Can I mix feed now without losing my milk supply?

[MandMand]

At what point is breastfeeding sufficiently established that I can give more than one formula bottle a day without affecting my milk supply too badly?

I exclusively breastfed until 8 weeks, but then started giving a formula bottle at bed time, since he would cluster feed for 3 or 4 hours solid in the evenings and I was too exhausted to cope any longer. He is now 18 weeks, and still breastfeeds every 2 hours or so during the day.

Could I start giving him an additional bottle of formula during the day, so I can go out, or would this still mess up my supply? I really want to keep breastfeeding until at least six months, and particularly still want to be able to keep breastfeeding during the night.

Your body will produce what the baby asks for. If you do the odd bottle every now and then, for a trip out, it should only take a day or so to get back on track. I sometimes felt a bit fuller but didn't notice too much difference. I also dropped an afternoon feed for a few days, went away for the night and picked it back up again when I got back. To successfully mix feed I think you have to be determined to keep the breast feeding up, as the bottle can some how take over.

dd2 is 12 weeks and Im doing 50/50 , I feed for bed time , may be twice 6 ish and then at 7. I feed her during the night and then 1st thing in the morning also may a couple of times. During the day is when I do bottles of formula. Like you I was feeding on and off for hrs and have a 3yr old , I was also expressing and so had no time for much else. It seems to be going ok , although we get some fussing here and there about bottles, but Im perservering. I would Bf during the day , but I thought if I keep up Bf at night it woud keep my supply going due to the high prolactin at night.

Thanks everyone for your responses, this is really reassuring!