Mixed feeding

[moosh]

second time mother in 3 weeks and am thinking of mixed feeding. First time with ds I tried to breastfeed but was cut on my left breast, put me off for life. But now second child due I am thinking of bottle and pumping breast milk. I have borrowed the GF book from my sister and have still to read the section on mixed feeding. Just wondered if anyone else has tried it, and was the experience good, bad, tiering, not worth doing, too much hassle. I am not sure what to do as yet. Thanks

I think GF's definition of mixed feeding is breast with the occasional bottle of formula, not 100% expressed milk.

I have a couple of friends who did this (both breastfed initially, but then had problems). Neither managed to keep it up for long due to dwindling milk supply and it being a complete pain.

I don't want to put you off - others may have had more success! - but is actual breastfeeding absolutely out of the question? It just seems to me that your proposal offers the worst of both worlds (faffing about while still having to go through the full/painful breasts bit. Though possibly your nipples would escape soreness). I'm b/fing number 2 (he's 3 weeks) and I admit there have been moments when I've thought "screw it, let's get the bottles out" but I've persevered because a) I remember what a load of faffing about bottles are; b) because then you have to worry about wind etc; but most importantly c) because this time I have a germ-ridden dd to protect ds from!

Sorry if that sounds patronising.

I know that solely expressing and no suckling isn't enough to keep up a decent supply of breastmilk I know a friend who had breast surgery for a tumour and couldn't bear the baby suckling, she tried to express but her supply went very quickly and never really got established, the advice she was given with no 2 was if you care about breastmilk being given to your baby for more than a few weeks, then you need to establish a good supply (2 months minimum) before moveing to solely expressing.
HTH
Jane

I very succesfully did a sort of mixed feeding. DD had mainly bf, with one bottle of ebm at 10pm, and the occassional bottle at other times if I was away from her. At 4 months she started nursery and had bottles of ebm during the day (I'd stored lots in the freezer) and bf's from me at 7am, 6pm and all weekend. At 6 months my ebm stores ran out and she had formula during the day. We continued like that until 11months.

I found having dh do the 10pm feed very liberating, as it meant I could sleep from 8-2ish. And the fact dd was always happy to take a bottle meant I had soem semblance of freedom. But I did have to work very hard to get bf established in the first few weeks, and pumped very regularly. It is difficult to establish a good supply without actually putting the baby to the breast - pumps just aren't as effecient.

Thanks for the advice, still unsure of what to do. I am just the kind of person who wasn't comfortable with my baby hanging off my boob. It works for some mothers but not for me, I just felt really uncomfortable even though I was breast fed as a baby. But I know that breast milk is supposed to be better for babies. I have an electric pump that the girls from work have bought me so I may put it to the test. I think I will read the GF section on mixed feeding and chat to midwofe and see. I have another 3 weeks to go to make my mind up.

Moosh - try not to get weighed down by your first experience of B/F. You are right breastmilk is best for babies and there are some mothers who have had to express and feed by tube/ bottle because of problems with babies so it can be done.

However, in the early days it would be best to feed the baby from the breat as it is only a small amount of colostrum that is produced initially. You might surprise yourself and find that breastfeeding goes well this time. Breastfeeding directly will get you to produce more milk than a pump.

How long did you manage to feed for last time? If you do a search for Jaspers posts you will find she did not like B/F but found that with baby no. 3 it became really enjoyable - something she never expected.
Breastfeeding does not automatically mean that you have a baby dangling from the boob constantly.

If you do find however that you don't like it you certainly can express and bottlefeed but it is a lot of hard work and time consuming.

If you do decide to try breastfeeding again, make sure that you attend a breastfeeding workshop with the community midwife so that you know how to avoid getting painful nipples. That does not need to happen. Good luck.

Thanks mears for the advice. I only tried for about 3 days, I felt almost falsed into it at the hospital and whenever he came off the breast he screamed so I would try to put him back on and he had such strong suction that I got cut. And that particular breast has never felt the same again it is really sensitive especially with this opregnancy. I felt that he wasn't getting enough because I had to top him up with the bottle and therefore thought it was easier to bottle feed. Plus I have large breasts even bigger during pregnancy and I honestly thought I was suffocating ds's face when trying to breastfeed because I couldn't see it. My whole boob covered his little face!!! For some reason I am finding it really hard to decide, but I may take your advice that if I do decide to attend breasyfeeding classes. They do hold them at my local hospital.

Ds is now 16 weeks old and I have been feeding him a mixture of expressed breast milk and formula since he was three weeks. Like you I had a bad experience with breastfeeding (sore/infected the lot) and was beginning to dread feed times. So switched to expressing/bottle feeding.) Initially I expressed 5 times a day but have now reduced this to 3 and get off about 25oz in total - though this varies quite a bit.

It is quite a bit of hastle - and quite time consuming - as ds is my first I suspect this made this option more practical for me. However feeding a bottle was for me quicker than b/f - and I liked the comfort that I knew how much he had taken in a feed. I just never seemed sure with b/f - but then again I only managed this for 3 weeks so it was very early days. Downside is repeated washing and steralising of the pump and bottles and time taken to do this.

From what others have said it obviously depends on the individual milk supply as to whether this works and I must be lucky in having enough to keep going for this long.

Hope this helps

Moosh - I would attend the classes and then decide rather than the other way round. Even though you go to the classes, it will not mean that you have to breastfeed but at least you will be armed with more knowledge.

Newtothis - well done for managing to express for so long. Out of interest have you ever thought of trying feeding directly from the breast for any of your feeds? Would cut down on sterilising.

I've done it with my second and it has been easy. Decided to do it as I was returning to full-time work and didn't have as much milk supply as the first. Started the mix at 4 months and still mixing at 9 months. He is still enjoying both. I express 2 bottles @ work each day. He has one bottle of formula per day. He's a big, healthy chap -I'd recommend it. Good luck!

Hi Moosh

I bf my ds for about 4 months and really struggled. He lacthed no perfectly well and I had a good supply. However, he was a lazy feeder basically, which meant that he could only be bothered to suck until his hunger had subsided and then would not want to have any more. This meant that he was not getting any og the hindmilk. He was not putting on weight and went from being average to being way below average in weight. I persevered, going to bf clinics etc...he began to gain weight again but really slowly and I would have to keep putting him on the breast just in order for him to get a good feeds worth of milk. I got really depressed.

The only reason that I did not switch to bottle-feeding was b/c of external (and internal!) pressure. It was not obvious/ overt, but just really subtle eg. "Why don't you go to the bf clinic, the media ads saying "breast is best", or other people saying "at least he's gaining a little and not losing, keep it up" etc. Meanwhile, I was getting really depressed and crying all the time. I was obsessed with his weight. Finally, at 4 months, I started to bottle feed after ds started to close his mouth!! Since switching, he has made amazing gains. He is still small for his age but is catching up. I formula feed and express breast milk. Ds is 5 months now and my milk supply is starting to dwindle. I know that this is b/c I only express 3 times a day- once in the morning, once at work and once in the night. I will stop at 6 months. All I can say is, it is all very well for people who have babies who latch on/ feed well/ do not experience pain to say "persevere" , but ultimately, you are the one who is going through it all. I have never ever regretted switching to the bottle since I know that I enjoy ds so much more now- the quality of our realtionship is vastly improved since I do not need to be so obsessive. Also, now that I am about to wean him, I can give him lots of healthy food and if he fusses over something, I can give him some other healthy option instead (in other words- no one is going to say "broccoli is best" are they??). Make the decision that is right for you, your baby AND the relationship between you both and don't look back

Hi Moosh

I tried to b/f with dsl, but was constantly told by my mil and hubby that my milk supply was not good enough and by 3wks was so upset that I bf for 10mins before each feed while waiting for the bottle to warm up. DS2 is 21wks now and have bf wonderfully (still had the sore nipples etc)but I didn't listen to other people this time, but I found it very tiring and started to express(as well as keeping him on the boob) which I found very time consuming. From 15wks I started giving him 1 bottle mixed with formula & breast till he got used to it and now he's on formula during the day and breast in the early hrs of the morning.

To be honest, I find that bottle is easier while your out! at least I can still sit and have my coffee and not have to rush to find a shop where I can breast feed. So just see how you feel at the time and decide what's best for you and try not to worry about it.

I introduced a bottle of expressed milk at 6/7 weeks and have gradually switched this to formula (introduced at 22 weeks but would have done it earlier if bf hadn't gone well) whilst still breast feeding. dd doesn't give a hoot what shes given as long as its on time! At 6 calendar months she's now on a mix of food, breast (morning and night) and formula during the day (just got there now). Main thing for me was to do it at a rate dd and I felt comfortable with. Once she was taking the bottle, I couldn't keep up with expressing the amount of milk she needed to keep it at a bottle a day, unless I expressed throughout the day, which is really a drag. We had a week off the bottle and had to go through reintroducing it - much screaming! - hence formula came in.

I mixed fed from the start as the sluglet was in the SCBU, I was bed bound and couldn't feed her. My lack of milk was a running joke amongst the nursing staff. I would express for hours and still only get a trickle out. Of necessity she was fed with forumla (via a nose tube) for the first week. I tried to exclusivly breast feed when we came home from hospital, but after 6 weeks of little or no weight gain, I swapped to mixed feeding. In all honesty, I think it was the best thing I could do. She got the benefit of breast milk, but still managed to put on weight. We continued that way for 10 months.

There is a lot of unhelpful advice floating around. A friend of mine was told if she gave her child one bottle he milk would dry up and she wouldn't be able to breastfeed again. She was having such problems getting breastfeeding established that she gave up altogether. She was shocked to find out that I managed perfectly happily for so long. With her second child, she ignored the midwife and mixed fed for 12 months.

In the end you have do do what feels right for you and your baby. You may find this new one dosen't have the same suction as your first and you might find it easier.

I did it for 9 months for my twins - not through choice but beacuse the little blighters would not latch on !

It can be done - but it is not an easy option. In the early days you really have to work at establishing the supply - the pump is nowhere near as effective as a baby.

If you want any advice mail me direct

My first baby is now 15 weeks old and weighs a big 17 and half pounds already. After struggling with bf'ing from day one (agonising pain, not properly latching on etc) but desperately not wanting to give it up, and being very upset at my new born crying in hunger, I introduced a bottle of formula. I have never looked back! I feel we both get the best of both worlds. As the weeks have gone on I have intro'd more bottles and reduced bf'ing and my milk supply has adjusted accordingly. Expressing never worked for me - one hour later there'd be a dribble in the bottom of the bottle! My only advice is once you begin to reduce the amount you bf it is very difficult (if not impossible) to increase the supply again. I am now doing 2 bf's a day and the rest bottles and with return to work looming I am going to give up bf'ing completely but have tears in my eyes when I think about it! But I just can't imagine having the time to do it anymore (she likes to spend a good 45 mins munching away!). So mixed feeding worked for me and I'd definitely do it again if I have another baby.