Is my baby hungry? Moving back to EBF after combi

[New2ths]

My baby girl is 14 weeks and 80th percentile. Up until now there’s never been a concern about her feeding. Over Christmas I introduced the bottle and she seemed to do well. It was convenient at the time and I went with it with the plan being to mostly bottle feed in the day and breast at night. Only it didn’t work how I thought and my supply tanked. I went from full feelings in the day and huge rocks for boobs at night to completely soft all the time.

I was so upset the plan didn’t work and began breastfeeding again in the day and offering top ups of formula. She isn’t taking the top up now and when I do offer a bottle instead of breast when I’m really worried she’s not getting enough, she only takes 2oz. One day when she had more bottles she would only take 2oz every. 3-4 hours,

I wanted to bottle feed more to ensure she was satisfied, and give me a break, but now I’m super stressed that she won’t take more than 2oz from the bottle and my supply is too low to satisfy her. Any advice on what to do next gratefully received!!

Go to your nearest La Leche League meeting, you need in-person support and they are completely non-judgmental about bottle feeding and very practical about its use.

Have a look at LucyWebberFeedingSupport on Instagram/FB. Shes an IBCLC who has tonnes of useful advice. You can book a zoom consultation with her as well but her pages might be a good place to start.

i am not an expert but know LLL advise looking at your baby: is she wetting and pooing? Is she appropriately alert/content (obv YMMV on contentment especially!); is she gaining weight?

You don’t know how much milk you’re making, expressing isn’t the same as direct feeding, your baby’s changing all the time so may be more efficient at the breast as her mouth gets bigger and stronger - loads going on. I’m sure you can return to ebf if you want, or maintain mixed feeding, get some expert RL advice though. Good luck x

Thanks all that’s kind and helpful advice. I did see a breastfeeding consultant and she said my supply will still be there but to bottle feed if I want to. However with her barely taking the bottle now I don’t feel that’s an option.
Today she fed 1am breast, offered but refused top up. 3am breast, took 1oz top up. 7am breast, then offered breast and bottle until now (15.30) and she’s only just taken the breast. I am so panicked she’s not getting enough. Nappies are very wet but no poops for two days.

plenty of wee is a good sign, poos do vary more. I’d suspect your supply’s satisfying her if she won’t take much from the bottles?

Lots of wet nappies means she is getting plenty in the other end. Your supply will almost always increase quite quickly when demand increases, so if she is still doing lots of wet nappies and is content then all should be fine. Get her weighed frequently also if concerned.

Thanks all this is really helping. So last night I gave her a bottle before bed as she seemed unsettled but wouldn’t latch. I then fed her 1am, she woke again at 3am which is soon for her so gave her a bottle to fill her up as I was doubting my supply, she had 3oz. Then I fed her myself at 6am. I am just constantly questioning whether my supply has come back or not. Im driving myself insane with it.

does anyone know a sustainable way to combi feed whilst maintaining supply? My health visitor says to either bottle or breastfeed as I could be confusing her doing both.

She could well have wanted a breastfeed again at 3am, they tend to ask more at night as that is a better time for supply building. BM is more quickly digested than formula so they don't stay stuffed full for as long. It's almost as if they know they have to ask more at night as that is the best time to up your supply. Breastfeed whenever she asks, your supply will match very quicky - as long as nappies are really wet she should be fine. I am not a professional but have been in a breastfeeding twins support group since I had my twins (& I EBF - I wanted to learn as much as I could before I had them to give myself the best chance of doing it!)
Trust your body, it sounds like you are doing a great job

I think the best way to combi feed (ie to maintain supply) is to be consistent with when you offer a bottle and breastfeed around that. For my youngest my husband would bottle feed between 9pm and midnight (usually just one or two 3 or 4oz bottles) and I breastfed all other times. If you're feeding responsively then your supply will match what baby needs. I found my supply struggled when more ad hoc bottles were offered throughout the day, when I didn't have time to also express.

My youngest did start rejecting a bottle around 4mo though, think it can be common just so you are aware!

Your HV may feel it’s confusing because she is confused and doesn’t know how to advise you. I didn’t mix feed but HumberBridge2’s advice to keep bottle times consistent makes sense to me.

thank you so much. This is really helping put my mind to rest. And good point @Teacaketravesty on the HV! I will work towards two bottles a day, one in the day so I can take my eldest out and give baby a bottle feed (I EBF’d him until 13 months but much easier baby) and one before bed so bedtime isn’t an endless feed. Then when I feel we are both ready I will move towards bottle feeding.

thank you so so much :)