-to-skin, etc.

A couple of things I wish I'd done differently -- I wish I'd given the top up as a complete, one-off feed at a specific time of day so that she didn't expect the bottle every time. (And expressed during that feed instead, for supply.) I feel like she lost the urge to suck more to make more milk, if that makes sense? And if we'd done it that way, she may not have.

I wish I'd used a Supplemental Nursing System to supplement. I wish I'd been able to try switch nursing before supplementing (she had tongue tie that wasn't snipped for two weeks, so I had gaping nipple wounds. One got infected, so had to exclusively express for 4 weeks on that side while it healed w/o antibiotics - was antibiotic-resistant).

All-in-all, if you told me at 4 weeks that we'd still be bfing at almost 8 months, I would not have believed you! So it is possible.

Apologies if you've tried everything, but have you tried expressing every 2 hrs, switch nursing, breast compressions, etc etc in order to get your supply up and get her back to the breast full time? If it worked it would be much easier in the long run. But it doesn't work for everyone (us!). :)

Thanks so much for everyone's experiences - actually so impressed at how hard you have worked to increase/continue breastfeeding - such determination. It is good to know there are some different techniques to try. I feel a bit lazy for not having done them yet! But there is still time and it's good to know that it's possible to change habits and perseverence pays off.

I think I have been dithering abot what to do as I don't want to give up bf but scared of trying to give up bottles - why I don't know, maybe because it takes soooo long to bf, I can't bear to increase this time. DD can easily take 45 mins on the breast before taking the bottle. Either my milk supply is super low or she is a one hungry girl! DD does sometimes reject the bottle so has some feeds which are just breast, and sometimes just bottle if we are out. The problem is that DD often has half a feed then drops off on the breast, meaning she wakes up soon after hungry again.

The ready mixed cartons are a godsend actually - we use them every day, which is a bit extravagent, but mixed feeding seems so very time consuming, I do anything to save time!