BF and FF from beginning?

DelaBella

I was wondering if any of you ladies both breastfed and formula fed from the beginning, and if so, how did that work out? For various reasons (concerns about milk supply for twins, facilitating family members contributing to feedings, including my husband who will take three months off after I return to work as paternity leave, etc.), I would like to breastfeed during my twelve-week leave and also supplement with formula feeding.

Did any of you ladies start out doing both? If so, can you give me any advice as to what worked and didn't work for you? Thanks!

Jen0204

I did both from day 1, but that was mostly due to DD2 going straight to the NICU.  DD1 started on formula on day 2 because I wasn't even getting a drop of colostrum from the pumping sessions and they didn't think DD1 was getting anything from me either.  I tried to BF for 3 or 4 weeks and pumped for 12 weeks.  My supply always sucked, so they always got mostly formula with a bottle or two of BM thrown in each day.

How do you feel about pumping?  If you're okay with trying pumping then I would go in with the goal of giving them exclusively BM.  It may or may not work out, but if you supplement from the beginning it could seriously hurt your supply.  I 100% agree with you that it's great to have a way for your H or family members to help out, but in the first few weeks it's really important to put the babies to breast as much as possible to help with your supply.  Sometimes at night H or my mom would handle feedings and I would just get up and do a quick 10-20 minute pump and go back to sleep.  That allowed my breasts to get some stimulation, but also let me catch up on some sleep.

ninjabridemom

Yes, I did.  I didn't make enough for them.  I would BF one, hand him off to Jake to formula feed (usually 2 oz at a time but they usually only took ~1), and BF the other.

 

Get the Breastflow bottles -- both boys actually latched better after using it but particularly Gabriel.  Always supplement AFTER they are totally done with the breast. I wouldn't even time them, but the LCs told me to.  When they were done BF'ing they were done.

ninjabridemom

You won't hurt your supply by supplementing if you always let them BF until they're done, and give them a bottle after.  Always put them on the boob first!!

 

I also pumped 3-4 times a day after bf'ing, for about 15 minutes.  That will help your supply too.

 

I still supplement but had I not had to go back to work at 9wks I could have EBF'd.  They were getting 80-90% breastmilk before I went back to work and had I had those few weeks more we could have been off formula completely, I am confident of that.  It is hard work though.  I didn't feel it was worth the stress on myself or my family to push for EBF'ing knowing I'd have to go back so early.

Jen0204

Oh yeah, Ninja is right - if you supplement after BFing then you won't hurt your supply.  I meant that you could hurt your supply if you supplement instead of BFing, especially in the first month.

ETA - she's also right about doing what's best for you and your family.  Yes, breastmilk is better then formula, but sanity trumps everything.  I'm glad that I put in a serious effort to make it work and they got at least some BM for 3 months, but honestly stopping was hands down the best decision for us.  Lots of women on here have been successful with BFing twins, but I wasn't one of them.

jcath

I only BF for 8 weeks but we started out supplementing from the start.  I had lots and lots of help and wanted to take advantage of it. I have two older children who also needed my attention and so I figured this was a good compromise. I would BF one baby while someone else FF the other one.  The next feeding I'd BF the other baby, etc.

It worked great and we never had a problem with switching from breast to bottle.  I was fine with the girls having a mix of BM and formula so I wasn't so worried about establishing a supply enough for both girls all the time. 

nghithy

My twins are not here yet but I did both with my daughter.  I breast fed her during the day and bottle feed at night.  I'm planning to do the same for the twins since I have to be back at work in 8 weeks.  My supply was fine.  I try to pump extra during the day when I'm not feeding her.

angelfire02

Mine were and they did totally fine.  They weren't able to latch on for quite awhile and once they did I had extinuating circumstances that is forcing me to stop BFing and EPing so we are moving to half and half breastmilk and formula.  When what we have frozen runs out we will just do formula.  We have had no issues with giving them either.

ColleenS629

ninjabridemom:

You won't hurt your supply by supplementing if you always let them BF until they're done, and give them a bottle after.  Always put them on the boob first!!

 

I also pumped 3-4 times a day after bf'ing, for about 15 minutes.  That will help your supply too.

 

I still supplement but had I not had to go back to work at 9wks I could have EBF'd.  They were getting 80-90% breastmilk before I went back to work and had I had those few weeks more we could have been off formula completely, I am confident of that.  It is hard work though.  I didn't feel it was worth the stress on myself or my family to push for EBF'ing knowing I'd have to go back so early.

This isn't true. Every ounce of formula you give the babies is an ounce your body thinks they don't need and therefore won't make. You may be able to rebound and build your supply back up, but giving formula (before or after a feeding) does affect your supply. You might not have seen as big of a difference in your supply because you were also pumping, so you were telling your body to make more milk. 

ninjabridemom

Okay....maybe it won't build up quite as quickly as if you nurse around the clock but you're also a much saner person with twins by not doing that.  If you nurse first, then bottle feed after the baby has *already* delatched on its own, your body makes what it needs.  You can wean off of supplementing this way.  That's why I also mentioned not timing the babies, like my LCs actually told me to.

 

Maybe a better way to say it is "You can still build a supply and supplement if you do it the right way," assuming all systems were go for you to be able to BF anyway. 

 

It worked well for us.  But I didn't go into it with an "all or nothing" attitude, either.  I'm no expert but the all or nothing attitude only hurts BF'ing success, in my mind.  Any is better than none.

ColleenS629

ninjabridemom:

Okay....maybe it won't build up quite as quickly as if you nurse around the clock but you're also a much saner person with twins by not doing that.  If you nurse first, then bottle feed after the baby has *already* delatched on its own, your body makes what it needs.  You can wean off of supplementing this way.  That's why I also mentioned not timing the babies, like my LCs actually told me to.

 

Maybe a better way to say it is "You can still build a supply and supplement if you do it the right way," assuming all systems were go for you to be able to BF anyway. 

 

It worked well for us.  But I didn't go into it with an "all or nothing" attitude, either.  I'm no expert but the all or nothing attitude only hurts BF'ing success, in my mind.  Any is better than none.

I am not saying what you did was wrong. I'm not saying BF has to be all or nothing. I'm just saying that every ounce you supplement is an ounce that your body will think your babies don't need. If you give them an ounce of formula even after they unlatch, it's an ounce that they won't eat from you, whether it be at the next feeding or at some point in the day. EBF isn't for everyone but if the goal is to only give BM, it's helpful to have the right start, if possible.