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Switching from breast to bottle

Morning,

So my little guy is coming up for four months now, so I'm starting to think about the next stages of his development. He's been completely breastfed right through, aside from a couple of days of formula top-ups in his very early days for weight loss issues. I have never intended to breastfeed for longer than about six months for various reasons, although the health visitors keep trying to change my mind, but that's another story. At six months he'll be moved onto solids, but when and how would you do the switch to formula? I'd planned to do it gradually over the course of a few weeks so he'd be having both for a time. Should I start changing over fairly soon or wait until he's started on solids? Would changing at the same time as having solid food just freak out his system too much? He was perfectly happy having the formula top-ups when he had them, so hopefully he won't object to formula now, and he's had several bottles of expressed milk so I know he can take a bottle. I'd just like the transition to go as smoothly as possible.

Thanks!

Replies

  • I wouldn't start it at the same time as weaning  in case he isn't keen on one or the other or gets an upset tummy. You might be better off  starting it a few weeks before. I'd start with half a bottle a day and then build up. I know you said he has had formula in the past but he may not take to it again so you could do a half and half with EBM if that's the case until he gets used to it

  • As Garfield said, I'd do it at different times. I wanted to bf for six months and then gradually switch to formula. He started on solids at 5 and a half months and at 6 months I introduced a nighttime bottle. What helped me make the switch was a good stash of breastmilk in the freezer as I was able to defrost 6oz per day, give a bit on cereal in the morning and then the rest from a cup during the day. All his other milk feeds were formula. That lasted a month and now he's 7 months and the stash is gone he's completely on formula. Doing it that way I don't think he really noticed at all. Hope that all makes sense??? Good luck with the switch!

  • Slightly different as S was mix fed from the start so no issues re the bottle but I basically built up from one bottle a day to eventually replacing them all over about 6 weeks u til 6 months. Kinder on your boobs to srop slowly too.

    Good luck, hope he takes it ok

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