Mixed feeding... Would this work?

[EdwardianDream]

My DD is 3 weeks old. I am currently mixed feeding: mainly breast but on average 3oz over 2 feeds in an evening when my husband does a shift with her while I sleep and then maybe 2x 1 or 2oz bottles during the day. Sometimes more if my husband is looks after her.

I'm lucky that DD has taken to BF with no issues. However I just don't know if I can do it long term this time. I can't deal with the lack of sleep whilst having another DD to be looking after too. I EBF my other daughter but it really affected my mental health, mainly due to lack of sleep and not being able to share the night care

Anyway, do you think it could work if I gave regular AF bottles and just breastfed in-between during the daytime? Will the lack of night feeds make my supply dry up?

I don't know if I want to give up BF completely as it is convenient sometimes, and I don't mind the cuddles on the sofa during the day. It's just the nights... Doesn't help that DD will not sleep in her moses basket, only when held.

Any advice?

Firstly - congratulations!!

I think everyone is different but as soon as I went from EBF to mixing I found it very difficult. My supply definitely reduced.

I found it much easier EBF as I didn’t need to worry about making bottles through the night though. The worst thing about it was my baby would get reflux, so I had to sit for an hour with him almost upright before trying to lie him back down. My husband would sometimes pick up after the feed to do this bit so I could get a couple of hours before the next feed.

Not sure this helps any, just my experience.

No expert and I’m sure everyone is different but this early on I think you need the clustering night feeds to build supply.

It’s likely that your supply will decline until you’re bottle feeding.

it’s balance, how much do you want to bf vs how much it affects you.

you can try it, it may work, but be mentally prepared for supply to decrease further.

if you do want to bf can your dh do anything? Is he at work, do you have any childcare for your older dc to give you a break in the day?

if you bottle feed at night to share the load is your dh ok working the next day?

it sounds like you would be happier bottle feeding, tbf, if you are struggling that much with nights.

My DH is fab and doing what he can. Now he's back at work he will have DD2 until midnight so I can do bedtime with DD1 and sleep. I take over from then. On pat leave he would stay up til 1/half 1 but he can't do that and function at work. I'm really missing that extra hours sleep though.

DD1 will be back at school next week and I'm really anxious about getting her to school on time and managing DD2. It's an hour round trip in the car. Not ideal for anyone and we'll hopefully be moving her to a closer school.

The last 2 nights have been really hard, no solid blocks of sleep from 11.30 until 6am. I read about formula fed babies having a feed at 10pm, then 2, then 6am and think it sounds a dream! I know there's no guarantees though.

I was lucky that my DD was a good sleeper but I used to breastfeed her at bedtime at 7ish and then express at 10 and my husband would use this for the first night feed and then I would breastfeed for the second night feed. Didn’t affect my supply at all- she never had any formula and I kept breastfeeding for 15 months. My DD stopped having a bottle when she dropped night feeds at 4 months so at that point I wasn’t feeding over night at all and my supply kept up.
I also couldn’t have managed the night feeds alone, I need my sleep and had 2 other children to look after in the day. I realise I was lucky to get a good sleeper. Good luck!

I combi fed my eldest and EBF my youngest.

Tbh for me EBF was far easier. Especially when we were out of the early weeks. It also helped that my EBF child would sleep from 10pm to 5am 90% of the time from about 8 weeks. They both had awful witching hours in the evening though where they'd just scream and feed.

When second was born my DH helped by being 100% on the toddler when he was at home. He'd do his bath and bed time etc.

Getting him out to nursery was actually ok too when I did it. We got into a nice routine with baby that I'd feed her at 7 and she'd sleep during the walk to nursery.

If you want to mix feed though, I'd keep the bottles to the day time and nap when baby does and eldest is at school, it's much easier to breastfeed over night.

I did this. Worked really well. Meant I actually got some sleep at night, as that was the killer for me. Found it much easier than ebf. We were lucky as our slept right through from 8wks.

I've combi fed both of mine but it has been about 75% boob and 25% bottle and I have generally just bf at night. We did a regular bottle in a morning and on an evening, this gave me chance to go and do things or go out. I breastfed on demand around that. Didn't appear to have any supply issues although I've always felt I had quite low supply. I feel like my body/baby adjusted around the bottles. I think though you've got to really stick to it and not let the bottles of formula creep up. Sometimes I've still had evenings of cluster feeding after DD has had the bottle, and I just feed for hours rather than "giving up" and giving a bottle.

I wouldn’t guarantee bottle fed babies sleep. For the school run just put the baby in the car in their sleepsuit, have leggings close by your bed for you, and when you get home know you can nap- set an alarm