switching from bf to ff

cara_x · May 31, 2009 3:12PM

my lo is 4month and bf and i want to finish bf at 6months and would like to get my lo into a routine on bottles before weaning. I was thinking of introducing 1 bottle at five months then adding a bottle every week to slowly decrease my milk supply, anyone else done this or got any adive, it would be great thanks x

millysmum_naomi · May 25, 2009 8:41AM

cara- i did this with dd1 at 6 months. i just introduced late afternoon bottle first and like you said, added one every so often. i would just see how it goes with your boobs, i.e. how quick they get used to it!! mine were fine and i think it only took a couple of weeks. i wound down to morning and night bf, then just morning, then none. i'm sure it will be fine and lo will prob guide you as to how quick s/he wants to do it.
good luck xx

cara_x · May 25, 2009 9:38AM

thanks hun, he already has bottle of ebm before bed so i'll prob star with that one. did your dd mind swapping to formula??

millysmum_naomi · May 25, 2009 4:01PM

no, i dont think she even noticed!!! i'll prob do the same this time too, hope it goes ok!

Sunflower81 · May 25, 2009 4:44PM

I did this too at six months, although we'd already started weaning so he was down to 3 breastfeeds a day by then. I started with the afternoon feed, then after a couple of weeks did the morning one - it probably would've ben ok to drop a feed every few days ( I did it more slowly because I wasn't ready to stop, but had to before I went back to work!), just see how your body feels.

My LO did object at first, but it only took a couple of days for him to accept the formula. He'd been having EBM about once a week, so he was used to bottles, but at first wouldn't take the formula until he was really hungry, so I just kept offering it until he took it - like I said, he was weaned at this stage, so for a couple of days I offered it when he wanted a meal and he took it. I'm not trying to worry you in saying this, I'm really trying to say if your LO does refuse the formula at first, persevere and it hopefully shouldn't take long. My LO loves it now, and opens his mouth as soon as he sees the bottle - despite carrying on like we were trying to poison him when he first had it!

Hope it goes well

denise007 · May 25, 2009 5:55PM

I decided to swap to formula when my DS was 9 weeks. I knew I was going to miss it but he was becoming less satisfied with his feeds and I was shattered. I gave him formula in his last bottle for a few days then the lunch time one. Tea time was next then morning. I did this over about 2 weeks and didnt have any problems with my boobs as I was gradually reducing my milk supply. He took to formula really well thankfully and I also noticed how relaxed he had become. I obviously wasnt producing enough so he was starving.

Good luck when the time comes to stop.
xx

cara_x · May 26, 2009 3:28AM

thanks for replies ladies , i know im gunna miss bfing so much but am struggling at mo to keep up with his demands, still likes to feed every 2 hours during day and is up at least 3times during night. but were going to perservere until he 6months. Which formula did you all use? did you find feeds decreased once switching?

denise007 · May 31, 2009 3:12PM

We used SMA gold and almost straight away he was going 3-4 hours between feeds. That was amazing as he had been feeding every 2 hours and during a growth spurt was feeding hourly and I just couldnt keep up. He would have his last bottle about 11pm and was sleeping till 4.30am then up at 8 again.

He was about 5 months when he started sleeping 7pm-8am.
xx

switching from bf to ff

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