Are there any downsides to combi feeding rather than EBF?!

[upandmumming]

My firstborn was combi fed from 6 weeks until he was about 10 months when he went fully on formula. My second born is now nearly 4 months and still EBF, overall he has just been an easier baby to feed so I haven't been as desperate to introduce any formula. He does feed a lot though, and I want the option of him taking a bottle if needed. I've tried expressing and my husband giving him that in a bottle just so that I know he takes a bottle but it feels like where he feeds so often it's hard for me to express and it's also just the faff of it. If something ever does come up, or I want to get some extra sleep, or last min plans it still doesn't give me the freedom as I'd need to express first. He isn't too keen on taking a bottle anyway so I think if we want him to it'll need to be a bottle daily to start with just to win him over to it. I still want to majority breast feed.

Are there any cons to this? I keep wondering if because he feeds so well I should just carry on EBF but then I know combi feeding gave me a lot of flexibility with my first and an opportunity for his dad to bond, his big brother would love to give him a bottle sometimes too.

Witb my youngest she preferred the bottle and so stopped bf. I expressed for a long time but it was a nightmare

I know combi works for a lot of people though

I believe there is some evidence (or just correlation?) that ebf until six months means the child is less likely to be overweight as an adult. I wouldn't normally say stuff like that online because understandably it can make people who haven't ebf feel bad. But you did ask for any possible downsides.
Having said the above, I assume there is a difference between say half and half combi feeding, and maybe a bottle three times a week for example.

On the flip side you have to consider yourself as well! If expressing is difficult then an occasional bottle of formula might be the perfect balance of baby health and mother sanity 😆

Thank you both

I combi fed due to initial problems bf that were sorted out at a breast clinic, but by then (first week) my son had had a bottle of formula. I knew I was going back to work after 6 months and that he would go to nursery, and I didn’t want to have to re introduce a bottle then, so we carried on with one bottle of formula a day and everything else was me. I really enjoyed breast feeding but I was glad of the flexibility of one bottle a day and when it was nearly time to go to nursery, we tilted the balance a bit and afterwards I still bf morning and evening.
You’ve done it before so you know what you’re doing - I’d say as long as DS is getting some breast milk it’s all fine.

Thanks for sharing!