Bottle/formula feeding questions as I've had to stop bfeeding

[BelleStar]

Hi,

For medical reasons I've had to stop bf my 6 and a half month old dd - due to needing to take medication not compatible with bf. I'm so pleased to have done over 6 months as I was told not to hope for more than 6 weeks.

Anyway, other than being pretty emotional about it it's going well. I've reduced gradually and yesterday was the first day of no boobs, although I've got a stash of ebm that I'm using for some feeds. DD doesn't seem to mind at all! That's my question infact...is she eating too much?! I've been making up bottles of 210ml/7oz to try and get a gauge of how much she wants/needs at each feed. She's guzzling the lot each time! That's 4 times a day, plus she had 120ml/4oz in the night last night (she doesn't always feed at night). Is this ok or should I offer her less? She's also starting to eat solids...not much as we're trying mainly BLW, but sometimes she has a few mouthfuls!

Also...if I know she's getting plenty in the day should I try not to feed her at night, maybe offer water instead?

One more thing...any advice on how to relieve my lumpy am tender right boob? The left one is fine bit the right is struggling, despite gradually reducing feeds!

Sorry for all these questions!

X

I have no advice on the boob I'm sorry!! But my almost 5mo takes 8oz every three hours in the day! (5 bottles). Each baby is different! I'm sure she wouldn't take it if she didn't want it! How big is she? x

At 6mo we have changed from bf to ff too. He takes 8oz first and last feeds and 4x 7oz bottles during the day... this is on top of 2 solid meals a day! I don't know if he is a particularly hungry hippo but he does sleep through most nights (except when I have to get up for work inthe morning, then he wakes at 4am for another feed!). Some days its less tho. He is in 9-12m clothes so quite big (not been weighed for a while).

The babywhisperer says that waking up at the same time each night is less likely to be hunger, but waking at erratic times it is more likely to be hunger? I'm not sure but I tend to try settling him with his dummy but if it not work after a few mins I feed him. I figure he waking for a reason, then he seems to wake at the usual time and have all his usual daytime feeds too!

Re your lumpy bit- try massaging it down towards your nipple and expressing a bit to try and prevent mastitis.

...she won't eat too much and will continue to get most of her nutrition from milk until 9mo, partic with BLW. x

Thanks for your responses. I'm definitely going to avoid feeding at night if possible. She's not waking up because she's hungry I don't think...she wakes up at 12.30 every night. I think it's more of a sleep cycle thing.

She's medium sized! On the 50th. Pleased to hear that others have guzzlers too! I guess she'll drink what she needs and I'll not push it!

Hopefully my boobs will sort themselves out soon, with a little expressing to ease my pain!

X

I have a 13 week old on 5 bottles of 8oz a day. She's 50th centile too, so not overfeeding, I dont think. She has bottles 7am/10am/1pm/4pm/6.30pm bed at 7

Just incase have you checked that you really can't feed while taking your medication. Just that some women are told they have to stop when they don't. Double check with the BfN drugs in breastmilk helpline www.breastfeedingnetwork.org.uk/drugs-in-breastmilk.html

There really is only a few medications that you have to stop with.

50th! My little chunk is on the 98th now!

We are both abnormally tall though..