Untitled

[Daffodilly]

Hi

I'm a new mum with a 5 week old daughter and just discovered mumsnet. I was hoping to get some advice...

I'm breastfeeding but for the past few weeks I've been expressing during the day so DH can give a bottle for the 10-11PM feed and I can get an early night and some precious consecutive hours of sleep! This has worked well in one sense - DD takes the bottle fine. However, I am not really getting on with expressing and find it adds to the general stress levels. It is time consuming as it takes me 1-2 hours to express what she needs for the last feed and I also find it uncomfortable on my nipples (despite trying 2 different pumps).

We often end up topping up with 1-2oz formula if I haven't managed to express enough, which she also takes fine.

Now she is 5 weeks I am thinking about switching to formula only for this last feed. I feel I could better use this time playing with her, getting stuff done or napping when she does than expressing.

I'm interested to hear how anyone has got on with this approach and anything I should consider before doing it??

Thanks

Daff

Oops - realised I missed out the title and can't figure out how to edit that. I haven't quite got the hang of this yet!

I gave DD1 a bottle of formula every night from 6 weeks old. At 11 weeks she refused breatmilk so I felt I had to stop breatfeeding. It's really common for this to happen. What type of breatpumo are you using as a different one might work better.

I wonder if dropping a feed completely at this early stage would mess your supply up though

(welcome to mumsnet by the way!)

Daffo......I don't think your plan will help you. You really do risk messing up your supply - the formula feed will make you go hours without any stim. to your breasts and this is not good as early on as this.

Sorry!

Hi Daffodilly
The main problem with mixed feeding as Soupdragon says is that dropping a feed can interfere with supply, not only that it often leads to giving up the breast altogether.
Have you tried expressing first thing in the am when you are giving your dd her first feed, so feed from one breast and pump from the other. I found this to be the best way of expressing milk.
TBH I have never heard of a baby going off the breast before.

I was wondering about supply issues - but then I am technically not doing this 11pm feed already as I usually express most of what I need first thing in the morning and then maybe another couple of ounces around 9pm before I go to bed (often I'm too tired and miss this bit out - hence the formula top ups).

I started using the Avent Isis manual and didn't like it. So now I have the Medela Swing - which is much better, but still takes me ages to get much.

I see what you mean tiktok. At the moment if she is fed at 11pm she will go through to 2-3am when I do a breastfeed. But I guess with a formula feed that could be longer - which would be lovely from a sleep point of view, but not if it messes up my supply.

Any advice on when might be a better age to consider this?

How do those lucky people that have babies that sleep through from early on manage?

Thanks for all the replies, I'm glad I asked as I hadn't thought of all this.
Daff

My second slept through the night from day one (until 3 moths and has hardley done it since) and supply was never an issue but she did feed for 2-3 hours every evening before bed. There are foods that can boost your supply such as oats, maybe this will help.

possibly dropping that feed at 10pm could also cause the expressing problems
I used to express small amounts throughout the day to coincide with dd's feeding times to manage supply.

5 wks is still quite early into establishing your supply as well.