2 Easy Tips on How to Alternate Between Bottle feeding & Breastfeeding

Hi all,

Back with another #DrCsTips today and we’re talking about a topic that is very near and dear to me and that’s how to alternate breastfeeding vs bottle feeding! I'm sharing two simple tips that have helped me with Oliver in partnership with Philips Avent.

In case you are new here (welcome by the way!), Oliver was born at 4lbs a few weeks early. So from the very get-go, I was told to supplement with formula, in addition to the breastfeeding.

Tips to alternate between bottle feeding and breastfeeding

So tip #1 for alternating between breastfeeding and bottle-feeding?

What worked for me was starting with 15 min. of breastfeeding on each side followed by a pre-determined amount of formula. Note that your baby may or may not drink those 15 minutes and if you’re like me, you don’t really know how much breastmilk he’s getting. But stick to those 15 minutes on each breast first. Then, follow the pre-determined amount of formula that your doctor advises.

Tip #2 involves finding the right bottle. You want a bottle that mimics the feel the breast. After trying out several bottles, we opted for the Philips Avent Natural bottle . It has a wide, breast-shaped nipple that feels a lot like a breast, making it incredibly easy for me to combine with breastfeeding.

For time reasons, I don’t always breastfeed during each feed but I do pump & let Oliver have breast milk via the bottle. Oliver also takes a pre-determined amount of formula (I don’t mix formula and breast milk, we use 2 bottles) that our Dr. recommended. This also lets Alex, my husband, join in on the caregiving duties and bond with Oliver!

Are you trying to alternate between breastfeeding and bottle-feeding? Let me know in the comments below and, as always, thank you for reading!

Xo,

Christie