Personal Stories: Combo feeding from day 1
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Anonymous
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If you combo fed from day one (nursing and formula), how did that work for you? How did you approach it? How did it end up working out? Did you use ready to feed? If so, for how long? Did you sterilize bottles for each use until a certain age? How? What would you do differently if you were going to do it again? Any tips?
I am pregnant with #3. For a variety of reasons based on past experience, I want to combo feed from day 1. I've never done that before - once I exclusively breastfed, once I started with breastfeeding then did some combo feeding and actually exclusively pumped for a while, but all with the goal to nurse. I understand that by combo feeding from day 1, I may never establish a good supply and may end up pretty quickly on all formula, and I'm fine if that's how it goes. If I got to pick, I'd sleep through one feeding a day, while the baby gets a bottle from my husband, and nurse the rest of the time for the first three months or so, then drop down to maybe 3 nursing sessions a day with the rest formula when I go back to work and do that for the rest of the first year. If that works out, great, if it's basically all formula all the time by week 2, also great, as is anything in between. As god is my witness, I will never pump again. Only looking for stories from those who have actually done this, please. Thanks! |
Anonymous
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It's been 11 years, but I just did it. Formula every other feed during the day. She liked it HOT, hotter than what is probably recommended.
I pumped for a short while when I went back to work. I breastfed overnight to establish a good supply. I took formula to the hospital and they gave me a hard time, but I told them basically to shove it. |
Anonymous
Ha, thanks. This is OP. How long were you able to breastfeed? Every other feed just during the day probably means, what, 3 formula feedings a day? |
Anonymous
| Following! I’m interested in this too. All the same questions as the OP. |
Anonymous
She quit on her own at 6 months, i had a good supply but she was no longer interested. 3-4 formula feedings is about right |
Anonymous
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Currently combo feeding an about to be six week old. Until my milk came in, she ate almost all formula and nursing was just for fun. Once milk was all the way in, she has been getting 1-3 formula bottles/day depending on what’s happening (if I’m out, older kid wants mom to himself, etc.) with always one bottle overnight so I can sleep. Managing engorgement has been an issue since the formula bottles tend to be random, so I have needed to use a Hakka/hand pump/hand express to take the pressure off.
This is my first time breastfeeding (first kid was pumped milk and formula) and I don’t love it. I’m at the point where I am not sure my supply can hold up to only one formula feed per day, but I am happy for the ratio of nursing:formula to change especially as I don’t want to pump when I return to work at 12 weeks. I read whatever I could about combo feeding prior to birth (there’s shockingly little out there) but just fell into this cadence which has worked for us for ~6 weeks. Who knows what we will fall into next… |
Anonymous
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I combo fed from birth with my first a few years and and am about to have my second and am planning to do the same.
I brought RTF bottles and nipples to the hospital because it was a “baby friendly” hospital, and I’d heard they might refuse to offer formula. Baby had only formula into my milk came in on day 2. Issues latching for a few weeks so I exclusively pumped but kept trying to breastfeed a few times a day with a nipple shield until we achieved good latch at 6 weeks and ditched pumping after that. I agree with you that pumping is the Devil and not worth it under any circumstances except to relieve engorgement. I can’t really remember how many bottles of formula vs breastmilk she got per day because I never cared or tracked. It was probably 1-2 formula feeds in the beginning, some days none, and by 6 months it was maybe 50% formula? We used RTF for almost a year because she had to be on Alimentum and it was during the formula shortage and there was no powder available. For the brief months before the shortage when baby was around 3 months and we did use powder, we never sterilized the bottles, just hand washed. I never warmed bottles and don’t recommend starting. We used glass Philips Avent. My supply never dropped due to the combo feeding (my supply dropped when I lost an abnormal amount of weight quickly due severe sleep deprivation/self neglect because my kid has a sleep disorder. But this has nothing to do with the combo feeding). |
Anonymous
| OP here. Thanks all! This is helpful. I’ve also been surprised about how little info is out there about combo feeding! |
Anonymous
PP with the 6 weeker here. I think as long as you are ok with exclusively formula feeding at any point, you can just do what feels right in the moment and take it from there. Logistically, here’s what I did/am doing: -used hospital provided Similac and switched to ready-to-feed Enfamil Neuropro once home. Only switched formula brands because I have trust issues with Abbott Labs from the formula shortage/my first. It’s really all the same, though. -used 2 oz ready to feed bottles for the first week or two then switched to 8 oz bottles of ready to feed. Stocked both before birth. -sterilized the bottles before birth and since then just run them through the dishwasher. I bought new nipples but am reusing my first’s glass nuk bottles. -baby gets vitamin d drop in her overnight bottle -will switch to powdered formula around 2 months per the pediatrician -serve formula at room temp and warm opened ready to feed from the fridge in a bowl of hot water until it’s room temp -I could probably bottle feed what I collect in my Haaka when engorged but I think it’s important to keep formula in her daily diet so I just dump any collected milk down the drain (which feels insane after pumping for my first) This is for a full term, healthy baby who has stayed on her growth curve. |
Anonymous
OP here - cool this is really helpful! I don't think I'll see the pediatrician again until after he's born, so I won't have a chance to ask him questions. But I think starting with the 2oz ready to feeds makes sense. Glad to hear you're not having to do daily sterilizing, that sounds like a PITA. Thank you! |
Anonymous
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I’m a pp. starting with 2oz RTF makes the most sense because 1. You won’t have the facilities or equipment to wash bottles in the hospital, and they will probably give you the 2oz anyway, so it’s best to just go with that for a few weeks especially if money isn’t an issue.
Bobbie didn’t exist yet and options like Kendamil weren’t legally available yet with my first, so there was really no reason to switch from RTF to powder. But the higher end organic formulas don’t offer RTF so this time around I’m going to start with Neuropro or Similac 360 or whatever they have at the hospital then switch to organic powder at 1 month or so. |
Anonymous
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I had my third 5 weeks ago. I combo fed until my milk came in and still keep formula on hand. I also pump 1-2x a day.
Yes I sterilize bottles. The baby breads washer dryer combo has been a godsend. |
Anonymous
Baby brezza* |
Anonymous
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I had a preemie who couldn't latch (21 years ago), so we did combo from day 1. My experience was that supply matched demand, so as long as I wanted to BF, we could. If your supply doesn't react the same way, you can increase BF for a while to stimulate it or if needed pump a little after feeding for a few days.
It was great. Kid is great. Loving life in college. |
Anonymous
| I have a good supply but have to BF or pump every 3 hours (incl…maybe especially…at night) or my supply totally gives up. When my kids start eating solids I know BFing will end for me. I don’t think there’s any way to know how your body will react because obviously everyone is different. |