Mixed feeding advice please

[ObsidianBlackbirdMcNight]

Hiya, 2 bits of advice please....

Have sorted out breastfeeding - latching on is brilliant, plenty of milk, he's feeding regluarly. However, he just feeds so much in theevenings that my nipples are getting sore, and he's getting fractious and upset even while he is on the breast. I think I just can't fill him up at night when he seems to be more awake and need more. I know about prolactin and stimulating the supply for the next feed, but I feel like I can't feed for hours on end whne he isn't getting full and we end up giving him one formula feed so that he gets full, and also so that dad can take him for half an hour to let me go to the loo etc! It seems to b working, but am I failing to stimulate the milk supply properly by doing this? It is literally only one feed out of many and I feed him later in the nght.

2nd bit of advice - are there any bottles that are designed for mixed feeding, that won't disrupt BF and stop him taking the breast? we are cup feeding that is a bt of a hassle but I don't want to use the bottle I have (avent) in case he never goes on the boob again.

Kat, if your nipples are getting sore then it means that his latch is still not 'brilliant'. a less than effective latch will be a part of the reason for the longer feeding.

it will be better to have a bfc sit and observe a feed with you. please call one of the helplines down the side of this page in the morning.

No rush, kat...baby only on breast for 3 weeks needs consolidation not change, docha think?? He and you have done brill to get on breast after NG feeding

Early bottles offered to try to get the baby used to them can still end up being rejected weeks down the line, believe me. No guarentee!

Expressing is useful, but learn it when you need to, rather than trying to do it sooner.

And dads do not need to feed to bond - nice to do, but not essential

Hi Kat, we've never had any trouble getting our mix fed dd to take the tommee tippee closer to nature bottles - they are supposed to be designed for b/f babies.

Mind you dd is particularly unfussy - boob, bottle, hipp, aptamil, warm, cold, room temperature she will take whatever comes however it comes.

We use tomee tippee too. We introduced one formula feed at 3 wks as I needed a break. It took her quite a few wks to start drinking a decent amount. DH would give her the bottle, I would get a break, then I would top her up myself a bit later.

I wanted to express but could not get to grips with it. I was sitting for at least an hr, only to get a drop. I still can't get more than a few drops. I was shattered and so introduced the formula.

It did not affect my supply at all - but maybe I was lucky.