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Anyone else mix feeding?

I'm mix feeding Millie now as i find breastfeeding really hard and very draining and was starting to dread her wakng up! image I'm now giving her 2 5oz bottles a day and she seems much happier and it takes the pressure of me a little. Think I'm going to gradually introduce a couple more bottles until its half and half then hopefully get to 4 months. This is completely different to what i thought i would end up doing as when i was pregnant i didnt really know how hard breastfeeding was and thought i would do until 6 months! This makes me feel a bit sad.

Is anyone else feeding like this, found breastfeeding really hard?

xxx

Replies

  • I am mix feeding. I find there are more positives than negatives to it. It also means i can take a break from feeding allowing my dh or others to feed. I am sad about it but it is what works for you! x
  • Hi ladies
    I too am mix feeding and just trying to get into a pattern with it. With my 2 year old I expressed for a few months as she was in scbu and then had to have meds which I put in her milk but breast fed other feeds until she was about 9 months, by which time just 1st and last feed were breatfeeds rest were formula and that worked for us. With our new addittion I exclusively breast fed for 1st 2 weeks , but this last week I have introduced formula initially when we had visitors as not keep on getting clevage out infront of others. But with 2 year old it just seems impossible to breastfeed new baby and give her time. Emily sometimes feeds for an hour and 2 year old gets bored and starts doing things she knows she shouldn't just for attention I suspect. Yesterday baby had 1 bottle, today she has had 2 and I am now hoping to get into a rhythm- prob all night feeds breastfeeds and 1st and last feed too, possibly lunchtime one if big girl is napping, otherwise all day feeds might be bottles so I can get other things done! I am sad but feel far less pressured now I know she takes bottle well and that feeds can be sooo much quicker. You really do have to do what works for you, but I was finding it so stressful stopping little one feeding to jump up and wrangle my big girl out of mischief.

    So glad you ladies are all on here. Thanks for staying on line.

    Kelly
    Mummy to Emily 3 weeks 3 days old
  • me too - i had an infection and baby was jaundice so we were both under the weather for first two weeks. by time baby was well enough to feed from me my supply was low and feeding time was a battle. i started expressing and bottle feeding at 2 weeks and this has increased my supply but still can't bf discretely so i need to do express or formula if i wish to leave the house so i have a combo of the two going. its working well for us.
  • So glad I'm not alone! I can't believe how hard breastfeeding is! It was such a shock as I think MW and my parentcraft classes really didn't perpare me and give a realistic view of how tough it can be, they just kept banging on about all the health benefits!

    I had really bad cracked nipples, my back is in agony as I can't seem to find a comfty position to feed in, plus I seem to be permanently engorged, the HV keeps telling me it should have settled down by now but its not and I am permanently in pain.

    I'm now doing mixed feeding and feel a lot better for it, although do feel guilty as well!

    xx
  • Me too, i give Abi a bottle at bedtime and again if she wakes in the nite which she doesnt often do, she usually sleeps fro about 11pm til between 5 and 6 am. But i like the bottle feeding as oh can chip in to xxxx
  • hi ya i've just joined be and am so pleased to of found you lot. my lo is 12 wks now and i bf him totally for 6 wks but then found it was too much with 2 other toddlers around so started mixed feeding and now he has ff during day and bf at nights when i have the time to cuddle for upto an hour. i find it works well for me but i do feel guilty still at times when i'm out and i see other mums bf and i'm there with my ff. so i'm glad to find other mums like me.
  • I take my hat off to all of you. I bf for first 6 weeks but found it so draining, I was so tired and dreaded Amelia waking for a feed (at this stage she was feeding about every 2 hours!!) She is now totally ff, I feel so much more relaxed and happier in myself but when I go round to see friends who are bf, they make it look so easy I feel so guilty but I suppose its what works for you.
    MW's should reaaly prepare us for how hard bf is, mine made it sound so easy which made me feel a complete failure when I couldn't do it properly.
    You mummies should be so proud of yourselves

  • I mixed fed from around 6 weeks. As everyone said it was a shock to me how demanding bf is, niavely I thought it would be fairly easy!! I got thrush at 3 weeks and it wasn't diagnosed and treated properly for ages, so I introduced ff after a while. My lo is now 4 months old and has have just moved to fully ff as my milk has now dried up. In the last month lo was bf first thing in the morning and last thing before bed. Mixed feeding was definitiely the right thing for us, and worked very well! It's a shame we don't here more about it as a feeding option.
    So well done all your ladies. As ever the best thing for your lo is love and attention and a happy and healthy mummy to give them this, far more important than what type of milk they're getting!
  • i expressed for 6wks as the twins wanted to come out at 31wks and they were in scbu for 5wks,i really wanted to carry it on but i have a 2 year old son aswell,so when they came out i found it really hard and decided to stop doing it,i had to wean Jack on to formula i had to do half of ff and half bm but charlotte took to it right away,when i decided to stop i was gutted! you have done really well,so be proud of yourself

    sarah
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