DS almost 3 weeks exclusive BF - is a 10pm bottle a bad idea?

[MissusRabbit]

He's doing great, feeding around every 3 hours day and night, putting on weight, happy etc

I gave DD a bottle at night but not til later on. Just wondered if its too early? I'd like DH to be able to do a feed, or MIL if we're out etc so not all the time and its ot the start of moving towards FF as I find BF so much easier and more convenient.

Would 1 bottle a night affect my supply or anything....is there any reason not to do this?

What about expressing instead so you would keep up your supply and would have EBM to give DS if you ever need to leave him?

I don't know the answer but also have a 3 weks old that is ebf so intersted to find out. Bumping for you..

I started my DS (6 weeks old) on 1 bottle a night when he was almost 5 weeks old.

He took it really well and has improved his sleep... which has improved my sleep also

I give him this bottle as a FF, sometimes with a bit of EBM, as I really struggle to express more than about 2oz in an hour!

He hasn't had any nipple confusion or any such problems. He's growing well too and is happy.

As for my supply: it hasn't suffered, apart from I get very full if he sleeps for a long period. When BF he feeds every 2 hours, even at night. When I give him a FF last thing at night he can sleep much longer - last night he slept for 7 hours!!! By the time he did wake up my boobs were full!

everyone is different and I didn't introduce bottles at all, but I found my supply was still easily messed up for about the first twelve weeks and not six as the books seem to suggest...so I would err on the side of caution?

I would probably wait until after the first growth spurt to start giving a regular bottle just so that you know your supply is well established first. Experts all seem to quote 6-8 weeks.

It will probably help you decide if you read up a bit on how supply and demand works - on the most basic level, if you allow the milk to build up in the breast, it sends the message "We are producing too much milk, better slow down production" and if the baby is drinking constantly then it sends the message "We need more milk, better make it faster!"

More info here

I gave DS a bottle from 2 weeks old - it was EBM as I was worried about supply although I often struggled to express more than 2-4oz, that was ok at the beginning (and I also expressed during the day) but when he got to 6 weeks and I couldn't express enough (and an incident of crying over spilt milk) I decided to introduce some formula so this feed was made up of as much as EBM as I could product + a top up of formula.

DS is now 17mo and I am still BF (just one feed a day as I am back at work) and I think the reason we have lasted so long is because the pressure was removed when I knew I had the option to stop IYSWIM.

Good luck!

I introduced a bottle of EBM from time to time at 6 weeks, seemed fine. Don't know about doing it earlier but i think as long as breastfeeding is firmly established, he shouldn't have any nipple confusion problems.

I recommend you get a good electric pump if you are planning on expressing regularly. They always produced more milk than a hand pump for me.

Thanks for all the advice and links. Will perhaps hang on a few more weeks and see how we get on.