Combination Feeding

5oz every two hours even overnight?? That’s 60oz! It’s plenty and more 😯 My combi feeding journey was really good and I’m planning to do it again second time around

@Agnes I don’t pump overnight, I give the boob. When I wake up I get maybe 8. He only wakes up 1-2 times. It stresses me out because if my man and I want to go out for a day I barely have any stash at all. And the stash I do have is from the start. I used half of my stash going out for a concert and was gone about 8 hours

@Sarah maybe do a power pump in the morning, you’ll get more than 8oz for sure then you can start building up the stash again. I used to power pump twice a day (before bed and when I woke) for a week then once a day (when I woke) for another week and so on. It worked really well to boost my supply. Or you can introduce a formula that you’ll know he’ll drink when you’re away. Nothing wrong with formula, treat it as your ally not enemy, it can feed your babe when you’re not able to do so.

5 oz every 2 hours is SO AWESOME!! I'd love to have that. I'm ebf. Nothing wrong with introducing formula you can see if baby will take it. With as much as you produce you could pump more after feeds and built that stash up pretty quick

I’ve had to supplement with formula since my sweet girl was 4 months old (she’s 6 months old now). The first couple days she was hesitant to drink the formula but still did when offered- after that, she drinks it no problem! We use the ‘ready-to-feed’ Similac organic formula (they come in cases with 2 oz bottles on Amazon!) It’s a little pricier than buying non-organic and pricier than buying big bottles, but I like it because: —you don’t have to warm up the formula as they can stay out at room temperature —we take them on the go which is so convenient —we use them during the night if needed so we don’t have to go warm up milk (also convenient!) Typically, my sweetie drinks 25ish ounces of my breastmilk a day (I pump 3x a day for 30 mins each) and 8 ounces of formula. Hope this helps! 🤷🏻‍♀️🙂

I had to stop breastfeeding due to be pregnant again but I do goat milk and I make him meals throughout the day and he will have bottles in between like 3 sometimes just two but goats milk is an old fashioned alternative when momma back in the day couldn’t breast fed or when they weren’t making enough

That is plenty of food for baby. If you combination feed you'll slow your production down. Are you stocking the fridge or babies' belly? I don't have advice for including formula, but I would pump the opposite boob while baby is nursing. Which would take a week or so to get your stock back up but it would be all breastmilk.

I combi fed because I had a low supply. I would breastfeed and then top up with a bottle of formula. Pumping would only give me an oz or usually less. We got into a routine where I would breastfeed then give a bottle I think 5 times a day, and I would be able to exclusively breastfeed at night (I did once manage to pump 3oz at night!). Eventually she refused daytime breastfeeds and was just on bottles and then one night at 7.5 months she woke but just snuggled into me and fell asleep instead of latching and that was the end of breastfeeding.

Combo feeding is the best of both worlds (as long as baby takes to the bottle). You can feel good knowing you're giving your max supply, and also that you are able to fill them up if they need a little extra. It also allows dad or another caregiver to take over a feed so you can sleep, shower, or otherwise care for yourself without being called away for bf duty. Remember, fed is best and enjoy the relative freedom combo feeding provides. With my second, I tired myself in knots for a few months trying to ebf and it just wasn't working, so it was back to the combo. And it was a good thing I did, my son can *EAT* 😅

@Bonny my son can EAT too. 6-8 oz every 2-4 hours which is where my stress lies lol

How old is baby?

@Becca he’s 4 months old in two days!

@Sarah This is just from my knowledge as a doula. 4 month olds average 5-8 feedings of 4-6oz each feed daily. If you're outputting 5oz each feed every 2 hours & if baby is maintaining wet diapers/gaining weight, they are getting enough! As you continue to EBF & baby gets bigger, your body will adjust with more supply. I would suggest reaching out to a lactation consultant in your area before making any changes. Combo feeding could slow down production & potentially cause nipple confusion. Try to find a La Leche League chapter in your area or there are often consultants who will offer a short consult for free & do payment plans if needed. And most of all, drink water! You're doing great 😊

@Amanda stocking up the fridge is stocking up baby’s belly. I was able to extend our journey after I dried up. He had an extra 4 months of breast milk because I filled my freezer.

@Agnes Wow that's awesome. Thawed milk doesn't have the same antibodies in it but better than cows milk