https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Wed, 22 Apr 2026 14:00:22 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tell-me-about-combo-feeding#post-2896927 Sat, 14 Sep 2019 15:38:40 +0000 periwinklebee 2896927@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@pachamama: I know power pumping works great for some people, I tried and it didn't seem to help much for me. But my supply may just be crap. Definitely be kind to yourself. Your supply is not going to dry up as long as your LO is still spending time on the boob, so if you do have supply issues and don't feel like using your precious little free time to (maybe) get it back up, giving more solids or supplementing a bit can be a win-win. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tell-me-about-combo-feeding#post-2896903 Fri, 13 Sep 2019 19:08:36 +0000 MrsSRS 2896903@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@pachamama: oh I hear that. I was nursing and pumping from June 2013 until early 2018. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tell-me-about-combo-feeding#post-2896902 Fri, 13 Sep 2019 19:04:21 +0000 pachamama 2896902@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MrsSRS: ooooo I didn't realize that. Yeah I really need to add a pump once a day but after 23 months (between 2 kids at this point) I JUST DON'T WANNA. But as my husband says, it's 4 more months of breastfeeding then you'll never, ever have to do it again. And now I'm sad. ... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tell-me-about-combo-feeding#post-2896901 Fri, 13 Sep 2019 19:01:56 +0000 MrsSRS 2896901@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@pachamama: ah you're thinking of the power pump differently. The point isn't to get milk. The point is to simulate cluster feeding to tell your body it needs to make more. So it doesn't matter if you get anything at all. The point is that you're trying to increase the demand to increase the supply! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tell-me-about-combo-feeding#post-2896893 Fri, 13 Sep 2019 18:38:48 +0000 pachamama 2896893@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@periwinklebee: my anxiety totally clouds my instinct these days. I really never know when to trust it anymore. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tell-me-about-combo-feeding#post-2896892 Fri, 13 Sep 2019 18:38:01 +0000 pachamama 2896892@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MrsSRS: I have flaxseed, I could try that. Ive been eating oatmeal for breakfast for 5 years now. Flaxseed usually just makes me poop though! 💩 and at night a power pump wouldn't get me more than an ounce. It doesn't seem normal but 🤔<br /> @periwinklebee: everything I read gets me so paranoid that by adding formula, I will be dropping my supply. But I could offer it after a feeding to top him off maybe. </p> <p>I will say he's been nursing longer in the past few days. I cut his food down a little too. He also started crawling yesterday so maybe that had something to do with it, distraction or "leaping" or whatever. So I'm going to hold off on formula for now! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tell-me-about-combo-feeding#post-2896877 Fri, 13 Sep 2019 14:34:57 +0000 periwinklebee 2896877@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>IMO combo feeding is no big deal, and definitely do it if it will make life easier or reduce worries. My supply was short, nothing the IBCLC suggested was really bringing it up and DS is a BIG kid (above 99% for height) with a big appetite, who did not take to solids until after a year; like would not touch them. I was working/pumping so it mostly consisted of topping up daycare bottles as needed, but I'd also give him some formula before bed after he BF, as my supply was lousy in the evenings. We're still BF at almost 20 months (and 6 months pregnant for me), with no sign of LO losing interest in sight. If your LO has been on the breast for awhile, perhaps gone back and forth to both sides for a couple of times, and is losing interest (presumably b/c milk has dwindled) but still seems hungry, I wouldn't hesitate to offer him some formula if your instinct is that he needs it... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tell-me-about-combo-feeding#post-2896870 Fri, 13 Sep 2019 14:09:19 +0000 MrsSRS 2896870@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My solution to this was to add flax seed to my oatmeal every morning, to do a bottle of formula at bedtime, and then to put on an hour long show and do a power pump while I drank Gatorade every evening. It worked-my supply went back up and in the meantime DS was full and happy. Worth a shot? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tell-me-about-combo-feeding#post-2896403 Mon, 09 Sep 2019 13:22:49 +0000 pachamama 2896403@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Pollywog: I don't know what he's getting really. I just pumped 2 ounces now at 2pm, haven't nursed since 11am. 16 oz is all they need plus food??? Hmmm! And he's been a little bit fussy too. My instinct is telling me he's hungry. I give him avocado and peanut butter to get fat (scarfs everything), dairy seems to constipate him. </p> <p>@cake2017: i guess I could pump after his morning feed. it's just really hard to squeeze it in with our family's schedule. it just took me 20 minutes to pump 2 ounces. it's afternoon feed but I'm thinking my supply is tanking. I think I overfed him and now my body is just shutting down milk production. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tell-me-about-combo-feeding#post-2896307 Sun, 08 Sep 2019 08:13:36 +0000 Pollywog 2896307@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>So, before you explore combo feeding, you might want to see if milk supply is actually a problem (because bottle feeding is way more work than nursing at this point). Are you pumping at all? How's your output?</p> <p>R was the same way and I was convinced he wasn't getting enough. Turns out the kid was getting at least 45 ounces a day and was eating 4 meals of solids from really early on. Even now he has really high caloric needs. My milk wasn't the problem. Kid just likes to eat. He was short and fat at that age too. Now he's a string bean like the rest of the family.</p> <p>How I was told to try combo feeding was to nurse first, then offer a bottle of formula at night. He may or may not drink it or drink much. </p> <p>My pediatrician told me that as long as he's getting 16iz if milk, it's totally okay to supplement with food. So you could also try full fat yogurt or avocado toast if you don't want to go down the combo feeding rabbit hole. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tell-me-about-combo-feeding#post-2896298 Sat, 07 Sep 2019 20:53:12 +0000 muffinsmuffins 2896298@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We did a mix for both boys. Our first DW nursed til 12 months and we did primarily BF but bottles of formula and pumped milk from literally day 1. He was a preemie so we had to supplement but it ended up working really easily for us compared to those we knew who BF exclusively. Never an issue taking bottles or DW leaving overnight. We always did a formula bottle before bed until 18 months.<br /> For our second, he was an extremely distracted nurser which DW weaned him around 6 months and we did exclusive FF until now (1 year old today!) Same thing though: formula every night before bed and on and off whenever needed. I was off all Friday’s this year and would do bottles so she could go out on Fridays and do her own thing. Right now he still gets 8oz when he wakes and 8oz before bed plus 3 meals and 2 snacks. He’s a crazy eater too and I swear he eats all day long. Personally, I’m a huge fan of combo feeding and it worked extremely well for us with both kids. It allowed me and others to help.</p> <p>As for pumping, DW pumped before bed for a while so I would be able to do a bottle in the night when they were infants. She usually took a week to cut out a feeding when weaning from nursing or pumping. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tell-me-about-combo-feeding#post-2896295 Sat, 07 Sep 2019 20:16:37 +0000 cake2017 2896295@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I have a 2yo and 3 week old. I nursed LO1 for 18 months, formula and solids too. It worked great. I am doing the same with LO2 but haven’t been able to get my mind around nursing that long and bringing pump to work etc. I return back to work in Jan. too. I have been giving her formula and she nurses as well. </p> <p>Your body will adapt. If you want to have more milk- you can pump in place of him not nursing as much? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/tell-me-about-combo-feeding#post-2896293 Sat, 07 Sep 2019 19:27:44 +0000 pachamama 2896293@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm really concerned my son isn't nursing enough- he's 7.5 months and from early on has been a quick "power" nurser ... now he only nurses for like 4-7 minutes, every 3 hours. He is pulling on my nipples like crazy in the past few weeks, like he's not getting enough,,,,He LOVES food, he eats anything and everything! but maybe he eats so much because he's hungry? Everything says milk needs to be their main source of nutrition but this seems unlikely. He also has no teeth yet. </p> <p>He is growing but he's quite short (no one in our fam is short) and fat per his percentiles.</p> <p>So what is combo feeding? If I give him one bottle of formula, will I dry up? Do I have to pump? I stay at home til Jan. I'd like to BF for a year but I don't want a hungry kid.<br /> :bummed: </p>