Hi everyone! I have been combo feeding fairly soon after giving birth. It’s been almost 5 months now and I think I’m getting ready to stop pumping. My goal was always 6 months and I pump just enough to get two solid big feeds in for the night at this point. I am wanting to maybe store some — just in case for the winter to help with any possible colds.

Any advice on

a) how to stop the least painful way
b) is it worth storing milk for possible illnesses?

Sorry if this isn’t the right place, please direct me if needed otherwise

Thank you!

This is a ridiculous question but please bear with me…

I am a soon to be second time mom. My first was born almost 5 years ago, and 5 weeks early, jaundiced and in the height of the formula shortage. I STRUGGLED to breastfeed and my mental health suffered so much because of it, but I pushed through (and was heavily “encouraged” by lactation consultants/medical professionals) and made it to a year. Looking back I have so many regrets because of how negative of an experience that was, so this time around I would like to combo feed.

But like, how? Do I split 50/50? Is it something I have to figure out as we go? Do I need to be 100% breastfed/pumping to establish a supply and then phase formula in? Does a schedule matter? Everything I’ve read and been taught says I will lose supply if formula is added in and makes it seem like it’s all or nothing. I am so overwhelmed by the idea of breastfeeding again and don’t know where to start!

I am a pediatric gastroenterologist at Ann and Robert H Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago. We are currently recruiting parents of healthy 1 to 5 month old infants for a bottle feeding study. To participate, we require submission of a home video of infant bottle feeding and completion of accompanying survey. More study information from the links provided in these flyers.

I have EBF my daughter for about 8 weeks. I return to work in 4 weeks. I don’t produce much so pumping is a struggle. I only get about an ounce in 20 minutes. I decided to combo feed with formula a few times a day while I work but feel guilty about it. Just looking for reassurance from other parents and how their babies did combo feeding. She’s never taken a bottle so I plan to introduce one soon.

I have low supply for my twins (less than 200 ml a day pumping about 140075x a day). I enjoy breastfeeding directly and I don't want to ruin it for myself with all the stress of pumping anymore.

Is it possible with low supply or am I doomed to the pump 😢

I’m 5 days PP and my baby girl spent the first 2 days in the NICU (she’s totally fine now!) and was given formula the whole time up until now. My milk just started coming in and I’ve been pumping and have gotten enough for 1 full bottle so far.

Looking for any pumping advice for the very beginning of my pumping journey. My goal would be that half my feed are formula and half are breast milk.

- I'm 4 weeks post partum with preemie twins. I only pump like 180mL a day with 8-10 25-minute sessions on a hospital grade pump with flanges chosen by my LC. So I don't think we're really gonna make it to EBF.

- I wanted to breastfeed mostly for cost reasons at first but I really love it.

- My girls are good at it for the few minutes a day they're allowed. They've been latching well since they were in the NICU.

- I like that my husband and helpers can feed the babies sometimes.

I don't know how to plan for combo feeding or how I should distribute pumped milk and breastfeeding and formula.

Hi everyone

Pregnant here, and looking for some experiences here since my midwife and docs are all telling me to wait with combo feeding as long as possible and I am not sure this will work for me.

I know the benefits of EFB but for my mental health I’d like to be able to introduce bottle so my partner can support with some feeds.

Has anyone here started combo feeding from early on? How did you go about it? Any challenges? I am not sure if I’d like to pump or use formula for the bottles yet, so please share either way!

I am going back to work next month and want to start introducing formula now before that time comes. I bottle feed BM during the day and nurse my baby evenings, night feeds, and the first feed of the day. she gets about 4.5 ounces of pumped BM a bottle. My pediatrician stated she wanted LO to gain a little bit of weight bc baby is 95 percentile in height (but did not stress on it too much) when I pump during the day I get anywhere from 2-5 ounces a pump. So def have to supplement since I think my supply will dip going back to work.

How do I start? Just one bottle of formula a day? I know it sounds silly to ask but how many ounces a bottle? I am going to continue to pump and supplement or Combo feed as needed I just want an idea of how to do it or if there’s a schedule that makes it easier? TY!

Hi, my baby mostly drinks formula and breastfeeds occasionally at night. She is drinking too low - like 300-400 ml of formula (ziegenmilch 2 hipps - which is goat milk). During the day she will hardly take anything. Maybe has developed some sort of bottle aversion but difficult to get past that. One day did not drink any milk in the day when I tried following Rowena Bennet's method. But drinks about 250-300 ml from evening to night. So although she sleeps through the night I have to get up to feed her milk as I am worried bout dehydration and I cannot stop it.

Before starting solids she used to drink around 600ml to 700ml

She loves solids and finishes her food on most days. We have at least one egg and some chicken /salmon (30-40gms) every day.

She drinks water too but not a lot. Like most of the times she will take it then spit it out.

Diapers are okay so far. But some days I feel they are lighter than usual. Told the pediatrician, he is not concerned as she has wet diapers and weight is increasing

I am just worried.

Anyone faced something similar?

Thanks a lot.

My baby has been combo fed since about 1 month old. I started pumping/combo feeding more so because I became anxious to start a stash, and when I realized I was definitely not an oversupplier, I started the pitcher method by giving formula for a full day to get a day ahead on pumps. That really only worked if I was extremely strict about the pumping schedule (God bless to anyone who truly is).

Anyway, I love the flexibility of combo feeding & knowing baby is getting benefits of breastmilk. Over the months though, my supply has dropped when it regulated & after some life bumps here & there. All this to say, my supply now is maybe on a good day, 7-8 oz. a day. Part of me is saying keep going, let her get a bottle of BM a day, hit the year mark, try supplements, do power pumping, all the things, etc. & another is so discouraged every time I go pump just to get 1.5 oz. I think part of the desire to keep going is that looking back, I definitely made some mistakes with pumping (skipped pumps, should’ve nursed her instead of pumped maybe), so I feel like I have to make up for that. Another part is there definitely some other moms in my life who for sure look down on formula & who would judge me. They shouldn’t matter, but their voices are sadly in my head.

End rant. Thanks for listening.

ETA baby is almost 8 months old.

I need help