Mixed Feeders... What do you do?

[GleeAndMilk]

Hi, I give 4 month old DD a FF at 10.30 pm and an expressed bottle in the morning at 10.30 am. All other feeds are breastfed (and she often has a bit of a top up after the bottle in the morning). If I could I would replace one more feed with a FF, but I haven't because I feel this might bring about a rapid decline in supply, being a bottle too far.

I do want to combination feed for a while and don't want to have a short, sharp end to bfing. What do you do that works? What time do you give bottles, how many do you give, and any tips for doing this successfully.

Ideally I'd like to leave the bed time feed at 7 till last to go as I think it's a nice end to the day at the moment, and in my head that could go on for a while.

All thoughts appreciated !

Hi there, I'm currently combination feeding as I wanted to stop by the time DD was 6 months and now 24 weeks. Started stopping at 19 weeks. I started by dropping the 3.30 feed. DDonly used to feed off one side so she has one side first thing, the other 11.30 FF 3.30 breast at bed and night feed! I then dropped the 11.30 feed but DD now has both sides. And that's where we've stayed at the mo as she's dropped most night feeds. So I only feed her myself first thing and before bed. Often having to give her a FF top up at bedtime(5 oz :( ) and actually came on this week :( go guess I'm nearly done. Wanna try keep going now tho. So convenient the way it Is at the mo, and LO Is less clingy (or could of Been a phase!!) hope this helps xxx

I started combination feeding my daughter at 5 months, when we introduced one bottle of formula for her second feed of the day. A week later we swopped her bottle of expressed milk at 10pm for formula too (it was fantastic stopping expressing milk!). Her other 4 feeds remained breastfeeds. This didn't seem to have an impact on my supply.
She is now almost 7 months old and since introducing solids she has naturally dropped another breastfeed so our day looks a little like this (with solid food too):
6.30am - breastfeed
11am - formula feed
3pm - breastfeed
7pm - breastfeed
10pm - formula feed
I thought that I wanted to stop breastfeeding when we first introduced a formula feed, but the combination feeding is actually working really well for us and, as a result, I am breastfeeding my daughter for longer than I intended to.

Thank you for your replies. CornishCrumpet I might think about stopping expressing for one of the feeds and then just give 2 FF as you do, though I do like the convenience of not making up a feed if I'm out. Could just buy some cartons though.

If it was either/or I would probably be going to full on FF now, so it is good to keep bfing for longer. (I think I'll miss it - didn't think I would in those first weeks!).

I know what you mean..... those first few weeks breastfeeding are so hard. I never thought we would make it this far!