Swapping from breast to bottle

xxAdamsMumxx · Mar 31, 2010 12:12PM

Hi

I have been BF for the past two weeks but have decided to switch to bottle.

Does anyone have any advice about how to do this? Do I go cold turkey, or start mix feeding first?

What will happen to my milk production if I stop?

Any advice would be much appreciated!!

Cath xx (with very sore nipples!

)

[Modified by: **Cath** on 02 March 2010 20:45:01 ]

morello · Mar 3, 2010 7:23AM

my lo is just over 2 weeks and i started mix feeding on sunday, i started with one night bottle and am now on 2 night bottles and an ocassional day bottle? you could go cold turkey but the first night i missed a feed my boobs leaked so much they went through my top and left a puddle on the bed, they still leak now, they also get a bit engorged and ive been finding it a bit of a relief to still do a breast feed!

They say your milk production goes down as theres less demand, im not finding it an issue yet, i plan to gradually work up to full bottle feeding

xxAdamsMumxx · Mar 3, 2010 7:44AM

Thanks Morello. I think mix feeding is the way to go for now.

How is your LO taking to the bottle? Adam will only ever take 2oz max before he starts crying and rooting for my boob! I am being firm and not offering it to him until the next feed though!

Good luck with the switch! I can't wait to get onto full bottle feeding, my nipples are a wreck! Hungry babies, eh? :roll: xx

morello · Mar 3, 2010 1:44PM

Hello cath,

Lo's doing really well on the bottle to be honest, i hold her away from me to feed so she doesn't root, you know, hold her in front so she is facing you?

It seems to really vary how much she takes, i make up 5oz's, she had a bottle before bed last night (10pm) and took the whole 5 then on her second bottle at 1.30am she took 3 oz and an hour or 2 later the other 2 oz's, you're probably not supposed to let them continue with a half finished bottle but if its within an hour or 2 of her last feed i do ;\)

My god i sympathise with the nipples, thats why ive had to start combination feeding, they've gone past the cracked and bleeding phase, they're just really sore and painful now when she feeds, i'm the same as you, rock on full bottle feeding!!!!! I dont know if you use anything for your nipples but i found Lansinoh helps in the interim?

Tashua · Mar 4, 2010 12:29PM

Hello - I have an 8 month old and could only bf for 6 weeks as my nipples were too sore as Freyah just wanted booby all the time! I switched to bottles in about 48 hours - if your boobs get too engorged you can try expressing a little bit off it but not too much as you are creating more of a demand.

I found bottle feeding easier and more comfortable and Freyah is absolutely fine with it. Good Luck and I also found Lansinoh really good.

xxAdamsMumxx · Mar 4, 2010 5:12PM

Thanks ladies!

Adam is still not really taking to the bottle very well so I hae had to give in and give him more boob than I would like!

My Mum is coming down to visit next week though so she will help me with the transition!

I have been using Kamillosan (sp?) on my nipples but nothing can mend the huge cracks I have! Being outside in the cold is torture!!

xx

MJ1986andEsmae · Mar 5, 2010 3:16PM

i was going to say with the bottle feeding if you have someone else around at the time could they not feed your lo so he does not look for the boob i found this work well with my DS

xxAdamsMumxx · Mar 7, 2010 3:59PM

We went 'cold turkey' this weekend and Adam now takes bottles brilliantly!

I have been expressing a bit, but my supply is definitely dimnishing - it's lovely to have normal boobs again!

I'm so glad we made the switch. I feel I can properly enjoy my little boy now rather than dreading every (long, painful!) feed!

xx

LuleeW · Mar 30, 2010 3:01PM

We made the decision to switch to bottles exclusively last night and we're going cold turkey. I only manged BF for just over a week, but during that time LO lost 14% birthweight due to poor latch, had to be readmitted to hospital overnight (gosh, that was fun!) and I had to start using nipple shields just so she could get a latch, which I'd need to do for every feed ever after. This meant that I'd never be able to feed in public as I had to get my whole boob out to feed, was feeding every four hours for a whole hour, then expressing for a further hour just to get 40mls out to attempt to let DH do at least one nightfeed...and I just lost the will to live!!

Boobs are leaking all over the place, and are quite sore, but not exploding 24hrs after I did my last BF - which tells me that I as I suspected I had a poor supply to begin with.

Is anyone else finding now that LO is feeding on the bottle every 2hrs? She's only taking about 2oz per feed, which is probably why she's feeding so often. Any tips on what to do to get her to take the whole bottle? I'm assuming its just something she'll get used to without vomiting spectacularly (which really is a sight to behold ha ha!) over the next few days/weeks? xx

Garfield24sBoys · Mar 30, 2010 6:07PM

Sorry g/c from toddler. I had to make the switch from breast to bottle at around 6 weeks as lo had been jaundiced (and under heat lamps which was a bit scary!) and had been too tired to latch on. He switched to bottle fine but like you Lulee he struggled to take much in one sitting. I went the cruel route; when he started crying for his bottle after a couple of hours I would let him suck on my little finger instead (didn't want him to have a dummy that young) to keep him going a bit longer. Worked a treat actually - I then slowly lengthened the time between feeds using my finger as a distraction. My MIL spouted that it was harsh and cruel, but within a few days he was into a lovely routine, started sleeping through the night at 8 weeks (7-7!) and took much more at each feed as they were further apart. Meant i wasted much less milk, had to wash bottles much less often and I actually got things done inbetween!!

Hope that helps a little, good luck! x

LuleeW · Mar 31, 2010 12:12PM

Thanks for the reply Garfield - hubby has been doing the finger trick and it def works with her. I dont want to do it as I've got long nails and I'm scared she's hurt her little mouth - so Mummy always gives in and feeds her! Like you, I dont want to have to resort to a dummy though.

Things are looking up last night/today. We switched from HIPP to Aptamil last night, and she went 4hrs, then 5hrs and 5hrs, which is fab, and stopped doing the massive vomits. Think its a combinatin of a more suitable formula and both us and her learning how to bottle feed i.e. not rushing the bottle, plenty of winding etc. She's also settling much better again - albeit with on and of success! Hoepfully this is the start of better things and we'll keep at the reasonable feeding periods - not so bothered about her sleeping through the night or anything, just as long as its not every 2hrs and taking an hour at a time ha ha!

Has to be said, I'm already feeling SO much better not having to be tied to the house as thats the only place I felt comfortable feeding her. Such a relief to know I can feed her whenever, wherever with the bottle. Would've been fabulous if I could've done this with the breast, but obviously not meant to be

xx

Swapping from breast to bottle

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