Boobs & Breastfeeding & Formula

[SparkleyC]

Has anyone else experienced extreme pain in the boobs (mine was caused by thrush) and muddled through to avoid the guilt of bottle-feeding? And after all that, I've now got the flu and have less milk to give the DD so I can't escape the formula, but I just don't know how to manage formula, breast and baby-led weaning. (DD is nearly 6 months).

Any thoughts?

don't worry about the food, it isn't compulsory to start on the dot of 6m.

it is good if you can keep going with bf even when ill because it will help to minimise effects of flu in both you and dd.

i did suffer a lot of pain in the early weeks and it made me realise how important it was to me that i bf.

If I'm honest I didn't really enjoy bfing until dd was weaned onto solids - I had a lot of pain and felt under a lot of pressure as I felt it was all down to me to provide all her food iyswim.

I read this article on kellymom and it made me feel a lot better about not really having enjoyed bfing and we are still going albeit only one feed a day at 18 months.

www.kellymom.com/bf/normal/love-bf-24-7.html

No advice about BLW but from what I've read about it the main thing I think is that milk should make up the childs main source of nutrition until they are one so if you want to go with formula top ups instead of stating BLW while you are sick I don't think that would be a problem as such.

Have you had the thrush properly treated - there are loads of threads with good advice about getting rid of it.

hth

Hey Sparkley fancy seeing you here!! I have a five and a half month dd, been bf with occasional ebm in bottles then more recently formula in bottles...I want to gradually stop bfing for a number of reasons and am pondering how best to manage it as it will co-incide with weaning.I am/was (?) planning to do BLW but it really seems geared to bfing as the babies continue to take what extra they need...

My anxieties are,
a)how to gradually go from breast to bottles - at the mo we are doing one formula bottle at 7.30pm/8ish as that is bedtime. I dunno how to 'replace feeds one by one' as I have seen in various places as she feeds constantly from breast - we are on 2 hourly 24/7 and I realise she won't need bottles for all of these!

b)how it will work with BLW

c)whether to aim to have her fully off the boob by 6 months which is mid auguast, so that gives me/us time to do it gradually

d)how to manage mad constant night time feeding. This is partly why I want to swop over - I am so tired and pissed off about feeding thru the night. I know she is not doing anything deliberately to upset me, but she feeds at 8pm, then 9 or 10 or 11, then 1, then 2ish or 3, then 4 or 5, then constantly from 6 to about 8...I am so tired and I so want to enjoy this time but at present I am not as I feel so drained. I think she has learned to 'snack' so thinks I am on tap all the time - which effectively I am.

e)Is it a good idea to introduce one bottle every four days, if so when should the next one be? Lunchtimeish?

Sorry about the length of this!! But she is in her nest thing playing and watching me - a rare treat - so I am chucking it all down whilst I get the chance!!

Current position is that last night was third night of having a 7.30PM formula bottle - she woke 1 and 4 the firszt night, three then 4 + lots the second night; and last night was sadly back to normal - woke as described above.

I KNOW I should not think formula is a magic sleep tool btw! (But I can't help it...)

Sigh....no views? I find that hard to believe on here??

If you want to cut down the night feedings, then if she is in her own cot, could your dh or someone else settle her with a little water in a bottle? Being at the 5 month mark she will be going through a growth spurt and be wanting more feeds generally possibly, but does not need so many night feeds now, so settling with water will be encourage less comfort night feeding than feeding with either formula or breastfeeding. It is how I started to cut out the night feeds which worked well. Working on cutting the night feeds down is a better way to start than trying to replace with formula feeding in the evening I think. HTH

dan - start a new thread. It will be more helpful for you, I think.