formula by day boob @ night how??

[mummy sam]

I'm wanting to do formula during the day, breast in the morn and evening, at the moment lochie has two formula feeds at night,
but i'm wondering how do i go about this???

Does anyone else do this?

[Charlie]

I was giving Amelia Boobie in morning and during the night with Formula during the day...but she is now sleeping through so is only having boobie as first morning feed...needless to say my milk supply has gone down pretty low and I am considering just going to Formula...

[mummy sam]

did you do this from birth? if not how did you start it?
could i just start it tomorrow??

[Seekrit]

This is something I want to know too. I was told you can 'train' your boobs to only be open for business at certain times but I'm not sure on how to do that.

At 6 months, when Nugget goes to "Grandma Care" I want to be able to feed her in the morning, ship her off to Grandma's for the day with formula or expressed milk, then when I get her home feed again. She'll go for about 8 hours (give or take) without seeing the boobie.

[draught]

I am not sure about "training" them but I fully breastfed my daughter and returned to work 3 days a week when she was 8 months old. I expressed twice a day at work, at the times she would be having her bottle at home, so that she had a bottle ready for the next day's feed and so my supply stayed up. We did this for about 4 months, then I started to drop the day time feeds - but we kept going on night and morning feeds until she was 18 months old.

Once you start dropping feeds and replacing with formula your supply will drop - it works on the old supply and demand principle. Once your baby is around 6 months though you will be thinking about introducing solids so the number of day time feeds can start to cut back after a while as solids start to take up the slack, so to speak!

[mummy sam]

does anyone do this?
lochie's on 3 solid meals a day and about 5 milk feeds a day.

so this is what i was thinking of doing
3am-5am (which ever time he wakes) breast milk
8amish breast

11or 12 formula

3or 4 formula

dinner/bed time breast

how does this sound? i really need help on this, can i just jump into it.
His starting day care soon and would like to have this to be in place before he starts. It will also help me out i'm a single mum and am starting to need a little time to myself and this would mean i could leave him with someone for a couple of hours and not stress

[Baby Girl]

We went on holidays when DD1 was 4 months and I started to give her formula through the day as we were out and about doing tourist things with my grandparents. The only times I was actually allowed time to sit and feed was in the morning and at night so that is what I did!! It was literally a total change of routine overnight!!

Both DD and my boobs coped fine. The first day was a bit uncomfy for me but she was fine (luckily for me she had been fed formula and EBM from a bottle on occassion so wasn't upset about the lack of booby). We continued doing this until I went back to work full time when she was 5 1/2 months.

My situation was a bit forced as my grandparents were so excited about showing us the great things close to their new home and just didn't understand the time I needed to feed bub and they had us on such a schedule and are quite difficult people so we just changed our feeding pattern to suit the week but it suited us in the end so we kept it up....

[Seekrit]

Kelly - a fear of mine which you may be able to help me with..

Did your boobs leak a lot at normal feed times when you weren't breastfeeding her?

[Baby Girl]

For about 2 or 3 days they leaked alot but after the first week they settled down heaps and I could go almost all day without a drop being leaked.

I just wore breast pads for about 2 weeks just in case but it didn't take long for my body to catch up.

[Charlie]

did you do this from birth? if not how did you start it?
could i just start it tomorrow??

I was expressing on & off due to very sore, bruised & bleeding nipples...so she was already use to having bottles...I just slowly introduced the formula because my supply was too low...due to the Expressing not draining as much milk as BF was...she has had both since 2 weeks...the formula has just gradually taken over as my supply has gotten lower...I didn't get leaking or pain from fullness:thumbsup:

I would start alternating first formula BF formula BF...that way you will try and avoid leaking & discomfort :D

[mummy sam]

Thanks Charlie that makes sense the alternating thing.
I was going to start tomorrow but i think i might wait till i get some more breast pads. just incase.....

[mummy sam]

hey Seekrit just thought i would let you know i spoke to my MCHN today and she said to do as charlie had said with the alternating. so do this for the first week to slowly reduce your supply and then start to do the way you want with breast in morn and eve then formula during the day.

good luck when you get to it....

[Crazy Monkey]

I recently started my DS on formula during the day (due to me starting back at work today)... I started by replacing 1 breastfeed with a formula feed and then did the same a couple of days later with the other day feed..

Worked well for us, I have no leaking and minimal discomfort and thankfully, DS took to formula like a duck to water...

One month, we are still going strong and my supply seems to be just what he needs...

Good luck