https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Wed, 08 Apr 2026 15:41:12 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-anyone-combination-feed-breast-and-bottle#post-1807125 Sat, 09 Aug 2014 15:07:49 +0000 artsyfartsy 1807125@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I EBF but gave bottles of breastmilk out of convenience when we were out when he was little (I was uncomfortable BFing in public). Sometimes I didn't bother or have a place to pump and til about 2 months the engorgement was killer if I missed one feeding.<br /> Yesterday T couldn't eat from 8:30am til almost 5pm because he had to be put under for an MRI. I got engorged but it wasn't very noticeable or uncomfortable.</p> <p>TLDR: It takes a while for your supply to adjust so you don't get engorged. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-anyone-combination-feed-breast-and-bottle#post-1807101 Sat, 09 Aug 2014 14:22:43 +0000 Mrs tartan 1807101@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrs. wagon: sounds like my ideal plan of action. I think as soon as we are home from hospital ill introduce a bottle for last night time feed.<br /> @daniellemybelle: you are very right, definitely no pressure on myself, if bf doesn't work out then ill happily switch to formula. Ill definitely give bf a go but more important baby is getting food than not, thanks for your comment ;) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-anyone-combination-feed-breast-and-bottle#post-1805997 Fri, 08 Aug 2014 12:40:15 +0000 daniellemybelle 1805997@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs tartan: Got it! No judgment. Just thinking that your reason will affect your method if that makes sense.</p> <p>I have low supply so it's a little different for me, but I have always just adjusted to the feedings my baby is doing at the time. So when we night weaned, I was very uncomfortable (I don't get truly engorged though) for a few nights but not anymore. I say nurse your baby as much as you want for as long as you want. Don't not nurse while you are on maternity leave because of something in the future!</p> <p>You also don't know the supply you'll have. I never really considered the possibility of having low supply. Some moms have oversupply &amp; they just can't go more than a couple hours without nursing or pumping. So you'll have to be ready to roll with the punches :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-anyone-combination-feed-breast-and-bottle#post-1805852 Fri, 08 Aug 2014 11:43:39 +0000 mrs. wagon 1805852@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Meowkers: we started when he was born, one bottle a day, so that he'd always be used to it. I had a difficult time with breastfeeding, so it really helped! Every time he took a bottle, I pumped for the next one. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-anyone-combination-feed-breast-and-bottle#post-1805837 Fri, 08 Aug 2014 11:36:55 +0000 Meowkers 1805837@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrs. wagon: I've never heard of the bottle instead of breast before bedtime approach but it makes perfect sense to me! How old was you LO when you started bottle feeding before bed time? Thank you for this suggestion. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-anyone-combination-feed-breast-and-bottle#post-1805755 Fri, 08 Aug 2014 11:08:44 +0000 Mrs tartan 1805755@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Just for everyone asking why I plan to combo feed, I work shifts so when I go back to work I want baby to be used to a bottle for when I'm not here. I don't want to be tied to a pump after a long shift and can't pump at work so formula is the best way forward for us. I think eventually we will move to formula only but want to breastfeed when I can. </p> <p>Thank you for the answers, I think ill aim to combo feed at least one bottle of formula from birth and breatfeed the rest of the time. Hopefully this will teach baby and my body that's the way forward :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-anyone-combination-feed-breast-and-bottle#post-1805690 Fri, 08 Aug 2014 10:46:43 +0000 nana87 1805690@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I have a low supply so I nurse but then supplement w pumped milk or formula when she is still hungry. I'm paranoid about wasting pumped milk so I I usually offer 1-2 oz of milk first then formula if she's still crying for more. I should pump after every nursing session but it's too hard when she needs my attention so I usually pump only 2x-- after the first and last nursing sessions of day </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-anyone-combination-feed-breast-and-bottle#post-1805648 Fri, 08 Aug 2014 10:33:53 +0000 regberadaisy 1805648@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I work out of the home full time and we needed to supplement. So she was breastfed and bottle fed from the start. But when I'm home with her I always nursed. When she was at daycare she was fed with bottles.</p> <p>@mrs. wagon: when did you start the night time bottle? I think I might try that this time with LO2 and maybe pump when she's getting her night time bottle? I think this might also help with building a freezer stash? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-anyone-combination-feed-breast-and-bottle#post-1805645 Fri, 08 Aug 2014 10:32:35 +0000 mrs. wagon 1805645@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>When I was a SAHM with Wagon Jr. I nursed him full time but he got a bottle of pumped milk each night at bedtime. I wanted anyone to be able to put him to bed, not just me and the breast. Eventually we made every nighttime feeding by bottle. When we introduced formula at 7 months when we weaned, we switched to formula during the day and one bottle of pumped milk each night at bedtime. This made my frozen supply last until he was a year old. He was getting 1 bottle each day until he was 1. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-anyone-combination-feed-breast-and-bottle#post-1805629 Fri, 08 Aug 2014 10:27:24 +0000 Mrs. Blue 1805629@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I combo fed until 3 1/2 months because I didn't have the supply for both of them. Then, we switched to just formula because I just had no supply left at that point and it wasn't worth it to pump for the tiny bit of milk I was getting. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-anyone-combination-feed-breast-and-bottle#post-1805103 Fri, 08 Aug 2014 07:08:37 +0000 Charm54 1805103@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I combo fed, but formula and pumped milk. I know it's not the same thing, but at 4weeks she was STTN (8-10 hours) so I did go that long between pumps - there was no way I was getting up to pump in the middle of the night if she wasn't.</p> <p>My supply adjusted very quickly, and by 2.5 months I was only pumping 4x a day and making almost enough to cover all her feedings. I didn't really have much pain if I skipped one or went too long between, but I know that's not the norm. If I would have done more pumps/day I'm sure I could have done 100% BM but formula kept my sanity in tact :happy: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-anyone-combination-feed-breast-and-bottle#post-1805097 Fri, 08 Aug 2014 07:01:36 +0000 daniellemybelle 1805097@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Can I ask why you plan to combination feed? I do, but it's out of necessity due to low supply. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-anyone-combination-feed-breast-and-bottle#post-1805094 Fri, 08 Aug 2014 06:59:17 +0000 hilsy85 1805094@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would say you will definitely need a pump in order to help avoid engorgement. It doesn't need to be an electric pump; you can just use a manual hand pump. Or get good at hand expressing. But my guess would be that you will definitely be uncomfortable if you just stop dropping feeds. I know if I went more than 2-3 hours without nursing the first 2 months, I was in pain and swollen. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-anyone-combination-feed-breast-and-bottle#post-1805089 Fri, 08 Aug 2014 06:57:02 +0000 jetsa 1805089@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>What is your goal?<br /> I combo fed because I couldn't produce as much as he was taking at daycare but I pumped at work. When we were together he didn't eat formula.<br /> I went back to work at 6 weeks and don't feel like my supply was stabilized until closer to 12 weeks.<br /> I'd be afraid your body would be confused by this and I can't imagine not pumping in 8 hours with a small baby, I'd think you'd be engorged. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-anyone-combination-feed-breast-and-bottle#post-1805084 Fri, 08 Aug 2014 06:48:10 +0000 swedishfish 1805084@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I combo fed because I went back to work at 10 weeks. I pumped for a few months at work but your supply will even out eventually. When I stopped pumping at work I was incredibly uncomfortable for a few days until my body got the memo. DD was, at one point, breast fed, breast milk in a bottle fed, and formula fed. Do what makes you happy and sane! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-anyone-combination-feed-breast-and-bottle#post-1805026 Fri, 08 Aug 2014 01:12:01 +0000 Mrs tartan 1805026@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Bumping this post :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-anyone-combination-feed-breast-and-bottle#post-1803903 Thu, 07 Aug 2014 15:33:04 +0000 Alivoo01 1803903@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I combo fed pumped milk and breast fed so not completely what you requested, but if I didn't pump, my boobs hurt. It might take a week for your body to get the message and not produce as much. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-anyone-combination-feed-breast-and-bottle#post-1803901 Thu, 07 Aug 2014 15:32:06 +0000 Mrs. Sketchbook 1803901@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would say that my supply didn't even out until around six weeks or two months. Before that time, any time I missed a feeding I was really uncomfortable. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-anyone-combination-feed-breast-and-bottle#post-1803894 Thu, 07 Aug 2014 15:28:32 +0000 Mae 1803894@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I combo fed for most of 8 weeks due to low supply. (And am actually still combo feeding but the combo is pumped breastmilk and formula-- I am no longer breastfeeding). When I was still breastfeeding I would usually BF for every meal then top her off with formula as needed. Although I didn't stress at all if we were out or I had a doc appt and we had to just give her formula for a whole meal. There wasn't any rhyme or reason to it beyond convenience. Now that I do pumped milk and formula, she gets formula for her first feed of the day (so I don't have to take the time to warm milk from the night before, which is in the fridge). Then she gets breastmilk as it is available, which generally means I have milk for her for her 2nd and 3rd feeds, then give her formula for her 4th feed, then milk again for her 5th one. </p> <p>I don't know about engorgement since I have a low supply. But I'd imagine if you just dropped 1 meal/day you probably wouldn't have much if any problem and your boy would just adjust to making less. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-anyone-combination-feed-breast-and-bottle#post-1803888 Thu, 07 Aug 2014 15:24:00 +0000 Mrs tartan 1803888@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I am planning to breastfeed for a month to establish the milk then start to introduce a bottle or two of formula a day. I assume I won't need a breast pump but will my breasts be engorged and sore if I cut out one or two feeds a day? If so how do I stop them getting engorged without pumping?<br /> Tell me your combination feeding story, which feeds you fed by bottle/breast? When you started? How it went? </p> <p>Thanks :) </p>