Feeling so guilty/sad about combi feeding

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Hi all. DS is 7 months old and up until a couple of weeks ago was exclusively breastfed. I am due to go back to work next month and in preparation for this have begun replacing breastfeeds in the day with formula. I unfortunately was/am never able to express or pump much so have to use formula.

I still BF DS in the morning, evenings, and at nighttime, but the majority of daytime feeds are now formula. He is not at all bothered about it and happily drinks it, but I am feeling so guilty. I really don't know why as I'm not at all anti formula and DD, (now 4), was exclusively FF pretty much from birth and is perfectly happy and healthy. How do I stop feeling so guilty? DS is happy and fed, and tbh part of me is a little bit relieved that I can now leave him for more than a couple of hours and DH can now do some feeds!

Ideally I would have liked to have stayed off work and continued exclusively BFing until he was a year old and no longer needed milk, but sadly this is not at all feasible financially.

Did anyone else combi feed upon returning to work? And is it normal to feel this bad about it?

Anyone?

Maybe your guilt is about going back to work rather FF? Either way hopefully the feeling will pass as you see how happy your Da is and hopefully you enjoy the return to work too.

Don't worry, the guilt passes. You've done so well already with breastfeeding and you are just making sure that he continues to get excellent nutrition by combi feeding/moving to bottles before work.

I went from ebf to combi at 12 weeks because my ds wasn't gaining weight and we were miserable. I cried at the first bottle, but I have no regrets. I upped the formula gradually until only bf at night. 9 months old now, he is night weaned (just came naturally a month or so ago), eating food, still on formula, happy and a good size. Still a shit sleeper, but hey ho. You're doing fine, try not to worry about formula vs breast.

I get it. I combi feed as DS is very underweight and I was advised to try top ups. I hated the idea at first and found it emotionally very difficult. I found I got over it quite quickly. I realised pretty soon that combi feeding still means all the good bits of breastfeeding - the convenience of whipping out a boob, the antibodies, the bond etc. Plus you get the benefit of flexibility. Knowing someone else can look after the baby is very liberating if you embrace it, and a baby that happily takes a bottle is a real bonus. I found my fear was that it would signal the beginning of the end for breastfeeding and I quickly realised that it doesn’t have to at all.

Both of mine finished earlier than planned. DS1 because he was entirely express fed and my supply dwindled at 5 months. DS2 at 4 months as his weight gain was poor.

The only regret I have is how much I beat myself up over it.

Needs must and you don't have a choice so cut yourself some slack and just enjoy that baby.

So long as you are feeding your baby there is no guilt to be had.

There’s massive hormonal swings when reducing or stopping breastfeeding. You’ve done such a good job getting to 7 months, adding in formula milk isn’t anything to feel guilty about.