Combo feeding moms…need advice as a FTM - April 2024 Babies | Forums | What to Expect (2024)

I am also a first time mom and just want to share what I have learned from research- if combining, best to wait about 2-3 weeks to establish breastfeeding first as bottles are easier for baby to suck and so babies who have not established breastfeeding first, tend to have less success. If you do need to supplement even before breastfeeding is established make sure to get bottles that are specifically made to mimic breast as they will create the least problems.

Also go in with an open mind. There is nothing wrong with combo or even exclusive formula feeding but going in with mindset that breastfeeding is too much is likely to be self fulfilling prophecy. Just take one day at a time and experience it as it comes and make decisions from there rather than anticipating problem. This applies to all areas of life!

Good luck!!!

About to be a STM. I did a variety of fed from breast, pump and from bottle, and some supplemental formula last time. I found my son didn’t have a problem going back and forth and we just used dr brown narrow bottles. He did drink bottles faster but once he got the hang of breastfeeding he was fine and we breastfed for 12+ months.

I don’t have experience with this but IMO the most important thing is “training” your body to make the right amount of milk. With traditional breastfeeding you should be getting milk out every time baby eats. So if baby has a full bottle of formula you should be pumping to teach your body that it’s time to make more milk. Your body makes milk differently after 6-12 weeks, it’s more made on demand and much harder to increase your supply. From what I’ve learned I would guess if you’re combo feeding you want to be consistent, feed formula around the same time every day and your body will get into that routine. Not sure if it’ll affect your supply long term if you do this right from the beginning (I’m sure it’s different for each person)

I did that with my first because I had too right away but truly I wish I waited and got the hang of BF right away. My advice is give BF a try first and supplement only

After

I did both with my first. I was breastfeeding in the hospital but my colostrum clearly wasn’t enough because my baby became lethargic. I started pumping and giving her the colostrum then supplementing with 2ml of formula. Once my milk came in I gave her just my breast milk until 6mo.

Then I did a mix of formula/breast milk bottles until she was good with all formula. The taste is different so this took a week or so. After that I did all formula bottles and 1 breast milk bottle a day until my stash was gone.

Lots of ways to do this! Some people here are super anti bottle if you want to breastfeed. I personally don’t agree. My baby did both luckily but every baby is different. I will say I know MANY people who don’t bottle feed then are shocked when they need to go to a wedding or work and their baby can’t be fed without them. They say to do atleast 1 bottle each day to keep them used to alternate feeding methods and I will do this for my second baby for sure

My first son was born at 33 weeks with many complications and was tube fed breast milk for a while, went to bottle with formula and breast milk combined

to help him build weight, then went to breast milk straight from the source. He did fine! If pumping exclusively works for you, great. The goal is to keep a consistent trigger for your body to produce milk.

I also second finding a lactation consultant because having one help “fit me” for pump parts and answer questions while my baby was in the hospital was worth its weight in gold! Our generation doesn’t always have family members to guide our breastfeeding journey or support/help, so I highly recommend you build it where you can!

Fed is best - good luck to you! ��

4th baby here. I start in the hospital. I send my babies to the nursery at night and tell the nurses not to wake me for the first feeding but to give a bottle. If I have a pumped one they use that, otherwise it’s formula. They then wake me for the next feeding and this way I get some sleep!

My children also use pacifiers (Avent soothie which is what the hospital gives) and all breastfed for more than a year.

With my baby that was born right before Covid lockdown, I ended up eventually only breastfeeding as I was working from home. When I had to go back to the office we really struggled with getting him to take a bottle. I strongly recommend, even for all EBF moms, to give at least 1 bottle a day (pumped or formula) so you’re not stuck when you need to go out, whether for a couple of hours or full time work.