Using hungry milk as a bedtime feed when combination feeding

[Orchardbeck]

Hi, my little one is 18 weeks and has been ebf until around two weeks ago when we finally managed to get her to take a bottle. She's not so keen on taking expressed milk from the bottle, only formula so on HV's advice I've been using only formula.

We've introduced a bottle as part of her bedtime routine, which is great as it gives me a bit more freedom (and finally allowed MIL to give it to her as would only let me before, kind of defeating the object!). However this last week she had been taking 6 oz at 7pm, then waking 2 hours later - she didn't do this with breastmilk.

Even with breastmilk she feeds on a schedule more like a bottle fed baby - is it possible the breastmilk is more filling for her than first milk? Anyway I tried a bottle of aptamil hungry baby last night, and she drank just short of the 6oz and has slept from 7 and is still sleeping at 6am - but is it ok to use it? It says on the website it is to delay weaning of bottle combination fed babies, but on the box it just mentions bottle fed babies. I was thinking I would use first milk for any odd bottle feeds during the day, then hungry milk for last feed at night, with breast feeds mostly through the day. She was sleeping through from 7-7 but stopped when given the formula, and she wouldn't physically drink any more so couldn't up the amount.

Hi orchard, I ff DD from the start and would not have given hungry baby milk to her at 18 weeks. At this point she was still having a late feed at 10/10.30pm before going back to sleep until 7pm. I know all babies are different, but 18 weeks does seem quite young to me to be sleeping 7-7... Personally I would stick with first milk for her 6.30/7pm bottle, and give another smaller dream-feed bottle about 3 hours later.

I never used the hungry baby milk, DD was on first milk until we weaned at 6m. I never really trusted the idea of bulking the milk out to fill the baby up & stop it wanting proper food. If she'd been ready to wean earlier than 6m we would have done so. Is your DD showing any signs of wanting solids yet?

I EBF DD and she slept through from 6 weeks to about 14 weeks so it might just be coincidence. Hungry baby milk does say under the advice of HV or GP so it's worth asking them.