Mixed feeding? I'm so nervous to give up breastfeeding!

[Imeanlikeseriously]

DD is EBF, 7mo and eating food well. To be honest I'd rather not bother with bottles. I have other kids and I live in fear of the hassle of being out, oh no don't have enough bottles etc etc. I love being able to just sort out any situation by whipping a boob out. That said I have really shot myself in the foot with the demand feeding. We've got no feeding routine at all so it's impossible for me to leave her as I never know when the next feed will be which I know is a mistake. I have to do a bit of work soon and I also aant to give her and me a bit of independence. I'd like to get her sleeping better too.

But starting to mixed feed scares me. The idea of giving up a feed IYSWIM, because there's no turning back.

Thoughts a bit all over the place I know but I'd love some advice on introducing a bottle feed at night and how people manage to go to work/leave their baby for a bit without giving up the breastfeed. Do you pump while at work or out?

Not got much time but wanted to post my experience. I gave up the daytime feeds and offered a tippy cup of milk. I liked b/feeding at home in the morn and eve as I knew I'd be home not out and about.
My body responded to this pattern of feeding quite quickly.

I don't think you need to offer bottles... how is her eating? My dd took to eating well so by 7/8 months she started reducing bf. By 9/10 months she was only having a morning and night bf and water and food I the day and now at 12 months just a night feed.
could you feed before you go, leave a sippy cup of milk and a solid food snack?

Ah missed that her eating is good... definitely don't worry then. No need to stop breastfeeding. my dd learned pretty quickly she could bf if I'm around but not if I wasn't and it was fine.

Yy to what Hadron said. I also started giving two sippy cups of formula in the day and it worked really well. I started to enjoy breastfeeding again instead of feeling trapped by it.

Try not to be too concerned about dropping a feed.
Your body is amazing and after 7 months your milk supply is probably bombproof!! If you drop a feed and find its not working for you, you will very likely be able to go back to it. This morning my DS wanted a feed after weeks of only one night feed - and the milk was there.

This is so reassuring thank you! She's still eating at night so would a cup work for that? Would love a night out!

She's very happy with a cup with her meals so thibk it will work fine.

So will it be fine to just have the odd day with some formula and keep up the breastfeeding the rest of the time?

I would think you'd be fine to give her formula when you're not there and boob when you are. The only issue might be that you're a bit full and uncomfortable on the days you don't feed.

At about 8 months I think I dropped the middle of the night feed and just did an early morning one. DS was eating quite a bit in the day, plus his milk and a bedtime feed from me so I just tried to cuddle him back to sleep for a few days & he took to it well.

I'd trust your intuition (woo but true!) if your instincts tell you she is ready to drop a feed or take a bottle just go with it.

Sorry, in the last para - not take a bottle but use a cup.

Hi
I minx fed from about 2 weeks then for 2 years and 3 months I did both. She had two bottles per day while I was at work and the breast milk the rest of the time. It worked so so well for me. I wasn't tired and worked full time. Plus she rarely got sick. I was lucky but I recommend it.

Just jumping in ... Thanks for the tip Hadron ... I want to continue feeding dd at night/morning but get her used to a sippy in the day by about 10 months so I can return to work.
Really glad it sounds do - able.

My ds refused bottles. We started playing with the sippy cup at 5mo and he was good with it in about four weeks.

Same as Kennington, mix fed from 4 weeks. Bottles when out and about, boob at home - I'm BFAR so it was difficult latching without being half undressed!

She's still breastfeeding at 23m

I would just say that she will increasingly need less and less milk now she is on food. (And probably does already).

I didn't bother with bottles / formula for DD - I went back to work when she was 8 months and she just got used to not having milk in the day when I wasn't there (still breastfed at 7am and 7pm, and in the night. On my non-working days she feeds on demand. She is 15 months now and we are still in that patterns). I just reassured myself that if she was starving when I wasn't around, she could have a banana and a drink of water and she wouldn't waste away.

When you aren't around they are much less bothered about boob / milk than when it is in easy reach!

I went back to work about 4 weeks ago and switched to feeding just morning and night. Worked fine. DD drinks milk from a tippee cup or bottle when I'm not around.

I moved away from on demand feeding at around 3 months and breastfed on more of a schedule from then until I stopped at a year. So just as another option you could move to scheduled breastfeeding and then it might be easier to add in cups etc if you want to?

Might not suit you, but just thought I'd mention it so you have another option to consider.

My DD is breastfed still on demand, 8.5mo and I go back to work this week. She's never taken a bottle, but in the last few weeks I've noticed a big jump in the amount of solids she eats. Yesterday I went out for a few hours, she drank water from a sippy cup, and ate yoghurt, banana, hummus and rice cake for lunch. She was perfectly fine. I'll leave a little ebm and some formula when I'm at work (to drink from a doidy or sippy) but food and drink wise, she'll be fine. Like you I have no intention of stopping breastfeeding completely. It's too handy, and too good for settling and comforting when she's tired/poorly/banged her head off the bloody floor again.

Thanks for all the advice. I find expressing really hard. How much roughly would you say your LOs would need in the day?

Re cup what about night time? I'd like to try leaving her for an evening. I did a couple of times when she was smaller and happier to take a bottle and have gone places I can get home quickly but would like to go out properly! Cup at night time or try for a bottle?

DS has 150ml/5oz twice a day in a cup. Sometimes

... He drains it, others he'll leave some. If you find expressing hard it's ok to use formula to supplement