Help getting rid of ff top ups

[MistletoeBUTNOwine]

DS had undiagnosed tongue tie which was snipped at 2 1/2 weeks old. From day 6 he's been having ff top ups as suggested by well meaning PIL, I was vv tired and they'd come to stay
However I think we're stuck in the supply and demand cycle. He's very hungry, gaining lots of weight, but still having around 8 oz ff a day. I really want to go back to ebf but have a dd too so can't hide away and do skin to skin for days on end.
Help please! How can we drop the ff before it's too late and he doesn't want bf any more? Feel like it's already happening
He's 4 weeks now. TIA

Have you tried Fenugreek if you feel your supply is low? It's great stuff. I took it for 2 days after baby was away for the night (mixed fed) and I didn't express. My boobs were engorged and painful then I noticed I wasn't producing half as much milk as I used to. I took fenugreek for 2 days and back to normal.
I smelt like maple syrup for a bit (side effect) but so worth it as I'm not ready to stop bf.

If you have enough milk you should be able to lessen the formula.

You need some real life advice.

Call bfn or LLL helpline who will talk you through a plan. They'll ask lots if questions first.

Have you got a local bf support group? They'll be a huge help to assist you in reducing those feeds?

Are you expressing at the time of ds' bottle?
You could try feeding him first, both sides and then give bottle if not satisfied; the suckling from him will increase your supply, when he's having his bottle (off you) keep him close to your chest.

Congrats on ds. You can drop this feed but I'd strongly encourage you to speak to a bf counsellor.

Can you express straight after he feeds/in between feeds so you increase your supply and have some expressed milk to feed him instead of formula? Then reduce the bottle feeds and put him on the breast more often.

I also second the fenugreek suggestion above, with the help of expressing, fenugreek and persistence I managed to relactate with DD2 after a short period of not breastfeeding at all.

How old is DD? Could someone help to look after her for a couple of days? Or set yourself up with lots of books/iPad/games and snacks to help keep her entertained whilst you sit around with DS doing skin to skin with a blanket wrapped around you!

Don't get chance to express as he can feed half hourly, and I'm bfing before and after bottle... The bf counsellor from hospital is very nice, but not particularly helpful in coming up with a plan

Will try fenugreek, where do you get it from?

Mistletoe, sorry to hear of this....you can get 'stuck' into a situation like this, it's not uncommon :(

You need real life help - a talkboard won't cut it.

Call any of the helplines (on the mumsnet bf pages) and talk to a breastfeeding counsellor. I agree, you need a plan.

It is absolutely possible to get rid of the ff top ups - don't lose heart.

Thank you everyone, I'm on a mission now
No ff as yet today, DS has been fussing but I'm just bf every time he gets upset, ie can be 5 mins after a feed! He's just gone to sleep so going to sleep too. Decided to look at it one day at a time, or even half a day. No ff til lunch time, then tackle the next half day. Mum is picking dd up from school for me today; she's a good help. DP doesn't get home til 7pm but is also supportive.

It sounds like you are doing really well, I'm sure you'll be able to cut out the FF in time so don't lose heart. Do call one of the BFing helplines though if you need extra ideas, they've been really helpful in the past to me and very reassuring.

Well done, sounds like you are doing brilliantly.

Fenugreek can be purchased from most health food shops (e.g. Holland and Barratt), I'm not sure whether or not it has been proven scientifically to help increase supply but anecdotally I feel it helped me (even if it was just a placebo effect from thinking I was doing something additional to help my supply!)

Managed nearly 24 hours with no ff so far
Baby feeding a lot but not distressed. Doesn't get the massive bloated belly and posseting like after a bottle so I'm a v happy mummy

Yay!

We'll done that's excellent.
Fenugreek and fennel seeds are the two natural supplements I've read have been shown to work.
I take fennel seeds as fenugreek is pricey.