FF Question

[auntyspan]

Hi - I have a 2 week old DD who I'm currently BF but am thinking about going on to mix feeding - one BF in the morning, one in the evening and the rest FF. I've read all the stuff on the cartons and it seems to suggest 4oz per feed and 5 feeds in 24 hours - do you spread them out or should I continue to be governed by her (I'm bf on demand at the moment). Do FF babies cluster feed in the evening?

Any tips would be gratefully received!

DD fed regulalry every 4 hours.
DS was all over the place, we demand fed him what he wanted when he wanted.

auntyspan - if you restrict breastfeeding to twice a day you will end up not mixed feeding but fully formula feeding...you need to know this, as part of your decision making.

Fully breastfed babies have the best health outcomes, too - again, something you need to know before you make any decisions.

If you introduce ffs now, especially so many, you won't be likely to continue BF for very long. Why do you want to do this? If you are having a hard time BF there are things you can try to improve matters also 2 weeks is very new, it gets easier.
If you are happy to fully FF in the nearish future then you can phase out BF in this way, that would be a good way to do it.

Oh, and I think you should FF on demand too if you can.

I did mix feed DD1 for 5 months this way, 1 x bf first thing and another just before she went to sleep, so it can work! I do realise this is a risk though.

I'm struggling with a newborn and a toddler at the moment, hence me wondering if ff is a better option with more flexibility (ie DH able to give more bottles etc) If anyone has some tips I'd be more than happy to try them!

Sorry, auntyspan, a mixed feeding experience that ends with full formula feeding at 5 months is a curtailed one, not one that 'works'.

There are many ways a father can help with a newborn and a toddler - giving bottles is the least 'flexible' if it means you end the convenience of breastfeeding just when it starts to get really easy to breastfeed

Well I was delighted with how long I gave dd bm for after the rotten start I had with her, but I can see how other people might see it as less than perfect.
Thanks for your words of wisdom though, will be persisting for a while longer with the bf I think. Incidently, a friend told me if I was mixfeeding my dd wasn't getting any benefit from my bm - this sounds wrong?

auntyspan - 5 mths of bf after a rotten start is something to be pleased about, I agree, and me pointing out that it's not an advert for mixed feeding shouldn't stop you feeling that way!

Your friend is talking rubbish - the antibodies and other anti-infective properties of breastmilk remain, even when the baby is getting less of them. This shows up clearly in the research looking at, for instance, hospitalisation for infection. Excl breastfed babies have the smallest risk, excl formula fed babies have the highest risk, and the mixed fed babies are in between - showing that the protective effect of breastfeeding is only partially reduced by mixed feeding.

Hope this helps.

Thanks Tiktok, and I thought that sounded like tosh. FWIW today has been a much better day re: bf, other than a very fussy 4am feed DD has been going longer between feeds and, I think, feeding more efficiently when she is on the boob.

Hopefully it will continue.... thanks again!