Mixed feeding - who's done it and what did you do?

[xxMeribelxx]

DD (my second child) is 2 weeks old. I have very flat nipples and had terrible problems breastfeeding my first and ended up exclusively expressing for 5 months. This time round I promised myself that I would not give myself any angst over breastfeeding and if I was finding it difficult, I would move straight to formula, as I truly think the pain and upset I experienced with my son made the first few months a misery and affected my bonding with him.

Anyhow, this time round I managed to breastfeed pain free using nipple shields for the first 10 days, but then found out that DD had lost a bit too much weight so top ups were advised. I made the decision there and then to start mixed feeding with the knowledge that my supply probably wouldn't last, and that we would probably transition to fully formula fairly soon.

So what I've been doing for the last 4 days is basically one breastfeed followed by one bottle feed and it seems to be working so far in that she had regained a good amount of weight at the last weigh-in yesterday (although not yet back to birth weight).

So really I was just wondering if there's anyone out there who's done something similar and how long you did it for? I am not interested in ff vs bf debate. I know the advice is that adding bottles of formula in the early weeks generally means the end of bf and will be very happy fully formula feeding if that's what happens. So please don't post any negative comments!!

But would just like to hear if anyone has successfully mixed fed and what you did?

I BF and FF succesfully for 6 months. When they were as small as yours I breast fed at every fed then topped up straight after and they took what they took.Sometimes and oz or 2 sometimes more.

I expressed after most feeds and had frozen breastmilk when i needed someone to take over.

As they got bigger I dropped a BF feed and used formula instead .

My DD was really sleepy at the start, wouldn't feed, and lost a lot of weight, so I was advised to do top-ups too. It worked well for us, she gained weight well, and then with a lot of effort we were able to get to exclusively breast fed at 7 weeks.

What I was told to do was always to start with a breast feed (both breasts), and then afterwards offer a bottle - 80ml each time at the start iirc, but worth getting the advice of a health professional. That means you get the breast stimulation you need to make more milk, but your baby gets the milk she needs. They told me to express as well, but that never worked for me - it was exhausting to do all 3, which I found counter-productive. (Total respect to you for expressing for 5 months last time, by the way!!!)

I was very happy with mixed feeding, and intended to carry on indefinitely, but at about 2 weeks a HV told me that if I wanted to BF, then I needed to start cutting down the top-ups, since if I didn't get it sorted by 6 weeks, then I'd probably stop BF sooner than I'd like: apparently, up to 6 weeks your hormones mean you make lots of extra milk, but after that time it depends on demand, and tends to dwindle if you mix.

I was initially really upset at hearing such a negative take on what I thought was working.. and thought she was just being mean! In retrospect, I'm really glad she told me, because it meant I knew about the time limit, and really pushed to get the top-ups down. I started only offering top-ups after some feeds, and limiting the amount I offered. It took a lot of resolve, since DD did get upset when the milk ran out. And it meant I had to feed more often, which was tiring - but of course that's how you stimulate your supply. Within a couple of weeks I had it down to 90-120 ml of formula a day, but I really struggled to get rid of the top-ups completely. We almost had it cracked at 5 weeks, but then the 6-week growth spurt came along, and DD got really hungry, so it eventually took us until she was 7 weeks.

It sounds so easy reading back - but it wasn't. Struggling to feed your baby is traumatic and awful. But I now find breast-feeding an absolute joy, and I'm really, really grateful that we were able to get there. DD is now 7 months old, and I don't want to stop!

I had the help of a fantastic lactation consultant. I don't know where you are: if you're in SW London, pm me if you want her details. I'd really recommend getting some help. When the latch is right, it all works much better. I'm pretty sure we wouldn't have been successful without her help.

Oh, and DD did get nipple confusion, especially when she was tired - in both directions. Sometimes, she'd really struggle to latch onto the breast, and sometimes, she'd open her mouth really wide around the bottle teat instead of sucking it. It was a bit painful to watch (especially the bottle - since it was obvious that she was trying to suck a breast, and that it wouldn't work) but she always figured it out after a few minutes. I guess, given that she was doing both so regularly, she didn't really forget either completely.

All the best, and I hope it works well for you this time, however you decide to do it.

Oh, I just remembered: in the very early days, when DD was still struggling to regain weight, I was told to limit the breast-feed to 5 minutes each side so that she didn't get exhausted. Then the bottle feed was after that. As things improved, I increased the time she breastfed, so that she got more of the milk from me.

I did it from choice, breastfed for first six weeks then husband did the 7pm bottle feed when we started getting into a bedtime routine. Seemed to work all right, babies took to bottles, I bf as long as I wanted to, six and eight months. We gradually worked up with a bottle here and there until from six months I weaned from bm. It didn't seem to affect supplies as I did the morning feeds when you're full from overnight.

DD lost more than fifteen percent of her birthweight as I was really poorly and my milk took a long time to come in. Since about ten days she has been having three ounce top ups a few times a day, always after feeding off both sides from me and NEVER closer together than three hours.

My supply has increased, but not to a level where I could drop all formula. I expect I could do it, but it would be a tough few days, and I do go out a couple of times a week for about three hours and she has a bottle then.

Actually I've mix fed all three. The first two were hospitalised for jaundice and were tiny in comparison. I'm most disappointed this time but nothing I could do about being ill. I've always dropped formula at weaning and fed the others for around two years each... Mostly due to laziness re early morning and bedtime feeds!

I mixed fed DS1 for 5 months until he went off me. Always fed him myself first then topped up with quite significant amounts of formula. (Expressing made me lose the will to live.)
This time also mixed feeding though BF considerably easier so at about two weeks we consolidated the top ups into one nighttime bottle which has become a convenience rather than a necessity. Personally I think I now have the best of both worlds.. Handy boobs and good supply but option of bottle if we need it. Whereas looking back to DS1 days I see that as the worst of both, always having to be there for each feed yet still buying formula and lugging about and cleaning bottles for every feed. No wonder I was pleased when he chose to just take a bottle! But that was 5 months in so mixed feeding doesn't need to mean immediate decline of BF, and since you're ok with that anyway it shouldn't matter. And at the time I was happy doing both, it only feels like a hassle in hindsight... But go for it!

Sorry if my anecdotes weren't the practical advice you wanted.. I don't remember oz and timings etc!!

Thanks for sharing your experiences! It's great to hear from others who have successfully done this. I think we're going to play it by ear and keep doing it as long as it's working and she's gaining well and then transition to formula if and when it stops working/my supply dries up. I already feel so much happier and relaxed than I did last time with my son and am actually enjoying my baby this time round!

Wow was just about to post v similar titled thread Meribel.....ds2 due in 2 weeks and also hv flat nipples. ..... reading with interest - thanks

DD lost 13% of birthweight, started top ups, tried going back to EBF, no weight gain. So from 4 weeks or so this is what we did...

• BF on demand. At times, this was every 2 hours or more. At other times, less frequent.

• Small bottles at set-ish times (following a BF at roughly the 'right' time). Quantities per bottle changed, but she was on 400ml/day in 5 bottles (7/11/3/7/1) for a long time.

She's now 13 months, still BFing morning, evening, night, weekend. When we switched her to cow's milk during the day she cut down massively and started eating more (BLW).

It's really stressful worrying about whether you are doing the right thing - balancing trying to maintain some semblance of supply and weight gain. Good luck!

I do too - initially through necessity and now by choice. Ds2 (6.5 weeks) failed to bf due to a posterior tongue tie. It was snipped at 2 weeks and he immediately started bf (with nipple shields). I kept up at least one bottle a day (initially ebm but now formula) and this means dh (or other willing person) can give him a bottle - usually at bedtime or so I can do something with ds1 or have lie in (or ride my horse!). Sometimes when he's cluster feeding I give one to give myself a mental and physical break.

So far no issues with supply but if he were to move exclusively to bottle feeding I would be fine with that. However no reason it can't work for as long as you want - it has worked fine for a number of my friends.