MIXING HIP ORGANIC FOLLOW ON WITH BREAST MILK

[gillythekid]

I've decided to introduce some follow on milk for my 28 week old son whom I've exclusively breast fed until weaning 2 weeks ago. I express at 6 and 10pm for the following nights feed but will be a about 100ml short (I'm dropping the middle of the night express...yes I know it's quicker to bf in the night but we've been through all this!) I would love to know if anyone has any experience of mixing follow on milk with breast milk, either to get baby used to the taste or due to low supply. Can it be done?
I'm going to continue bf in the day and as he increases his solids, I think in a few weeks I'll be back to having enough for his night feeds, which in time will be cut back so it's really just a temporary measure.

I would not bother with the follow on milk myself, it is full of sugar! I would say if you need to/wish to give formula, then normal formula would be sufficient?

I am not able to advise on mixing though, as I have never done this.

What is the difference between formula and follow on? All the formulas seemed to be for birth to 6 months.

Follow-on is a product designed solely to circumvent the laws that prohibit the advertising of infant formulae.

Its less modified than first milk, and has more iron (not necessarily a good thing as it is not very bio-available so may do no good and can cause constipation). Its also usually cheaper.

Wouldn't bother with follow-on milk at all.

Am not able to speak about mixed feeding with follow-on milk as DS2 is only 23 weeks so when he does have the odd bottle of formula is Hipp Organic 1st milk.

DS1 was/is FF and I changed him to follow-on at about 7 months to make sure he was getting enough iron. he never suffered from constipation (got loads of fruit/veg/water). i still use follow-on milk (he's 16months) as he hates cows milk and wouldnt drink any milk at all if it wasnt formula.

HTH

I'm really confused now! I bought a ready mixed bottle of Hipp Organic follow on today as I didn't want to get the full packet. Some of you are saying you wouldn't bother with follow on, why, and what's the alternative? If I give him 1st milk, surely it will be lacking the nutrients he needs? Granted I'm still giving him 4-5 breast feeds in the day, so he'll get what he needs from that? Once he begins eating more, I presume he'll be demanding less milk and will drop his night feed sooner or later (God, I hope it's sooner!) At that point, I'll have no need to give him any formula but right now, I need a break from the night feed as I'm just exhausted.

A baby's needs do not suddenly alter dramatically the day they hit 6 months

You can give him whichever you prefer, but please do not be fooled into thinking that follow-on milk is somehow 'nutritionally superior', whatever they say in their bullshit adverts. As I said, follow-on is a product designed to be marketed. It does not fill a particular gap in the market, or the needs of babies - it is simply a product the companies have come up with that they can push as hard as they can at parents of 6m+ babies. It is fine to give it if you want to, but it is no 'better' than first milk.

can I just ask (and apologies if I'm being dozy) wouldnt you rather just drop the night feed entirely rather than introduce formula?

I dont really see the point and it wont take long to do - a couple of nights of cuddling and shushing.

I think if you introduce a formula night feed it will have a knock-on effect on the morning bf and thus supply.

He is genuinely hungry in the night still so I don't want to deny him a small feed till he's more established on his solids (it's only been 2 weeks!) I only ever give him 60ml so he's always ready for a full bf at around 7am. I used to express at 7, 11 and in the middle of the night and I want to drop this rigmarole so I'm expressing at 7 and 11pm but it's not quite enough for the following nights feed (I get my biggest yield at 4 or 5 in the morning, but this is the one I want to drop) I just want to know if I can top up with formula in the same bottle as his 11pm ebm?

I see Gilly - but could you not just feed him at 11pm - ie do a dream feed and then feed again on waking at 6-7am?

tbh I dont think that weaning has any bearing on the night feeds - sorry if thats not what you want to hear.

pavlov - I agree that follow on is not necessary, but it's not 'full of sugar'. The sugar content of follow on is only slightly higher than regular formula. Are you confusing follow on with something else?

gilly - if you give formula, there is no advantage in giving follow on.

tiktok - you know, yes I am...I am thinking of 'growing up milk' . Ignore me.

I do feed him at 11! He's a hungry little Horace but as I say, the more solids he takes, the less milk he'll need so I think I'll have enough, just at the moment I'm dropping he middle of the night expressing so will be a bit short till he drops that feed.
Thanks for telling me about the differences (or lack of it) between formula and follow on, I'll try a bit of both and see what he prefers, hopefully it's just a brief stop gap (praying he sleeps through soon!)

if you're not expressing or feeding in the night then wouldnt the 11pm be the formula feed?You could express then and so you're not dropping a feed and you'd still have the undigestible formula type sleeping going on iyswim.

I'll have enough for him for the 11pm feed too I think! He slept till after 6 this morning so I breast fed and topped him up just after 7 with the other breast. I ended up expressing a little at 8 as there was still a bit left in the second breast so have more than enough for tonight, unless he wakes up before 6, which is where the bit of formula comes in! Hopefully we won't even need it as I plan to start him on fruit and yoghurt at breakfast so he'll be well tanked up with 3 meals a day.

I'm Weaning my five and a half month girl and she's loving the food but I'm finding it hard to get her to take a bottle. Any advice? I've tried it for two weeks at her afternoon feed and she's maybe only taking 3 ounces at most with difficulty. She's been breast fed exclusivley since dropping the night feed at about 16 weeks which she did take from bottle ( phillips Avent). Won't take this now and have tried NUK with wee bit more success. As a result she's now waking at night again after sleeping 7pm - 7am for months, cause she's hungry. Please help. Am worried I won't have enough milk to give her before she can take a bottle to replace it.

Woofles - start a new thread, it gets confusing otherwise!