Anyone bf one child and mixed fed the next?

[rogersmellyonthetelly]

Ds was bf for about 3 weeks, mixed fed for about 3 weeks and then ff. dd was bf until 6 months. I had pnd both times. Dd was a very difficult baby, cried many hours most days for no reason I could fathom. I went through the list of hungry/nappy/cold/hot/bored/cuddle/tired like a broken record, literally for 6 months, then suddenly she seemed to improve, around the time I weaned her. I had loads of milk, too much in fact and struggled with over supply and fore milk problems for the whole 6 months. I don't think I can do that again, but I'm hoping for better luck this time. I was stubbornly against using formula for
Dd perhaps because after I felt like such a failure for not persevering with bf ds I was very determined.
This time I'm a lot more relaxed about things, and while I intend to bf this baby, if things turn out like last time I'm seriously considering trying mixed feeding at least to see if it helps, which I know it may not! I think there is an expectation that because I have bf one child, and have done peer supporting since then, that I will automatically bf this baby. Also I have 2 school age children now, and I'm worried that I will struggle with the constant feeding when Im trying to get them ready for school, school pick up times etc, as dd was either feeding or crying for most of first 6 months, she screamed in her car seat, and screamed in the pushchair, I can't do that again!

Can't help with the specifics, but remember every baby is different. I bf both my DD & now my DS. Despite them both being born at similar gestations, similar weights, after straight forward pg and bf on demand, my DD struggled a little to put on weight & stayed on the 9th centile until starting solids. DS, on the other hand, put on 1lb by 9do!! My milk supply, appearance of the milk, everything, seems very different.

Don't panic before your baby is born that s/he will be a high maintenance baby. If they are, you'll work out a way of coping. As for managing the school runs, as you know, the constant feeding doesn't last forever, perhaps you could organise help to collect your other DC some days, or feed the baby before you leave etc. You will find a way to manage, & it will be easier to bf as baby gets older than washing, sterilising bottles, preparing formula & so on.

Congratulations on your baby & good luck.

Hiya,
I exclusively breastfed my dd and did baby led weaning and all that jazz. Any new tangled craze going I was totally into (cloth nappies and all).
Dd is nearly 3 now and ds is almost 5 months. He's had the odd bottle of formula in the evenings from 6 weeks and I started weaning him last week with purées out of a packet and baby rice! I'm breaking all the "rules" this time and just doing whatever is practical, I started weaning him earlier because he's 20lb already on mainly breast milk and I just can't keep up with the hourly feeds especially as I'm trying to potty train my daughter, there are too many other things to do. I asked the hv whether to switch to more formula or start weaning and she said weaning.
My two are very different from each other. The screaming you had with your dd as a baby might have been silent reflux or something like that and not really related to breastfeeding?

I BF DD1 for two weeks and then after hideous mastitis and a finally diagnosed and snipped tongue tie she was completely formula fed by week four.

DD2 was mix fed pretty much from the beginning, definitely week two. but I continued to BF her until seven months.

She was just easier to BF than DD1 and I liked not having to make up the bottles. Babies are all different so you'll work out what's best for you and go with that.