Mix feeding

[wherewhere]

DD is 7 months, and for various reasons I'd like to add a bottle of formula at least once a day. Maybe twice? I breastfed DS until he was 3, but I just can't do it again without a little help!

My concern is my supply. If I add one or two bottles in a 24 hour period, is my supply likely to drop off completely? I'm not really interested in a discussion about other aspects of formula vs breast vs combination feeding, sorry!

I just wondered if anyone knows if my supply would be too negatively affected for me to be able to continue to breast feed until she gives up herself. She eats solids - quite a lot, she's a very hungry baby. And she feeds a lot, too.

Thanks

Mixed feeding usually means the addition of solids, and I see you are already doing that. Giving a different milk once you have started mixed feeding shouldn't make that much difference.

Yes, your supply will adjust and you will produce less, because your DC is consuming less. But it shouldn't dry up if you are still breastfeeding at regular intervals across the day. Some (lucky) people even manage to keep going on just one feed a day.

OK thanks - I never really thought of it like that - I can just regard the formula as another solid.

She currently feeds from me about 16 times in 24 hours, so I could do with her cutting down a little. The introduction of solids (and she eats well) hasn't really changed anything. She's small, too!

If my supply will adjust and I will produce less, can it adjust again the other way? I'm asking this purely out of curiosity re supply and how it works!

Your supply will be very well established by now, so dropping one or two feeds shouldn't make much of a difference and certainly shouldn't mean your milk dries up completely. DD2 had a bottle in the morning and evening from about 5 months, and eventually (due to teeth!) only one bf in the morning for about two months, and I was still producing enough milk for that one feed a day.

Wow 16 feeds!! I would imagine especially as you are feeding so frequently one or two bottles won't make any difference to your supply at all. I recently stopped feeding DD (same age) at nights and for a couple of mornings I was engorged then my supply adjusted. We also give the odd bottle of formula and it doesn't seem to affect it. From what I've been told and read your supply will adjust both ways, so if you then dropped bottles in the future and were breast feeding more again, your supply would increase again. Good luck! :)