Choosing which bf feeds to keep when mixed feeding?

[weeblueberry]

When I hit the three month mark I'm considering switching to mixed feeding. But ideally id like to keep my baby's last feed at night (9pm) and her first one (730am) but have the rest as formula. Is this possible? Does your milk supply to change to whenever the baby is feeding from it? Or do you just sort of take whichever feeds at times you're still producing milk?

Am not sure of the logistics of it all tbh and am worried ill just dry up totally...

Sorry should have said she also has a 430am feed which, ideally, I'd make formula so dp can do it sometimes.

I think you should hold off mixed feeding - even when I had my babies, mixed feeding was recommended only from 16 weeks and it's now 6 months before solids should be introduced.

We've been mix feeding from about 8 weeks old. DD is now 6 months, and for much of that time has been on 1 or two bottles a day. The bottles were either the lunchtime feed, or mid afternoon feed, depending on what we were doing, and a feed at 5.30ish to stop the afternoon grumps she would get otherwise. It has worked really well for us, I've had no issues with supply.

She's having 3 breastfeeds and 2 bottle feeds a day now, which I'll drop to 2 and 2 tomorrow as she's just not really interested in her lunchtime breastfeed. I'm aiming to stop by the time she goes off to nursery in September.

You do adjust to what you need - 3 breastfeeds a day has been fine for a month for us, and lots of people I know doing just morning/evening has found their supply has adjusted. I started mix feeding with the idea that if my supply tanked then it was a risk I'd take as breastfeeding was so blimmin painful anyway (tongue-tie).

Also, MAM bottles have worked well for us and she's not been confused (aside from recent treating nipple as a chew toy)

Thanks Canalside

AuntieStella can you elaborate a little on why you feel it should be held off?

For me it was so awkward feeding in public I gave her formula when I knew we'd be out. So that was normally 11ish &/or 3ish. Plus a dream feed at 11 pm.

I mix feed, but didn't start doing so til DS was six months and I went back to work.
I would really recommend keeping the night feed, to keep your supply up.
I know all babies are different, but DS takes more milk during his night feed (he's distracted during the day) so I feel that keeping that feed is important.
Also, I personally find it easier to get a boob out at 3am than go and make up a bottle.

So what we do is:
7am - boob
11am - bottle
3pm - bottle
7pm - boob
2am - boob

I've had absolutely no issues with supply, and also manage to bf him at 11am and 3pm on weekends, when I'm at home.

I have to agree with MotherofDragons82 in that when DD wakes for a night feed it's actually pretty easy. I just have to stumble in there, pick her up, sit down, attach her, and 5-10 mins later she's all done. Plonk her back in her cot, and I go off back to bed. I wanted to get my husband out of bed for once let my husband help with that one, but it has been easier to just do it. Also, when she wakes for a feed in the night, it's generally the only one she doesn't prat around in, she just gets the job done.

A friend who FFs uses cartons for middle of the night feeds, which she keeps by her bed so she doesn't have to go downstairs. I can imagine that'd be fairly easy too.

It's not me: NHS guidelines say that beginning mixed feeding should start at 6 months. Solids before that time aren't downright dangerous though, but the weight of evidence shows that early introduction is sub-optimal.

Sorry I don't intend to introduce solids-I meant mixed bottle and breast feeding :)