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Baby Hints & Tips

Mix feeding for a student mum

Young mother with her baby boy working in cafeI’m due to have my 3rd baby soon, its been 5 years since I’ve had a new born. Just wondering if anyone has advice on how to breastfeed and give formula as well as I will be doing a course part time next year, I breastfed with both babies and I still want to with the next one but days I’m at my course top up with formula.

  • i would breastfeed and express breast milk for when you are away from bubs. I had a meleda breast pump.. it was brilliant. .and i would usually feed my daughter.. have a big glass of water then express after feeding.. getting enough for a full feed from each side… remember breasts produce for the demand. . If you are feeding then also expressing the demand goes up… so production goes up. Breast milk can be frozen for 3-4 months. I just used the glad icecube bags… Rosemary
  • could you not express instead of formula? Just a thought Sherree
  • My third was my easiest to breastfeed so hopefully yours will too. Best advice is get the midwives and lactation specialists in the first few times. Then I occasionally gave her a bottle of formula and/or expressed milk from about 4 weeks (because with dd2 I didn’t do that and she refused a bottle). Lately I’ve had strong antibiotics so I’ve been giving her a bottle of formula once a day (at night) so she doesn’t get a strong dose (she’s 3 months today). Paid off too last night I’ve come down with gastro and couldn’t feed her because I couldn’t stop spewing and DH could give her bottle. I use closer to nature bottles and karicare formula. Kate
  • If you want to give formula whilst you’re at the course, just give it to her. The only thing stopping you would be Bubs not taking a bottle so suggest trying bottles at about 10 weeks. Days without breastfeeding will mean that you’ll be very engorged though – are you planning to pump? As the other ladies mentioned you could also pump and feed bubs the stockpiled milk instead. Karalee
  • why not express and feed with a bottle when needed that way your baby is getting the very best all the time Chantelle
  • If you top up with formula you won’t be breastfeeding for long, unless you only wanted to breastfeed a few months anyway. Expressing and giving your breastmilk is the best option. Talk to a lactation consultant about it. There are lots of great pumps. I found I got heaps out quickly with a manual pump. Sarah
  • I had my second baby 6 years after my first and he was mixed fed from birth…. He would have 1 formula feed a day…. There was a period of about 4 months where I exclusively fed, but found he had no trouble doing both breast and formula…. Good luck Haley
  • Up until the baby is 2 months old, you shouldn’t have a problem with switching between the bottle and breast. I’d pump and freeze milk for those times that you need to bottlefeed LO. After she is 2 months old, she might refuse the bottle. That’s what I’m going through this time, my 8yr old didn’t have a problem when she was a baby switching between bottle and breast. Jennifer
  • Get a good breast pump like a medela and Express. You may not need to top up with formula or just have it as back up Rachel
  • Expressing is pretty much just as much effort as formula and bottles, except expressing is cheaper Medela Electric Breast Pump is really good and not too expensive. Your body will automatically up milk production within a day or so. Bottles are pretty simple. I used Closer to Nature when I had to mix feed. Microwave sterilizers are the best value if you don’t have a dishwasher. Get a formula dispenser it has multiple compartments so you can take exact amounts of formula for each feed and just pour it straight in the bottle no mucking around. Cheap at Kmart. With expressed milk you can put it in a bottle in a cooler bag and just feed whenever. With formula you’ll have to make up the bottles there. Neysa
  • Depends what age the bub is when u go back to study. At a certain age, they can go a lot longer without breastmilk. You should call the ABA helpline and a breastfeeding counsellor could advise you on ways you could manage it Lulu
  • my now 12 week old has had breast and formula from birth. She has 1 bottle of formula everyday at 7pm so she is adjusted to it and takes it well. Ive done this so i can leave her with my mum and miss a feed here and there. I still make sure i bf both breasts before i leave and as soon as i return. If it is more then 1 feed i express to maintain supply and just dump it cause im too lazy for all the bags, sterilising and storing crap. Samantha
  • Express as much as you can. Im currently breast n formula feeding my bub n my supply is getting low. Bub is 7 weeks. Quin

Did you study with a Newborn or Baby? Share your experiences below.

 

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