Formula & breastfeeding
Printed From: OHbaby!
Category: Have A Baby?
Forum Name: First baby? Second or more?
Forum Description: Want help? Need support? Want tips? Men and women share advice and tips in this supportive community
URL: https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=12371
Printed Date: 09 October 2025 at 2:58am
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 12.05 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Formula & breastfeeding
Posted By: Mum2ET
Subject: Formula & breastfeeding
Date Posted: 19 November 2007 at 5:01pm
|
I am planning on going back to work for a couple of days a week in Jan. I am currently breastfeeding Ella and would like to continue until she is at least 1, however I am hopeless at expressing milk- I can express a little bit but not enough for a couple of decent feeds a day. I have worked out that Ella wil need to have about 4 feeds during the 2 days that I will be working and am thinking about just giving her formula during that time (in a sipper cup as she doesn't drink from a bottle). I am fine with giving her formula, but I don't want it to interferce with breastfeeding. Would be interested to hearing if anyone has done this and if they have had any problems? any thoughts or suggestions (negative or positive) would be greatly appreciated as I haven't fully made up my mind yet. ------------- Mum to Ella (5) and Tom (2) |
Replies:
Posted By: BaAsKa
Date Posted: 19 November 2007 at 5:09pm
|
I havnt gone back to work but i have to top my boy up because he eats alot! lol
he has recently just gone through a stage where he wasnt B/feeding properly but he seems to be fine now so at the risk of cursing it *touches wood* - i think combining it is fine but also depend on the child id say. Good luck 
ETA - my MW told me to go for the gold formulas as they taste closest to breastmilk.....although in saying that - Astin is alergic to all the supermarket formulas and is on Neocate which im thinking is the furtherest from B/milk possible!! lol |
Posted By: kebakat
Date Posted: 19 November 2007 at 7:43pm
|
We ended up giving Daniel formula for his dream feed because I got sick of expressing (DH has always given him this). After a while though I think Daniel preferred the bottle and formula over me so eventually feeds were just a constant battle but I worked out my milk caused his reflux so in the end we gave up breastfeeding.
I'm not sure if thats any help. |
Posted By: MummyFreckle
Date Posted: 19 November 2007 at 8:06pm
|
We are giving Oliver both at every feed...which can be a bit of hassle! He just wasnt getting enough from me, so topping him up with formula was the only option. ALthough I am producing more milk now, he has got used to getting both and gets quite grumpy and unsettled if he doesnt get the bottle!! (he always gets boobie first!!) We do find that he sleeps a lot better when he has a decent amount from the bottle - because he feels like his tummy is fuller I guess, and apparently they can go longer between feeds when they are on formula. The only thing I have been told to watch out for is constipation caused by formula. ------------- http://lilypie.com">  http://lilypie.com">
|
Posted By: jaz
Date Posted: 19 November 2007 at 8:08pm
|
Caleb is about the same age as your wee girl and I've just gone back to work and DP is home with him. I BF in the morning before work, when I get home from work and for his dream feed. If we meet up for lunch I will BF him again. Otherwise he has two bottles a day of formula and is fully breastfed in the weekends.
Once you open a can of formula you need to use it within a month. We get through a can in about three weeks I think. Like you I intend to BF morning and night until he is at least 1. I just use the regular formula. I figure he's getting antibodies from me so I don't need to pay extra for the gold range of formula. ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
|
Posted By: .Mel
Date Posted: 20 November 2007 at 10:06am
|
Keep in mind though, if you are going to be giving her formula during the day, you will still need to keep your own supply up..which would normally mean expressing. Otherwise you might find a couple of things might happen - your supply will drop off and/or you will have very sore breasts by the time you get home and you will need to feed her to get some relief.
I only managed to b/feed for 3 weeks, then had to introduce formula as a top up due to Coopers very slow weight gain. I could express fine, but eventually Cooper turned his nose up at the breast and only wanted the bottle, he didn't care if it was breastmilk or formula he just didn't want breast. So I had to make the decision to only formula feed. ------------- Mr Mellow (16) Miss Attitude (8) Destructa Kid (3) 
|
Posted By: cuppatea
Date Posted: 20 November 2007 at 10:23am
|
Yeah if she is gonna have formula for just those 2 days you will need to express those feeds otherwise like .mel said your boobs will get really engorged and sore on those 2 days. If you gave her formula at those feeds everyday then your supply would reduce to meet the feeds that you are doing.
My SIL went back to work when her little girl was 6 months and she is still being breastfed morning and night and is 16 months now. She also wouldn't take a bottle but has EBM through a cup. I think you won't really now till you try, some babies seem to go off the breast when a bottle/cup is introduced and some don't. ------------- 
 
|
Posted By: mummy_dee
Date Posted: 20 November 2007 at 12:39pm
|
I went back to work full time when Ollie was 5 months old. I had been expressing when I realised I would need to go back to work so had some stocks of breastmilk. I kept expressing at work, but found that after about a month I wasn't getting much out. In the end I decided to stop as it was stressing me out (which of course didn't help!).
So he got 2x bottles of formula during the day and I breastfed morning and night up until 6 weeks ago, and he adjusted just fine. I also used to b/feed him extra on the weekends and my milk supply eventually adjusted. Well I think it did, he never complained at least! ------------- Daphne Married Stuart: 19/03/05 Oliver: 9/06/06 Lilia due: 19/03/08 http://lilypie.com"> 
|
Posted By: 3boys
Date Posted: 20 November 2007 at 9:35pm
|
Hi mum2ella,
I has this issue with my second when I returned to work, and will have the same one again when i go back to work in Feb, and I have to say I agree with Mel and Cuppatea. I too had trouble expressing with a pump, but before I went back to work I started manually expressing off one side, while Quinn was feeding off the other - I got about 30-40mls each feed. Then when he had totally drained the first side I would switch him to the other side to finish his feed. I was always carefully to just express off small amounts at a time so he didn't get to hungry and this also helped increase my supply, during this time though I did feed every 2 hours. I thought manually expressing would be hard work, but it was fine. This allowed me to build up a supply to send to Daycare with him from day 1. While at work I would wait until my breasts were fuller than normal (not to full though) and then use the pump. I recommend getting an electric one if you can. It sounds like alot of work, but once we were in the grove of it all it was fine. By the time he was 9months old he would have 2 am feeds before daycare and just have solids and water at daycare and then BF at home with me throughout the evening with the last feed at 10pm(he did have a shorter day though 9-3pm). Not sure if this is helpful, but it worked for us until Quinn got a little older and didn't need as many feeds in the daytime. Good Luck. ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
|
Posted By: Mum2ET
Date Posted: 21 November 2007 at 8:53am
|
hmmm....didn't think about how full I would get during those days that I am working and I don't want it to end up interfering with my supply. I might try now just expressing off a little bit at a time and then freezing it, so that by the time Jan rolls up I have a supply in the fridge. Luckily my parents house is about 3 mins drive from my work, so during the days I am working I might pop over there at lunch time and express a feed and see how much I can get. thanks for all the advice ------------- Mum to Ella (5) and Tom (2) |