Expressing for bottles and formula feeding

[Twittwoo2020]

Hi Everyone,

Due baby #1 in 5 weeks time and just researching some final things around feeding. We plan to fully bottle feed both formula and breast milk. I would like to express for some bottles but also give some forumla bottles in between. I don’t plan to put the baby on my breast to feed but would like to think they can still get some benefits from breast milk if I express for some bottles.

I had thought about exclusively pumping but I have spoken to some people who say this is incredibly difficult and it might be better to have some formula bottles for some feeds from the beginning in case I can’t keep up the exclusive pumping regime. I’ve done a lot of googling and can’t find any type of mock schedule for how often I should pump to get the balance right for my supply if i’m using both breast milk bottles and formula bottles.

Has anyone any advice on how frequently I should aim to pump and at what times of the day?

Thank you!

I done as you are planning to do and used some formula to top up breast milk as my son was born 6 weeks premature and it took some time to get going. He was in Neo natal so decided it would be best for him to be able to take a bottle for times when I could not be there to feed him.

We had to feed him every two hours initially as he was so small and could only cope with tiny amounts of milk. I think you need to let the baby guide it and they will soon let you know when they are hungry and you will fall into some kind of natural routine.

Is there a breast feeding consultant you can access via the health visitor or midwifery team? They were really helpful with advice for how to increase supply etc. I would ask now as we had to wait quite a long time to get the help but it was great when we were able
To get the support.

Heya! I exclusively pumped for the first month of my daughter's life. It is hard work but I found breastfeeding harder. It's hard in that there's a lot of washing up and sterilising to do (although my midwife actually said don't bother with sterilising with breast milk, only formula). But there is also a lot of washing up with formula to be fair. But if you get a good pump (hand free is best) it can make life easier. I stopped pumping and EBF for about 8 months and then went back to exclusively pumping for convenience, and still do now at 13 months. I now only have to pump 5 times a day because she's mostly weaned but takes big bottles of milk when she does want it.

You have to pump at least 8 times a day in the early day, try and space them as evenly as possible. That's for exclusive breast milk feeding from bottles. That is partly to maintain your supply, partly to keep you comfortable (those first few weeks can be killer for engorgement and blocked ducts if you don't keep on top of it!).

I have found breast feeding and especially pumping amazing. It's such a powerful thing to be able to feed your baby! But I think be prepared for the unexpected: I never thought I'd be a pumper, my plan was always to exclusively bf but it just didn't work out due to pain etc etc. it may be that you prefer just giving 100% formula or it may be that you actually take quite well to pumping and are able to make enough without too much effort.just go with the flow and try not to get too stressed about it :)

So glad you have asked this question, I purely formula fed with #1 mainly because I just knew I wouldn’t want to put baby to the breast and was so clueless about expressing so just didn’t plan to attempt it. I had a HV tell me I didn’t realise how much I’d love my baby and when I saw him I’d automatically want to put him to my breast. I didn’t question how much I’d love him but I can confirm I still didn’t want to. I ended up feeling a weird guilt or like I hadn’t tried when my boobs would leak in the first week though. I then half heartedly ordered a manual pump, gave it a go once, didn’t get anything out (despite it running down my top at other times) so just gave up because I didn’t know what to do and thought I’d left it too late.

I want to be more organised this time so I’m going to order the elvie double. I don’t mind spending the money since I really don’t have much expensive stuff to buy this time round! It seems it can be resold on eBay for the same price just about so I can just sell it if I throw in the towel again 🙈 My aim is just to do it for the first month or 6 weeks but if it was easy by then maybe I’d want to continue. I really would like some sort of schedule too though! Also scared to even tell the midwife my plan as I feel like people just want to tell you to put baby to your breast instead! I think I will try colostrum harvesting to cover the 24 hours in hospital then pump when I get home but I’d really like to avoid mastitis so let me know if you find something that works please

I'd suggest going along to a breastfeeding group before baby arrives.

You can also get evidenced based information from websites like NCT. Be very careful with your sources for this. Some will be sponsored and not as evidenced based.

The key for combination feeding is to get the breastmilk established. This will mean expressing or feeding baby at least 8 times a day. Really in those early days expressing a feed every time they feed.

If you can do it, the easiest way is for baby to latch and do it themselves. If you can it does mean regular expressing.

Don't worry too much about volumes at first. A Haakaa style pump is really good for the early days as it's more gentle and super easy to clean. Hand expressing can also work well in the early days.

As for mixing with formula, again use as and when needed / wanted. Until your supply has regulated though (around 6 week) you need to express the feed as well so your boobs know to make milk.

Thanks so much everyone!

@BCxx i feel the exact same. It’s a personal choice whether to put baby on the breast or not and it’s not for everyone, that doesn’t mean you care less for the baby and expressing milk is still giving the nutrients from the milk. Sometimes expressing won’t work and if that happens to me i hope it won’t be an problem as i’ll have already given formula from day 1.

Ive honestly resisted posting this question anywhere or asking my public health nurse because sometimes when i mention it to other people i’m made feel like an alien when i say i won’t be putting baby on the breast!! I’m going to order a Hakka and see how i get on and then if i’m feeling the whole expressing milk and it’s working i’ll invest in an electric. I’m not putting any pressure on myself though. Really didn’t want to have to pump 8 times a day as I don’t want to be attached to a pump but i’m reading in other places if you only pump at certain times a day for example 4 times then your body will get into a routine that that’s the times it needs to produce and will regulate itself but again you don’t know how accurate this is!

I think 4 times a day at the start will be too few. You risk engorgement and mastitis / your milk just not coming in.

You could drop down to this once the milk is established though.

Like I said, the key to mixed feeding is getting the milk established. The formula part will always be there, but the breastmilk needs to be stimulated.

You mentioned a public health nurse. Are you in the UK?