I am on my 3rd baby and lo is 15 weeks tommorrow. I too in the early days wanted to add formula but after posting on here and mums with experience advised that it can affect supply i was worried lo wouldnt get enough so i decided to stick it out (the first 6 are hardest) just plan ur trips if i went to town would make sure i was near to a feeding room and if i wasnt then would just make sure i had a thin sheet with me so i could bf discreetly. Once those first few weeks are over and lo had growth spurt at 6 wks everything settled down he would feed only every 4 hrs adn was taking less time at his feed and i felt i got my life back. I expressed early on and never got much either but after about 8 weeks i could express more and more. I would say stick with it get over the first 6 wks and then see how you feel cos i then decided i didnt want to add formula as it was more hassle making and sterilising bottles and obv the cost when bf is free and the milk is just there ! We are still bf now at 15 wks and had to add 2 formula for top up as lo ready for weaning and it is def more hassle making bottles !! I really dont want to stop bf now ! HTH x

If you give formula instead of breast you should express at the same time otherwise your supply will drop, or in your case as your supply isn't established yet your supply won't meet your baby's needs should you decide to exclusive bf again & you will need to build it up again which is hard work. I know how hard it is but your baby is simply telling your brain how much milk is needed so your body can produce it, I know it doesn't feel like it but it really won't last forever, after the first 6 weeks at the most it will be sooo much better! You won't get much if you express atm because your baby isn't drinking very much so you aren't producing very much iykwim?! The other problem you may have is difficulty/confusion between bottle & breast because they require 2 very different types of sucking action.

I know I haven't really answered your question about bottles but I just wanted to give you some encouragement because I know how hard it is, my lo is only 15 weeks so it is still fresh in my mind how hard it was at first but now I find bf so convenient & rewarding I wouldn't change it for the world! hth xx

hi all, im from dia, my little girl is 2weeks old today and im currently bf, its geting on top of me, i feel tied down and kind of like a feeding machine. baby seems to want feeding all the time, tried to express but cant get much.

was thinking of mixing breast and bottle just so i dont start to feel low and dh or friends can help, plus it will give me more freedom, not really confident enough about bf in public. just wondering what the best way to do this would be, if to give baby formula when her normal feed would be or introduce her to it, ie:give her a bit after bf her ?

any advice would be great.