Switching from breastfed to formula

[Amethyst21]

Hi all,

Im a FTM and have been exclusively breastfeeding my 6 week old so far. I am interested in combifeeding with the intentions of full switch to formula for personal reasons (please no judgement - I know BF is most nutritious but I believe fed is best and happy mum = happy baby)

Could I ask if anyone has made the switch how you did it and which formula worked for you? Also did you get more routine in your life? I suffer from PND and with formula I imagine my partner can help even more and I can get more time to myself and start to feel like me again..

I know there’s the whole faff of bottle washing but I currently wash and sterilise pumping equipment and bottles anyway which is stressful as I don’t get much when I pump..

Any advice will be helpful. TIA x

I never breastfed so have no advice to offer there but just wanted to say I never found bottles to be a faff. We made bottles up in batches, flashed cooled in ice cold water and kept in the fridge then just warmed when required. We had enough bottles to just wash, sterilise (microwave) and make up twice a day (or once when she dropped night feeds). When you get into a routine, it's really not onerous.

Good luck with it all and remember that no-one really cares how you fed your baby and if they do, they're not worth listening to.

I breast fed my son, who is now a teen, exclusively for the first 6 weeks but he practically fed the whole time and was difficult to get to sleep. I was exhausted. At the time we were being encourage that breast is best etc etc.

Eventually, a retired nurse managed to persuade me that my son was simply hungry and I was not meeting his needs. I introduced a bottle to start with at night time and within a 2 weeks an 11am bottle. I think by 12 weeks he was 100 on formula (aptomil).

He slept better and was happier. I was much happier too.

Also, meant to add that bottles are not a faff compared to pumping for breast milk and its easier for your partner / anyone else to get involved.

When I introduced formula I wondered why I hadn't done it a bit earlier!!

We did mixed feeding with dc1 until 9 weeks and switched to formula. A little different as dd obviously we always had some formula in her diet.

We did bottles at night time mainly. Breastfed I the morning and then bits throughout the day with formula top ups. Eventually my milk just dried up. This was after a gp prescribed me the combined pill though.

Don't go cold turkey! I tried this one dayat about 5 weeks and thought well, we're not feeding that much (we really weren't at this point), it'll be fine. Awful mastitis!

Good luck!

I combi feed my 4 month old.

Baby has his bottles - 5oz, around 4/5 times a day and he breastfeeds as much as he wants on top of this. Usually around his nap times as he feeds to sleep and if he wants a snack or comfort.

We also co sleep and he is starting to breastfeed only during the night now.

Bottles aren't much of a faff tbh. Makes bottle. Wash and bung in a cold water steriliser (my partner is in charge of all washing/sterilising so that may help!). Much easier then pumping!

To add - it helped me enormously. If I need/want to go out I can. Babe is fine with dad or my mum. Babe is satisfied from his formula and we both get all the benefits from breastfeeding.