pros and cons of formula vs BM for 6mths plus?

[kayjayel]

Hi, after a rocky start (and MN advice ) I've got to 6 mths exclusive BF. I now have to have a few evenings a week where I'm working for a few hours, and DS2 last night downed over 6 oz of expressed milk. Its going to take a fair bit of work to restock the freezer, as I usually only get a few ounces, and haven't got masses of time to express.

So I wondered whether giving him formula when I'm out would be bad now that he's trying bits of food. I seem to have developed a bit of a hatred of formula, because BF was so hard for me I've had to be really single minded to stick with BF. So I'm not sure if I'm being irrational in not wanting to give him formula? Also would it affect supply now that he's bigger? Are there good health reasons to stick with expressing so that his milk is all from me, or would formula a few nights a week not be a problem now?

Thanks for any advice.

Breast milk still has all the benefits at 6 months that it did when your baby was tiny

It's free & convenient still!

If you can express and get in a routine of that then go for it

Your supply being affected won't be so much of an issue at 6 months

Well done on 6 months EBF

Thanks - I am proud as it wasn't easy! I wouldn't be giving it up, just adding in 2-3 bottles a week. I just don't like the thought of giving him formula, but it seems more sensible than the hours spent expressing, now that he's over the 6 mth mark.

You can also offer water or cows milk ( if not the main drink) from six months.

So when I started going out in the evenings I feed DS just before I left then OH would offer either water or whole milk in a bottle.

Might that work for you?

There is no right or wrong answer here OP. The occasional bottle of formula after 6 months is absolutely fine for the vast majority of children and does not interfere with supply either. However only you can make that decision by weighing the pros and cons of the pain of expressing versus any possible but unlikely side effects of giving formula.
HTH

I thought babies had to be a year before they could have cows milk as a drink?

I returned to work full time when ds was around 6-7 months. previously had ebf.

I had problems expressing so he had formula at nursery from around 6 months and I bf in morning, after work and before bedtime. my supply kept going with this routine until 1 yr (when he started biting me badly so stopped then).

worked well for us.

www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/pages/drinks-and-cups-children.aspx Cow's milk should indeed be for when they are over one year's old.

Sorry if this contradicts some of the other Mum's experiences, but with my boys, both ebf for 8 and 7 mnths respectively , introducing a bottle of formula was pretty much curtains for bf. Not sure why, I think my supply reacted quickly, they preferred slugging back bottle and within a few days my milk was gone. No leaking, no engorged boobs, just gone! With my 2nd I was quite upset for a few weeks, I had thought I could mix feed as lots of my friends did. I wonder if anyone else had this experience?

Well done for sticking with it I know how emotional it can all be especially if you had really tough start! This time I'm ebf my 5 month old I won't be introducing formula unless I am 100% totally certain I want to stop!!!

Of course a bit of formula is absolutely fine. You'll still be providing breast milk too so why are you feeling so guilty? I detest the pressure mums are under to breast feed exclusively forever. Can we introduce some common sense and say that breast milk is wonderful but that formula is not bloody poison! I am both a FF (DTs) and a BF (DS) and both experiences were great. All my children are wonderfully healthy, intelligent, happy etc.

Thanks for the replies. misdeelite, that's helpful to think on, as even if its a small risk I want to consider it, as I would like to keep feeding at least until he is eating better. You're right, I had to fight the pain and problems of early feeding with DS1 and DS2, and it kind of ingrained it in me that my milk is the only option, so it feels very weird to consider formula, plus I've read so much more on it that human milk feels like the right milk. But having said that, I don't really enjoy feeding him, it still is uncomfortable and he is latched on most of the night, so I could cope with moving on! But I love having the instant soothing power of feeding, especially with illness/teething.
Jaffacakeeater - thanks for the reassurance, the guilt is a big thing - you see from above my reasons for stopping feel a bit like 'me' reasons - its better for me to use formula and reduce feeds, whereas the reasons for carrying on are 'him' reasons - it is more ideal for him. So I feel a bit bad for being selfish, and not making the effort just to express. I'm going to contemplate a bit more, and make a decision in the next few weeks.

Thanks for all the comments, they are really helpful.

DS had a bottle or two of formula a week from 7 months until about 10 months when he stopped wanting it. He is still feeding at 2.7.

I expressed too, but some days it wasn't enough, so CM gave him formula too. He still nursed a LOT during the late afternoon/evening/night, and at weekends.

Congratulations on getting to 6 months - especially if you struggled to establish it. It's a lovely thing you've done for your baby.

I've gone back to work at 8mo (DS) and 9mo (DD) and as I work full time (and am crap at expressing) they had/have formula whilst with their childminder. My supply was fine, including being able to continue to feel 'full time' at weekends/holidays. DS continued to feed until he self-weaned at 2.4yo. DD is only 10mo and still feeds 'normally' when she's with me. I plan to continue to feed her until she self-weans.

I'm as pro-bf as it's possible to be, and I particularly dislike some of the tactics used by formula companies. However, I set that aside as formula is certainly NOT poison and is better than the alternatives (whole cows' milk or me expressing for two+ hours a day). And on other occasions that I've had to be away from my babies I know that if they've needed milk, whoever is looking after her has an option.

I EBF DS2 until 6 months then introduced 1 FF a day to give me a bit more freedom to go out and leave him with DH (I found expressing a nightmare because it messed with my supply, left me low when I needed it and engorged when I didn't, so just didn't do it). I gradually replaced one feed at a time with a FF until 9 months when I stopped. Each feed I dropped left me a bit engorged for a while so I think an occasional FF wouldn't have had any effect on supply whatsoever.

Personally I'd rather give formula than cows milk at this stage as it is designed for babies and nutritionally superior to cows milk for them. Cows milk is fine as a drink after 1yr as long as the baby is eating well but I wouldn't give it before then.

I think, once you are giving other food to the baby anyway the exclusiveness of BF becomes less important. I can't see how giving a FF is much different than giving a yoghurt for example. I don't suppose you'd think twice about that. So I wouldn't feel guilty at all. Just feel proud that you managed 6 months! I was very pleased I managed that with DS2 because I didn't with DD and DS1.

I'm the same as you, as in I found BF really hard to start with so became a little single-minded that my milk was the only way - and it is a hard mindset to break, even if formula seems a sensible choice (and I believe it to be an acceptable alternative, just saw it as "giving in" in my own circumstance).

FWIW, my first DC never had any formula and I went back to work when she was 10 months. She coped fine with feeding when I was with her and drinking water and eating food/yoghurt etc when I wasn't (fed til 18 months). My second is now 9 months and seems to manage 6 hours or so without milk during the day when I have gone to meetings etc but I remain open minded as to whether I will send formula with her to CM when I'm properly back at work. If I do do that, I think I would want to buy cartons as one of my worries about formula is the hygiene risk. I know many people who have successfully mix fed for ages, but I do have a couple of friends who gave up/experienced supply issues very soon after introducing formula - guess it's a bit of a risk.