I want to go back in time and not use formula

[elodieari]

Baby is 5 weeks. FF, but now he's having horrendous colic and nothing seems to help. I've tried to combo feed him but breasts not producing hardly anything.
I want to rewind five weeks and have started him 50/50 BF and FF.
Super sad, I feel like I'm poisoning him each time I feed him formula.
What can I do?
I wish I could sort of clear his system out and start again!

You aren't poisoning him by giving him formula.

Formula is perfect for your baby and definitely not poisonous, but you can look into relactation if you want to, some people do it.

Formula is not poison, literally millions of people are alive and thriving today because of formula.
However...it is possible to relactate if you want to, it can take time and a lot of effort. Have a look at lalache league and kellymom websites. Put baby to your breast as much as possible, as much skin to skin time as you can.
As your supply regulates the feeling of fullness naturally decreases and is not an indicator of supply (neither is output when pumping)

Oh bless you. Big hugs. Colic us tough. My breastfed baby had terrible colic.

Formula is literally life saving but when you are tired and stressed its easy to think what if or try find something to blame.

It will get easier

OP, formula is not poison, it's what your baby needs to thrive.

On the flip side, I wish I had never BF DC. We mixed fed for 5 months, during which DC was starving a lot of the time and I almost lost my mind. PND lasted several years and I can honestly say that the BF obsession and the unjustified guilt was almost entirely to blame.

If his current formula does not agree with him, ask midwife for alternative recommendations.

You have nothing to feel bad about. Don't be me. Relax and enjoy your baby .

Breast fed babies. Can be colicky too, he isn't being poisoned at all.speak to your HV he might need a change of milk or he could have reflux concentrate what might help not what might have been.

BF babies get colic too. Colic is crying without cause, some babies just cry. Nothing to do with what they are fed.

You aren't poisoning your baby, of course! And EBF babies can have vicious colic too, so don't assume the two things are connected.

Have you spoken to your HV, both for advice about the colic and so she can monitor your mood?

Have you spoken to your HV? Baby might have CMPA which often shows similar symptoms to colic it would be worth a call or discussion with your GP.

There are lactation consultants who specialise in relactaction but it's not cheap and can be a bit gruelling.

My Health Visitor told me she did her dissertation on whether formula fed babies are more susceptible to colic than breast fed. All the evidence proved there was no difference, its just random as to which babies get colic or reflux.

As parents we carry constant guilt about everything, I have wished so many times I could turn the clock back and do some things differently - but thats just life!

If its something you really want to do then relactation is very possible especially as your little one is so new still. There are various relactation support facebook pages and some IBCLCS (lucy riddle springs to mind) specialise in this sort of thing however you have no need to feel guilty as breastfed babies can be colicky too.

Bf babies get colic too and formula is not poison, but relactation is definitely still possible if thats what you want to do. Ime breastfeeding is such a useful tool to settle an unhappy baby whatever the cause so it may be helpful to you to start, but it won't cure the colic and ff hasn't caused it. Things will get better whatever you do, no stage lasts forever

My EBF baby had such bad colic that I thought my breast milk was poisoning her! This too will pass. You’re knackered and your baby is struggling. No wonder you feel shitty. BIG HUG TO YOU.

Having a five week old with colic is really really hard, and it’s easy for something like formula to become to bad guy when you are pushed to your limits. The formula isn’t poison, it’s a brilliant scientific invention that gives babies everything they need. When you are feeding, you could try saying to yourself “here I am, giving my baby the cuddles and warmth and nutrition and safety he needs, I’m doing great” (all true!) to override the other thoughts that are in your head.

You’re in a tough spot, the sleep deprivation is probably building up and the colic is so hard to bear, but hopefully in the next few weeks your baby will start to smile and that will make things a little easier. Good luck!

Op your baby would have likely got colic either way. The method of feeding wouldn’t change it. I know it’s hard but formula isn’t poison. Millions of babies, my own included thrive on it.

@stickygotstuck

OP, formula is not poison, it's what your baby needs to thrive.

On the flip side, I wish I had never BF DC. We mixed fed for 5 months, during which DC was starving a lot of the time and I almost lost my mind. PND lasted several years and I can honestly say that the BF obsession and the unjustified guilt was almost entirely to blame.

If his current formula does not agree with him, ask midwife for alternative recommendations.

You have nothing to feel bad about. Don't be me. Relax and enjoy your baby .

Pretty much the same here, my determination to BF/pump made me ill and exhausted. I was producing hardly anything. Admitted defeat and gave up pumping at 3 months but with hindsight should have stopped sooner.

@elodieari, colic is not caused by formula. If someone told you that they are absolutely wrong. This is a difficult and exhausting stage but it will pass

I thought the same when my DD had colic and reflux, starting thinking I should’ve BF instead but ultimately she could’ve had colic and reflux either way. Formula isn’t to blame. It passed and now she’s almost 1 and thriving - it’s hard I know, but it will get better.

Dont beat yourself up, like others have said feeding method probably has little affect.
My mixed fed baby suddenly went off his bottles of formula recently (crying during/after them) so we bought some anti colic bottles by Tommee tippee and switched from cow and gate (seemed super frothy, made him very gassy and uncomfortable) to hipp and he’s happily guzzling his two bottles a day again. Asda has the bottles on offer at the mo, might be worth a go