Introducing breastfeeding to formula fed baby

[JosieMcDozie]

My ds2 is nearly 3 weeks old and has been exclusively formula fed up until now. I still have milk and I would like to try breastfeeding on a night and early morning, but still stick to formula through the day. We've had a bash at breastfeeding this morning but as I've never done it before I'm clueless to whether I'm doing it right

What we did this morning was just offer breast and he seemed to have no problem latching on. He fed on one boob for about 10 mins and is now latched onto other one. He seems quite happy doing this and I'm presuming he's getting something as he's suckling away? How long should he feed on each boob? Should I alternate boobs each feed or alternate feeds?? What can I do to prevent sore nipples etc??

Any advice and tips gratefully received x

Wow josie that's amazing! How brave of you it really can be a simple as just stick em on :). Every bf counts and your giving your baby some magic stuff.
First place I'd point you is to the Kellymom website. Lots great advice there. Call your hv and ask about local bf support.
Would you think about feeding a little more often for a while to boost your supply?

I'm really impressed that you'd just give it a go after 3 weeks of ff. Did you plan to bf before? Is there a reason why you didn't?
Well done and good luck. X

Sorry i didn't answer your question hopefully some of the really well informed (tictok) will be along soon. Best thing for nips is lansinoh. :)

You could try using Lansinoh nipple cream - it's great for preventing sore nipples. You don't have to wipe it off before feeing either.

Just keep doing what you're doing and your body should work out what's going on. Let your baby feed until he comes off the boob himself, and then offer the other side to see if he wants that as well. Next time, start with the other side (if you can remember! But don't worry if you if you can't).

Thanks Rosie! Didn't plan on breastfeeding at all! Just thought it was worth a bit of a bash as I've still got milk!! Thanks ebb, will try bf more the next few days to get supply in. Will defo get lasinoh cream too!

One concern I do have is how do I know if he's getting enough to eat??

If he's crying / unsettled, try getting a boob out. If he feeds, he's either hungry or wants to comfort suckle. If not, he's unlikely to be hungry.

Play it by ear. You will get to know his moods and what he likes. Then it will change and you'll have to learn again!

Also, just keep an eye on the output - plenty of wet nappies, and his usual frequency of dirty nappies. That's it really.

congratulations . what a fantastic thing to read on mumsnet usually the other way round. as pp said, breastmilk is magic stuff, so every feed you can give give is great!

i agree lasinoh is brilliant and use as early as nipples becoming a bit uncomfortable.

as for how much are they getting? its really more a question of are they getting enough, i read in breastfeeding book that when you pour milk on your cereal you don't really measure it you just pour enough? i think if they are coming off at end of a feed on their own, that's a good indication, wet and dirty nappies also a sign that things are ok and of course a happy baby. i found with ds1 some times he would have one side sometimes both, ds2 seems to more usually just have one, but maybe that's more to do with me than him?
hope it all goes well. loads of v good advice available . if you can find local group i found this great source of support.

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What a lovely story. Well done OP - I hope it all works out really well for you xx

How's it going op?

Bloody stings a bit doesn't it!! Still having a go though, seems to be going okay so far! X

Stingy phase doesn't last forever! You eventually get to a point where it isn't uncomfy at all.

That's quite exciting! It's great to have magic boobs as a backup as they go through the next months Lovely for easy soothing at night or when sick or stressed, even if you still decide to use formula for the most part.

The stingy part can get quite intense, but lansinoh helps and you get through the other side in a few weeks. One helpful piece of advice I was given is that it is okay if it hurts quite a bit at latch for the first couple of weeks, but it shouldn't stay hurting lots through the feed - so if it starts at 10/10 ouch but drops to 4-6 for the bulk that's okay and it will pass, but if it stays 8-10 then it's worth getting a midwife or lactation expert to check your latch.

I only fed DS for 6 weeks because I found it so painful and weird (not coming from a bfing background), but then with dd a magic nurse at a mothers group checked my latch and adjusted it at about 4 weeks and it was like seeing the sun! We fed for 18 months - started off mixed feeding but then went to ebf once the latch was fixed - and I'm planning to do the same with ds2. Bfing is the best lazy solution at night particularly,mine have taken bottles of expressed or formula too when they are a bit older and I've needed to be away for a few hours, so it's felt like the best of both worlds! The other great resource are bfing groups - you can go along and hear some advice and it's absolutely fine to take a bottle, it can be a great way to get support and practical advice from other mums. They'll probably be very impressed by your story too!

Oh and I agree with pp that it might be worth trying to add some extra bfs in the early weeks to get your supply up. When I was trying to get a bit more milk with dd when swapping some bottles for bfs, I spent a few days putting her to the breast every time she gave a whimper, and only giving her a bottle if she was really upset and rooting still. The nurse suggested spending a few days in bed with the baby and some box sets, didn't work for me with another toddler, but could be fun for you!

The stinging should pass. . Helped me to remind myself that if it was my finger getting sucked that much my finger would hurt till it toughened up.
The lansinton will help.
I told a friend about you today op. She was well impressed too. :)