Is FF really the faff everyone says it is?

[weeblueberry]

For various reasons, after 2 months I'm considering switching to mixed feeding.

I'm reading a lot on here about the 'convenience' factor of breastfeeding and how you can feed your baby anywhere without having to mess around with bottles etc. The thing is I'm trying to understand how difficult it actually is.

My daughter is happy taking room temp expressed milk and, during the time in the neo natal ward that she was being topped up with formula, was happy to take that at room temp too. Can I assume that means if she did I wouldn't have to worry about heating bottles etc?

Someone on another thread said a bottle only stays sterilised for two hours. Does that mean you can't be about more than two hours or have I misunderstood?

I'm just trying to get an actual unbiased idea of how difficult formula feeding will actually be because I genuinely don't know how much of the 'its such a hassle' is to do with people trying to convince those on the edge to stay with bfing...

Can I ask a question, moving to feeding here now, is it ok to wash the bottles in the dishwasher ? I had been told that's hot enough to sterilise them, but will still use the steriliser afterwards.

Also can anyone link to the who recommendations? I was told to boil the water, put in bottles and leave to cool, add the powder when needed. (and on that, I assume the powder dispenser needs to be sterilised too, but that will leave it wet so some of the powder will stick to it and not be a full feed...)

Thank you all again. I really appreciate the advice.

My baby is 8 weeks today and I've honestly given it all I can I think. I'm getting so stressed and emotional when I feed her and basically spend my entire day thinking of the next feed and worrying about it. I know it sounds ridiculous but I just hate it so much. For so many reasons. :( Im hoping the time I've fed her will give her some of the immunity that breastfeeding promises. I've fought against stopping but am really worried ill grow to resent her if I continue. I really wish I found it easy and enjoyed it. :(

As well as the WHO guidelines, there is also the NHS guide to Bottle Feeding leaflet which can be downloaded. I'm on my phone but if I will talk nicely to the ageing laptop shortly, it's been linked on a few threads.

The 2 hour thing is for the formula not the actual bottle.
Once baby has started drinking the formula from the bottle, it is good for 2 hours. (it says it on the side of the carton, some brands of formula might be different)

Ah thank you for clarifying BabyStone :)

I would make in batches of four. Wash and sterilise the bottles. Make up as per instructions, cool and refrdigerate. Dd fed to a schedule so I would take the bottle out the fridge an hour before to get to room temp. If going out, id put the reqquired amoubt of bottles in the change bag and feed as needed.

Always fed room temp milk. Dd has never had a warm bottle.

The big bonus of bottle feeding is someone else can do it while you have a break.

Weeblueberry sounds like you have done well to get to 8 weeks given how feeding has been making you feel. She will be fine if you switch to formula.

Thank you soultrain - you make your bottles absolutely identical to me!!! And I have never come across anyone who does it our way before

I bf mine on and off when I had the time, but they were mainly bottle feed. We didn't sterilise, everything went in the dishwasher. Made up bottles, put them in the fridge and then popped in a jug of boiling water for a couple of minutes when we needed one. Out and about I used the cartons (and occasionally used dirty bottles I'm sure if they got hungry again ). Feel free to flame - I don't really care, mine are well past that stage and I can count the number of times they've been ill between all 3 of them on one hand. On the other hand, my sister who was obsessed with sterilising, cleaning, dettol and following the 'guidelines' to the nth degree had two kids who seemed to be permanently ill. My point is, not to follow what I did, but just don't worry yourself to death over it and use your common sense

I had to combi feed at least one FF feed a day until 3 months, and now DS refuses boob for full feeds so it's pretty much FF all the way. We use those litre bottles of ready made formula kept in the fridge and cartons to take out. I stick bottles in a milton steriliser after a quick wash with bottle brush and just fish them out as needed (they stay sterile in there and the water isn't harmful to babies, you just change it every 24 hrs), or sometimes stick them on a drying rack. I do them up with lids to take out and never worry how long!

I normally zap the milk for 20 secs in the microwave if straight from the fridge and as long as within 2 hours he can have a break during a feed and come back to it so not too much waste.

I found powder a right faff and never got a handle on how anything was sterile if the water was sitting around for 30 mins - I kept forgetting it or someone else would come along and boil the bloody thing. The ready made stuff smells nicer and he likes it better, no lumps and the bottles are easier to clean too. I had a microwave steriliser but everything got chalky in it and the Milton was a lot easier at home. The Mam one was so huge it didn't even fit in our microwave.
I'm possibly less militant than many because they chew on so much unsterile stuff anyway!

If you put the bottles in the dishwasher with plates that have had curry on them they turn a disgusting yellowish colour.

I actually bought a really cheap spare kettle just for making formula - saved people re boiling my water !

I bought a seperate kettle as well

I had a routine where I would sterilise bottles in a steam steriliser overnight, and then make a day's worth up in one go (mine were happy to drink it cold). If travelling I used to use a formula holder with compartments and tip that into a bottle of cooled boiled water. That is practically an arrestable offence now, but mine all survived.

Isn't the two hour thing a reference to the fact that a made-up bottle of ff should be drunk within two hours?
This would ordinarily be a faff if you're out and about, but DH just takes a ready-made carton with him if he and DS are going to be out longer than that without me.

DS is mix fed as I'm back at work full time. Luckily, my supply has held up (aren't boobs magic?) which means I can feed him morning, night and through the night during the week; and full-time on weekends. I thought this would be problematic, but apparently not.

I am also large of boob and the convenience factor of bf didn't kick in for me until about 12 or 13 weeks. I found it really difficult to feed DS in public before that as we struggled to latch, he'd pull off, I'd get uncomfortable, and it wouldn't work.
If you're set on mixed feeding then obviously go for it, but it'd be cheaper and easier in the long run to stick with exclusive bf. Would you be tempted to give it another, say, four weeks, and see if it becomes easier, before you change your mind?

I am not anti-formula at all - as I say, we mix-feed - but IME bf is definitely easier once it's established, and requires so much less planning and organisation. Good luck.

I found bottle feeding very easy and much less of a faff than breast feeding. I was hoping to breast feed, but it really didn't work for me. I couldn't get my babies to latch on, it would take over an hour just to get the latch, by which time we would both be stressed and upset. Bottle feeding was easy. I still wish I had been able to breast feed though.

I breastfed my birth children and ff and ebf my foster children. Ff is definitely easier for the first few weeks as washing, sterilising and prepping bottles is much quicker than hours of feeding to establish breastfeeding. Other people can help, and there are disposable bottles/ ready made milk for feeding out and about without hassle. However I think it evens up once breastfeeding is established, except when you are planning to go back to work and are weaning off the breast. I think a lot of the negative press about formua feeding is ridiculous, it really isn't more faff. However, if breastfeeding goes well it is a lovely and positive thing. - all views are my own experience, I am not saying it as a 'truth' just someone with no strong political feelings and lots of experience of both.

I didn't produce enough milk so had to BF from 2 weeks. DS is 9 now and no side effects so far! I was made to feel like a terrible mother, but each of us try to do what is best for our child. I used to take sealed disposable bottles and milk cartons if we went out, worked a treat.

It's fine. Cartons when out and about, make sure you have enough bottles and you're good to go. Easier than nursing bras, having to remember to wear clothing you can get your boobs out of and having a baby that never sleep ime.

I'm with you on the cartons, pomme, they're a breeze when ffing out and about.

But I'm mix feeding and:

• don't wear nursing bras anymore, normal ones are fine once your size settles (for me, this was at 5 months ish)
• I can get my boobs out of all clothing except dresses (dresses, admittedly are a faff)
• and saying bfing equals a baby that "never sleeps" just isn't true. Some of the best sleepers among my friends' DCs are EBF. And they all sleep better than my DS, who has two formula feeds a day.

It's not really fair to make bfing seem more difficult than it is. People have enough obstacles when trying to bf already, without imaginary barriers being put up.

Thanks again all.

Mother, odd question but would you say your breasts are on the larger size? I can't imagine wearing a normal bra (I'm not sure how I'd get my breast out tbh) and if I wore normal clothing id almost certainly have my entire breast on show which I'd find very embarrassing I'm afraid.

The sleeping aspect is one I hadn't considered. My daughter is obviously ebf now but regularly sleeps from 10-5, so essentially through the night. I actually had hoped to keep the nighttime feed and would hope her long sleeps would continue.

I think the likelihood is ill give it another month and see where we are. Were I able to express without a lot of stress I'd do that a lot more but unfortunately, also due to the size of my breasts (34JJ) it's very very difficult.

Yep, I'd say they're on the larger side, but not as large as you if you're a JJ.
Straight after having DS I was a 34HH, and they stayed that size til he was about four months old. I've since shrunk down to a 30FF.
I couldn't imagine wearing a normal bra when they were at their biggest, either. I had a couple of heavy-duty Royce ones which I lived in. But now they've settled down, I wear ordinary Freya bras and just pull my boob over the top of the cup to feed.

I also wear just ordinary clothes - once you get the hang of bf it becomes much easier, I promise. For the first two or three months it was very faffy as he'd keep bouncing off and I'd spray milk around. It was quite embarrassing and fiddly. But then all of a sudden it got easier, much easier.
Today, for example, I fed him outside wearing an ordinary T-shirt and summery skirt. I just lift the T-shirt up, pop his head underneath, and he feeds that way. You honestly can't see anything, though if I am wearing something skimpier, or tighter, I drape a large muslin over my shoulder.

Giving it another month is a great idea. My DS cracked bfing, as I said earlier, at around three months. You may feel very differently then, you may not, but it's really worth giving it a go. Aside from anything else, why spend money on formula if you don't have to?

Also, she sleeps from 10pm to 5pm already?! Wow!! (DS has never done that, and he's eight months....sigh). She's definitely satisfied with your milk, I'd say. It sounds like you're doing brilliantly. Good luck.

Current NHS advice

'To reduce the risk of infection, make up each feed as your baby needs it, using boiled water at a temperature of 70ºC or above. Water at this temperature will kill any harmful bacteria that may be present.

Make up feeds, one at a time, as your baby needs them.'

Yes