How can I switch my breastfed baby to formula?

I have a question for all the moms… I am breastfeeding and on maternity leave till the end of April, and how do I change my breastfeeding baby to formula so I could go to work for 8 hours?? I am so worried about my baby cuz he doesn’t like any formula!

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Mix it small amounts at a time until he is off the brest milk

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I heard mixing but I also heard that’s not good lol. Do you pump at all? I kinda just gave my son formula and thankfully he took it like nothing. I still do both.

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Start mixing it with your breast milk. At first use more breast milk over formula. Then gradually increase the formula/Breast milk ratio.

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Is pumping not an option or some you want to do?! If so I’d do that first but if not the baby will get hungry so he’ll use the formula!! I’d start out a wk or two before you go back though

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If you mix breast milk with formula, mix the formula with water per the instructions that come with the formula, then add it to the breastmilk. Never add formula powder to breastmilk without mixing it first as it will become too nutrient rich and will cause problems.

Is pumping an option? Breastfed babies only need about 1 oz per hour that mom is gone, look up pace feeding.

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I was always told give the baby and the bottle to someone else to feed. Babies know what’s good and can smell mama when she’s around.

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Let someone who doesn’t smell like you bottle feed… You can train your body to only produce milk at night.

I breastfed till 18 months then went over to formula during the day and only breastfed at night and during the night. I night fed my son till 4 years old

I did both with my first because I wasn’t producing enough milk. I breastfed and pumped for when I was in public but also mixed about half breast milk and half formula 2 make sure my baby was full.

Work has to allow you to pump every so many hours. Pump as much as you can ( if you wish) and feed that in the bottle, or mix it with the formula. Mixing breast milk with formula is just fine to do. I had to for 8 months ( my son has medical complexities and a feeding tube)

I would slowly introduce the bottle at home for a few feeds a day if you can :] ; that way your baby knows when momma can they can nurse but sometimes its okay to take a bottle also. You could always pump, as mentioned before; as well as gradually mix in formula depending on baby’s tolerance. Sometimes formula doesnt sit as well in babys belly as momma milk and it might take a few different kinds to find one that that well with babys belly.

It is called a bottle… you know with a nipple.
They will take it if hungry.

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Pump and get a supply of breast milk.

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Just pump and freeze. Milk can be stored and usedwhile youre at work. Then theres no fuss from going from breatmilk to formula

Mine took a bottle no problem but he likes to eat so it didn’t matter what it came out of

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pump your milk!!! if u can’t don’t want to at least do it for a little bit and keep mixing more and more formula and less breastmilk until eventually it’s all formula

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Pump. Most jobs can accommodate that. Breast is best.

Feed your baby and dont stress about anything. If the baby is hungry he will eat js make sure its warm lol

:roll_eyes:don’t. Stay home or pump

Is pumping out of the question?

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https://www.google.com/search?client=opera&q=breast+ump&sourceid=opera&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8

Pump and freeze. Plus it is the law they allow you time and space to pump that is not a bathroom

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Pumping doesn’t work for all moms. Switching to formula will be fine, but it may take a while for baby to get used to a bottle. But, they will! Also, breastfeeding is not “all or nothing.” You can still nurse at home even if you don’t pump during the day. You’ll slowly produce less milk but you can prolong the benefits of breast milk for your baby for as long as you want and he can get formula at daycare.

My son refused the bottle up until the day he had to go to daycare. The childcare provider had to work at giving him his bottle the first couple days but eventually he understood the new routine. He got some breast milk bottles and some formula bottles as I did pump but I didn’t produce enough from pumping to keep him fed all day. He got used to the formula.

You’re already a great mom! You’ll figure out this transition. It’s HARD! But you will find a routine that works.

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If it were me personally, I would pump breast milk so he could stay breastfed. I had to do this before when I worked 6-8 hours every day. Especially if he doesn’t like formula. Also, is it formula he doesn’t like or bottles? Do you ever pump into bottles? I always get my babies used to bottles after the first month or so, then easy transition to bottle all day, regular breast feed at night. Then when they start to get teeth (6-8months) and/or bite it’s bottles all the time/start learning with sippy cup during the day, eventually around one wean off entirely unless you want them breastfed longer which some people do.

I would suggest pumping. Mix your milk with the formula. Start with 1oz, then slowly increase. You can work and still bf if your able to pump at work. It sucks and it’s hard but its doable.

Try a soy formula and the Nuk bottle that was mentioned by Amanda Elbers. You can pump at work for sure but that’s not easy for everyone and I hope you won’t feel judged if you don’t want to live that life. Best of luck :black_heart:

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Mix your milk with formula. Start small. Like if your baby is eating 6oz do 1oz of formula, 5oz milk, do that for 3 days, then 2oz formula, 4oz milk (so on and so forth) do the same when switching from formula to dairy milk/whatever milk you choose

Start pumping now. You can “power pump” to help increase your supply so that he can still have breastmilk while you’re at work. Then you won’t have to worry about switching to formula if you don’t really want to.

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Nuk has a new bottle with a nipple thats the closest to breasfeeding ive ever seen… with multiple small holes so the milk squirts in like it would from a breast… then pump milk not formula and it could work… my grand daughter would reject every bottle even make herself throw up and gag until my daughter got that new bottle from walmart

Can you pump? If not gradually mix formula into the breast milk

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You could and probably should try pumping first if you’re breastfeeding

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I found this really hard and ended up pumping and using a bottle with breast milk. My daughter hated formula … my son had to go in it at about two months old but he was more easy going. I’ve heard if you try mixing breast milk with formula to start but maybe research it first?
Good luck…
if your baby is older water may be ok until you get home if you feed before and soon as you get home and if your baby is on solids…

You get breaks to pump. They have to allow you tok

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I would slowly just add formula to his breast milk, and just gradually lower the amount of breast milk and up the amount of formula. But try to do it slowly so he has time to get use to the taste change.

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I stopped producing so they had no choice. If they are hungry enough they will drink that formula up happily

My baby would only drink Earth’s Best organic formula in mam bottles when I first transitioned her. It’s a little but sweet like breast milk. It constipated her horribly, though so after the 1st can and a half I transitioned her over to enfamil reguline no problem.

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Can you pump at work on your breaks? I did with my son for 6 months so he got 8 months on breast. You can also pump between feedings and it is good on the freezer for up to three months. I sent frozen bm to his nursery.

Also, don’t be afraid to feed him off of the breast when you are with him and bottle feed when you are not. People say it confused the baby which is not true. Did it with both of mine and my daughter did a little over 8 months. If you can’t pump your body will adjust but I would recommend pumping at least once at work.

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Just switch🤷🏼‍♀️. Thats what we did.

Legally required to give you breaks at work. So unless there’s other reasons you are wanting to stop breastfeeding(which is perfectly ok) I would pump so babe could have your Breast milk in bottle while gone and be at breast when you are home

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I had no choice but to switch my son I dried up, we found the best formula to be gentle ease by emfamil mostly because my son has a bad reflux issue and this formula was amazinggg for it!! So try pumping for a few days and mix it little by little each feed to be more formula!! You can just straight switch them over but you will have a lot more issues with constipation and crankiness cause it’s very different

I honestly just picked a formula, started giving it to my baby and he had no issue going from breast milk to formula. He would not get full on breastmilk so I decided to switch him to formula. He’s on the enfamil gentlease with no issues

Pump( or use a haaka) or find some donor milk

If your heart isn’t on switching to formals. I would even see about pumping extra now to get ready.

Then when at work take breaks as needed to pump as normal to keep the supply.

Most work places would encourage this anyways. And even though a bit more work. Would save on cost SO MUCH.

Good luck. I had to switch because I lost my supply. So my baby had choose to drink formula or go hungery. :disappointed:

Pump? Otherwise just start by adding a formula feed to the regular schedule and increase the amount of formula while decreasing the amount of breastfeeding.

Pump and start mixing your milk into the formula. Half and half it for a bit. If you can do that when you go to work as well baby will be happy if not just slowly reduce the amt of breastmilk you kick with the formula until it’s all formula.

Start pumping and bottle feed breast milk it may be the nipple of the bottle that is disliked if you can’t pump for long just gradually add a little Formula to your pumped milk at a time

Express??? Why is everything an issue?? A mum should know better than to call on a forum ffs

Why not pump and bottle feed? Breast milk is far superior to any formula for so many reasons.
Is pumping enough milk to cover your work hours really that difficult, nope!