Breast to bottle help please

[Orangechips654123]

Hi all.
Help please.
Baby is week old today.
Have been breastfeeding but he was a whopper at birth and over 9lbs so been hard to sustain his appetite and he lost just under 10% of his birth weight. Midwife put us on a feeding plan of feeds every 2 hrs and a top up with formula. This has been such a lot and left me feeling quite physically and mentally drained to be honest. Other half has been helping so much but I can see how much he worries about my rest and eating etc (both understandably have taken back seat until midwife appt to reweigh baby which is today after 2 long days) and he got quite overwhelmed by the situation also.
This has resulted in deciding to go bottle full time. We have only done a few feeds with formula and the gas it has given baby is unbelievable. Tried the bicycle legs and winding after feeds etc but is pooping and weeing so much he gets uncomfortable either having wet nappy or changes nearly every hour and so struggling to get any rest or sleep therefore me and OH get no rest or sleep. Does anyone have any experience of how-to transition to formula which doesn't affect baby so much?
Thanks

Hi OP

I don't have any actual tips but didn't want to read and run.
My LO is nearly 4 weeks and we have been supplementing with formula almost since birth due to delayed supply. I am feeding on demand and at times it is much often than every 2 hours, with one feed linking to the next and barely any down time. It is relentless and I have considered going bottle full time, so I feel your pain.

Personally, I am making some last efforts with breastfeeding and have reached out to La Leche League and have received great advice and support from my local leader and have booked myself on their next meeting. We will see how that goes.

My DD is also very gassy and struggles to burp, so ends up with painful trapped wind at times. I have, however, noticed that she was more colicky a couple of weeks ago, as her body was still adjusting to digesting food. I never linked the gas/colic with the actual formula and was told that she was still very young and her body still hadn't learnt how to do process food and pass wind. It is getting better now. One day she simply learnt how to burp by herself and from 5 days without a dirty nappy we went to 5 dirty ones a day.

If you believe it is the formula, have you thought about trying a different one? There are some special formulas that help with colic. It might be worth trying to find the one that agrees best with your LO.

I hope you had good news regarding the weight.