My son is 8 weeks old and i want to reducethe amount i breastfeed him once he is 12 weeks. I've tried to introduce formula occasionally on the advice of my health visitor but he doesn't seem to like the taste (he just screams when offered it) so i'm worried about weaning him. However i'd like to continue bf in the morning and the evening is this possible and could i just supplement for feeds during the day or am i risking him never wanting formula.
Please help i'm so confused.
One thing you can do to get lo to take some formula is to fix it as usual, then mix it 1/2 and 1/2 with expressed breastmilk, closer to what lo is used to.
Good luck!
However i'd like to continue bf in the morning and the evening is this possible and could i just supplement for feeds during the day or am i risking him never wanting formula.
Please help i'm so confused.
Better to risk him never wanting formula than to risk him totally weaning.
However i'd like to continue bf in the morning and the evening is this possible and could i just supplement for feeds during the day or am i risking him never wanting formula.
Please help i'm so confused.
Better to risk him never wanting formula than to risk him totally weaning.
why is that better? I don't want to continue to exclusively breastfeed for much longer.
Can I ask why you wouldn't? There are several reasons to continue and to stop. I'm just interested in why you came to this decision.
My advice, is to express milk and get him used to the bottle. Then mix, as suggested, adding a little bit more formula each time. This could take a long time, though.
Can I ask why you wouldn't? There are several reasons to continue and to stop. I'm just interested in why you came to this decision.
My advice, is to express milk and get him used to the bottle. Then mix, as suggested, adding a little bit more formula each time. This could take a long time, though.
Otherwise, children will NOT starve themselves.
To be honest i'm finding the breastfeeding is doing more harm to how my baby is cared for. He still feeds every 2hours or so which is exhausting. Often in the evening he feeds for a couple of hours at a time, screaming in between because the milk is not satisfying him. I can't go anywhere with or without him and dad is getting pushed to one side as the longer this continues the less i will allow him to do. So i feel i need to slowly make a change or this family is in danger of falling apart. I've loved breastfeeding and the change will be gradual and hopefully i can continue with the morning and evening feed but my son is so hungry and demanding i have 0 energy left.
Tiredmum - just do what works for you and your family. There is no right or wrong here. Keep with the bottle during the day and if you feel like continuing breastfeeding in the am and pm, then do so.
Your little guy is just 8/9 weeks so he's still figuring things out himself!
TiredMum, if the issue is mostly the amount of time he spends breastfeeding, let me urge you to try waiting until 4 months to wean. I know my son's feedings got much faster and less frequent at around 3 months, and several friends have said the same thing about their children between 3 and 4 months. You never know, if you make it to 4 months, things could be much better for you.
There's usually a shift between 6 and 8 weeks where it gets to be much easier -- has that happened for you yet? If not, it probably will soon -- where it suddenly feels like the baby has figured out how to latch himself on and do his business with minimal input from mom in the form of positioning and bending -- much more relaxing for you and gives you a chance to unwind with the dad while you nurse instead of stressing about it. Then, a few weeks later, the feedings start to be less frequent and long (except during growth spurts).
Really, I urge you, if you don't have a problem with milk supply, give it until 4 months and then re-evaluate.
Oh, and do you nurse lying down? I know I wasn't able to figure it out until around 7 weeks when my son figured out how to latch on his own, but once I did it helped a lot too.
From a mom who's had 2 very different feeders and sleepers I can so relate to wanting things to ease up abit and life to be smoother...and trust me it does get better!!
My first was the worst case scenario for breastfeeding...born in stress, on IV for days, not able to latch, not able to suck etc. I ended up pumping and giving him EBM for 7 months and had enough stored to feed him from the freezer till he was 10 months. For the first 5 weeks we screamed and cried and finally when I realized that breastfeeding wasn't for either of us and decided just to pump what I could get and supplement if needed it finally became easier.
Ds#2 thankfully came by emergency c-section but not in stress, breathing fine and able to nurse fairly well. We had our moments and untl he was about 8 weeks he nursed every 2-3 hours during the day. Thankfully he slept well at night and I got a good sleep early on but having him and a 3 year old was challenging.
Now he's almost walking at 9 months, has 8 teeth and is soooooooo busy and I long for those quiet days!!! I am back to work and still nurse him morning, before supper and at bedtime. At first I worried how it would affect my milk supply and how he would do with bottles but after playing with a few different kinds and dropping feeds every week or so we've got a good routine down now and I have enough milk to keep him happy when he wants it.
I would suggest pumping as much as you can for now and using straight EBM for a bit until he's adjusting better to bottles...try a few different kinds of bottle too. If you can, nurse him every other feed or so so that you don't loose too much of your supply but give yourself a break too. Take it slowly and as soon as you are having a bit of success with the bottles GET OUT FOR A BREAK!!! It sounds like you need some TLC and space to breath.
Good luck!!!
He has always latched on well no stress there. Also have a fine supply although i can't seem to find the time to express much at all. He doesn't sleep throught the night and only naps for 20-30mins at a time during the day even out in his pram. So no rest then either. Am i being selfish wanting to feed him from a bottle once or twice a day so i can get a break? Also am i wrong in thinking he will find formula more filling than breast milk? Feel a bit lost as he is now 10 weeks and still a hungry hippo.
have you ever heard the term "when muma is unhappy, ain't nobody happy".
you do what is best for you and your family. There are tough days, no matter how you feed your lo. Like Jordyn I exclusively pumped for 7 months and it was exhausting too, but I can tell you if it hadn't worked for me, I would have quit. Some breastmilk is better than none. If you feel like you can give it a go awhile longer, good for you, but you have already done an outstanding job.
Some women do feed 2x a day and supplement the rest, though you will have to work a bit harder with pumping to keep up a good supply (the more you cut back the less you produce). If you can, try pumping for 15-20 minutes after each feed, that will increase your supply and get you going on the pump. then you can mix with formula (a few days at 25% then mix more). Then again you may have no problems with lo going back and forth with formula and nipples. Some little ones really aren't all that fussy about where there food comes from as long as they get it NOW!
Good luck and DO WHAT IS RIGHT FOR YOU!
have you ever heard the term "when muma is unhappy, ain't nobody happy".
you do what is best for you and your family. There are tough days, no matter how you feed your lo. Like Jordyn I exclusively pumped for 7 months and it was exhausting too, but I can tell you if it hadn't worked for me, I would have quit. Some breastmilk is better than none. If you feel like you can give it a go awhile longer, good for you, but you have already done an outstanding job.
Some women do feed 2x a day and supplement the rest, though you will have to work a bit harder with pumping to keep up a good supply (the more you cut back the less you produce). If you can, try pumping for 15-20 minutes after each feed, that will increase your supply and get you going on the pump. then you can mix with formula (a few days at 25% then mix more). Then again you may have no problems with lo going back and forth with formula and nipples. Some little ones really aren't all that fussy about where there food comes from as long as they get it NOW!
Good luck and DO WHAT IS RIGHT FOR YOU!
Thank u. I want the change to be gradual. I expect it to take some weeks slowly introducing more bottles with only formula but for now i'm happy breastfeeding as long as i know i can get a break sometimes and i can release some of my responsiblity onto a willing father
That's why pumping worked for me...i was able to let dh be the lead for 3 hours a day while i pumped and I could read a book or watch tv or just rest my eyes. Just make sure if you're going to do it to be consistant with your pumping, you'll have to pump (at first) as often as lo eats. Pretty soon lo will be eating more per sitting and less often and things will get easier.
