Thinking of switching to formula-advice please!!

**scarlett41** · 01-01-2011 20:40

Hi all

I am in some need of advice. DS is 8 months old and is still breastfed. He was exclusively BF until 6 months when we started to "top him up" with formula due to extremely poor sleeping at night. So he was BF and then an extra bit at the end of the day. Didn't help the sleeping one bit.

Currently we have our second bout of Thrush is 2 months and my nipples are in agony. They are cracked and sore and DS is refusing point blank the boob!!! I'm over it. We haven't had the easiest time with the boob thanks to an incompetent (my opinion) MCH telling me my son's illness at 3 months was MY fault due to my supply-pure bull-who likes to eat when they are sick??? He has had asthma, 2 colds and hayfever in his short life. PLus he is a stubborn little creature-we have had Breast refusal at least one day a week since 8 weeks old (sometimes more). Then there is the sleeping issue. He hasn't slept longer than 3 hours in 4 weeks. He hasn't slept through a night in 4 months. I'm exhausted-and at the same time I'm so used to living on 4 hours sleep a night it isn't bothering me!!!

So DH and I have decided (we think!!) to switch to formula during the day and keep the boob for overnight should we need it-hopefully not I'd like some sleep!! Does that seem reasonable?

Also we have been using the S-26 formula because we only use it on the odd occasion and you can get it in the prima containers. DS seems to drink it ok but it seems rather smelly and thick to me. I was wondering if there was a better one to use???
And how many feeds would I do at 8 months? On a good boob day we have 6-8 feeds. Is that too many? I was thinking 5 bottles???

Any advice would be appreciated or people who have done the same thought of thing that I'm planning!

Thanks and Happy New Year!!:celebrate2:

**waterlily** · 01-01-2011 20:46

I think switching to formula is a very personally decision and if your positive you want to go that way thn go for it.

No idea about formula brands sorry DD is on a special script formula.

But at 8 months DD was having 5 bottles a day.

Hopefully more hubbers come to your aid

**Mummabear** · 01-01-2011 20:52

I don't like any of the S-26 formulas, but that's personal opinion only. I don't like it because their use beef fat instead of vegetable fat and it is known as a constipating formula. Karicare use vegetable fats and are pretty good forumuls and Nan HA is a good one as it is pre-digested and gentler on their tummies. Once again, just personal opinion. I've been out of the formula game for a while now so I can't recall a lot of the info, sorry. There are some good threads in this section about the different types of formula if you want to look into it. Swapping and changing formulas is not great for their little tummies, so IMO it's worth doing a bit of research rather than trial and error. As for the amount of feeds, it's been so long I can't remember, but on the tins there is a guide as to how mcuh they usually need.

**missymoo9** · 01-01-2011 20:53

hi.

nan isnt thick like s26, you may find bubs will possibly prefer one to the other. he may become more fussy when it comes to feeding at the breast or he may prefer the breast. each baby is different when it comes to feeds as im sure you know, so i would follow his cues with bottles it may take a few days for you to get into more of a schedule of when he wants a bottle.

sorry i couldn't be more help

**MyCheekyMonkey** · 01-01-2011 21:34

I agree with previous posters re: Nan formula. When we first put DD on formula we used s26 and she had terrible tummy pains, so I swapped her to Nan and it seemed to work better. She's on Novalac Reflux now due to reflux, but if she didn't have that, I would still be using Nan.

I also found Nan better as you have 1 scoop per 30ml water, whereas S26 was 1 scoop per 60ml, so if DD was still a little hungry I could do a 30ml top up instead of having to do 60ml and potentially waste half if using S26.

At 8 months DD was on 4 feeds a day, with 180ml each bottle (7am, 11am, 3pm & 7pm).

**Bubbles10** · 01-01-2011 23:56

My bub is almost 9 months old and also wakes at night for breastfeeds. Have you started solids with your bub? I have heard that giving them cereal at night can help them sleep longer. Hasn't worked for us, but thought i'd put it out there.

I don't think 6 to 8 feeds is too much. Is that over 24 hours or just the waking hours? Their tummies are still little and i would prefer to feed smaller amounts more often.

Sleep deprivation sucks but i would be scared to add in formula in case it just made things worse (tummy issues etc).

Hope your bub lets you get some sleep soon.

**newmummy2010** · 03-01-2011 06:10

My bub is 5 mmonths and were slowly switching to formula.
Karicare gold on my pharmacist(babys godmummy too) recommendation...
We bought the karicare sachets to try first!!!

It says to give 200ml 4-5 times/day but my baby seems go only like 100ml at a
and feeds more often. Breast some feeds and bottle some feeds.

**Moxy** · 03-01-2011 08:05

I switched DS to formula at 5 months. I put him on Nan HA. DS has (had?) mild CMPI. He's also got eczema, I think he'll get psoriasis & showing signs of hayfever (all my crappy genes lol). I chose a hypoallergenic one based on these things.

I've also read several times on BH that it's the closest consistency to breastmilk. It doesn't smell at all which I've heard can be a problem with other formulas.

You can buy it in sachets as well.

DS is 6 months & gets 5 bottles a day (210 ml of water) plus one solid. I'm going to start giving him a second solid meal next week. When he started on formula he didn't finish the bottles and at one point dropped to 4 bottles a day (about the time he started one solid meal a day).

Good luck.

**Trinie** · 03-01-2011 08:35

I use Nan HA when bub gets a top up, and I originally used S26 but I think it made DD windy and constipated, even when it was 1 bottle every 2-3 days.

I like the way nan smells, even though nothing compares to a BF baby. S26 smelled like potatoes to me so I didn't like the way it made DD smell.

**felicia81** · 03-01-2011 08:47

I would also recommend the Nan HA formula.

My DS is 8 months and is on 4 210ml bottles a day (four hourly, doesn't wake for overnight feeds). He also has solids a few times a day - no set routine, he is usually nibbling some of whatever I have and I give him baby yoghurt, baby bikkies, fruit etc sometimes as well.

Good luck with it, but switching to formula won't necessarily make your bub sleep longer stretches. Will probably help you with stressing about BF problems though.