Breastfeeding - issues after needing formula early on / combination feeding.

I combi feed and she has mainly breastmilk, we had to top up with formula as well. Always do breast first if you can. Those early days I was sometimes breastfeeding for an hour, hour and a half but it does get better. You can always breastfeed and then if you need a bit of a break and they’re still hungry, top her up with formula and pump from you breast to keep up supply I even tried to pump more at first so my partner could use some breast milk rather than formula Goes with out saying but always make sure you’re drinking plenty and have a good diet. When were breastfeeding if we have a bad diet it doesn’t really affect the milk but it does affect us as your body will pull the nutrients from within you to give to the baby Also remember that if you’re not enjoying it that a happy mum is a happy baby, please don’t feel pressured to push forward with something you’re not enjoying. Breastfeeding is hard at first but after the six week mark it got so much better for me, less sore

Boobs as they adjusted to my supply, my nipples weren’t sore so keep that in mind if the pain does put you off I also know some mums who mainly formula feed but do a bit of comfort nursing to comfort their babies when they’re crying

In your local area as well there may be some breastfeeding support groups that can give you some more advice and it might be helpful to speak with some ladies about any concerns you have

@Izzy thank you! Currently offering breast first and then topping up with formula. Did one feed yesterday where breast was enough for her. So hoping we may get into the swing of things. Just the unknown and a little disheartening when she is still hungry after a long latch. Trying to pump as well. Guess just have to play it by ear and see how we get on. Health visitor has sent me some links to groups so I'll have a look into those 😊. Thanks for all the advice. Can I ask how much you top up with formula now you're a while into it or does it just vary depending how hungry little one seems?

It just depends for us really but don’t let it dishearten you! To be fair we top up mainly so I can have a break now and then but most days breast is enough for her during the day but if she’s having a growing day that tends to be when I top her up with formula! I used to be sat for nearly an hour and half, my baby is three months now and I’m never sat for more than 25 minutes so it does get better!

That's really reassuring, as I keep reading about people's feeds being much less time than ours and then she is still hungry, so good to know in time that should lessen! X

I was the same I was concerned but I spoke with a friend who breastfeeds and she said that 5-45 mins just ignore it in the new born phase basically as they cluster feed so they want to be on you all of the time but if you are worried and she’s not putting on weight then maybe do 45 mins feed, give her a formula top up and pump if you can!

She could be cluster feeding to up your supply, this is completley normal xx

I combi feed and it works fine for us! In fact came in handy when we had a family emergency and my mum had to look after baby for a few hours! Im also not a confident BF in public as my boobs are very large so baby cab struggle to latch so having formula available that i know he will drink releives that anxiety. As others have said, always offer boob first and top up if needed, my 5 week old now goes some days without any top up needed, whilst others he may have one or two (or even a full formula feed if my toddler is having a meltdown and i don't have time to sit and BF feed). Have the best of both worlds! 😀

Hey, we were in the same boat with regards to going back into hospital for jaundice and needing to give formula. While in hospital we offered breast for up to 30 mins, then gave a formula top up and pumped. By the time we left the hospital on day 5 I was able to express enough to not need formula to top up. We combi feed, for us he has 3 bottles of formula overnight and I pump when it wakes me up. This gives us a stash of breast milk and can offer additional bottles of it during the day if he’s having a hungry day or if I’ve had enough.

Can you pump and express whilst topping with formula for now to increase your supply. This also means you can top up with breast milk too. Good luck x

I had the same thing and found this article super helpful https://laleche.org.uk/my-baby-wont-breastfeed/ Key things are keeping baby fed and keeping the milk flowing. And keeping baby close! If you want to exclusively breastfeed then you need to pump to increase your supply. For the first two weeks my baby was fed with the bottle, my milk and formula. Then we managed to get her to latch using Mam nipple sheilds and now she is feeding exclusively at the breast!

@Beth That's good. Ours wouldn't latch for more than a few minutes when we were in hospital but last two days managed to get her latched for 20 minutes each boob. So hoping I can up the breast and keep some formula for convenience when needed / make sure she is getting enough. Trying to pump when I can as well 🤞🏼

We were also on photo therapy in hospital for jaundice because LO wouldn’t take enough from me. It just takes time. Keep at it. I did formula top up for the first 6 weeks and then my supply started to regulate. Add coconut water to your diet and electrolytes if you can. Try and see a lactation consultant if you get any pain as I thought LO was latched properly but she wasn’t.

@Kristina that's good to hear. I wouldn't mind combi feeding for a little flexibility but ideally mainly breast milk. I do think she may have some latch issues as just seems hungry after every boob feed and I have had a little pain when she latches on the right, but I know milk I there from expressing some. I'm going to speak to my health visitor tomorrow. I'll try the coconut water and electrolytes thanks for the advice 😊

If you see a lactation consultat, get them to check for tongue tie as well. My LO really struggled with latching when he was first born, but we were referred to a lactation specialist as HV suspected tongue tie. It turns out he did - he was an 8 on the scale, which is quite significant. We had it corrected a week ago, and it's made the world of difference! Something to consider is that latching is tricky/not great!

@Naomi the midwife after birth thought she may have tongue tie but said they can no longer say they have or haven't. The community midwife said she couldn't see it at the bottom but may be the top so would do a referral but she said we could be waiting some time. She even suggested going private. I'll make sure I'll raise it with the HV as well see if there is anything there side. Thanks for the advice 😊

@Charlotte no worries! We did have to go private in the end as nhs list was 5/6 weeks long and I felt that I didn't want to wait that long. 🙂

Sounds like cluster feeding which will up your supply. If baby is putting on weight then you dont need to worry. I breastfed both of my children on demand instead of going off times