Did / does anyone else combine formula with breastfeeding? How did it work out for you? Did you experience issues with nipple confusion if you started prior to 6 weeks of age? Did you use formula at certain times of day or night or just top up after every breast feed or every other breast feed?
DD is 2 weeks old and from Day 2 in hospital, I have had to supplement with formula because I can only feed on one side after a surgery on the other side. My milk didn't come in until 5 days later anyway, at which time she was already used to the formula. Yes, I do know it's possible to feed from only one side, but until you've tried it with a really hungry baby, you have no idea how hard it is! She starts cluster feeding and I can't move her to another side so she just gets frustrated and starts crying from hunger. No way could I ever deny her food when she is still hungry!
I am breast feeding her about 8 times per day, plus expressing milk in between with an electric pump the hospital loaned me, so she gets about 3 or 4 oz of breast milk by bottle per day as well. She also gets 3 or 4 bottles of formula per day, sometimes she only has an ounce and sometimes she finishes the full 3 oz. We tend to give her more formula in the evening leading up to bed time so that she sleeps a bit better at night. She still wakes up twice through the night and I normally breastfeed her during those times and if she is awake enough during one of those times and still seems hungry, I offer her a bottle of formula and she usually has about an ounce or an ounce and a half of that unless she is too sleepy. Sometimes I have offered the breast milk by bottle through the night, but she usually wakes up an hour or two later, even if she has a full 3 oz bottle of breast milk whereas the formula (if she takes it) keeps her going for a 3 or 4 hour stretch. We haven't had any issues so far, though occasionally she does get a little fussy at the breast - keeps pulling away, etc.
