Anyone hate breastfeeding but done it anyway/can I do both?

[4 under 5]

I hate it, sorry to say. I'm sure making bottles is a torture but I'm wondering can I mix the two? I fed all my babies myself so would feel guilty to not feed this one.
How would I mix breast and bottle without getting sore?

[*Becky*]

I combination fed both my two and it worked for us. It will lower your milk supply as I am sure you know but for us it turned out to be a good compromise as I wanted DS to have breast milk but I just was not able to produce enough for him.
I never had a lot of milk in the first place so the only times I felt pain was maybe first thing in the am..I am not sure how it would work if you are producing a lot of milk??

[4 under 5]

Thanks for your reply. I would say if I didnt feed for 6-8 hours I would defo feel a tiny bit sore.
How did you work it? Routine wise..

[cuckoochick]

Sending hugs. How old is your LO?
It can be so tough in the early days. My SIL has twins and BF through the morning and afternoon but formula fed on a night. I know others who've formula fed in the day and BFed through the night.

[*Ali*]

How old is your LO? If you LO is newborn then there may be more an issue with your supply if you go too long between feeds.
As your baby gets older your body will adjust to produce what is demanded so if you replace the same feed each day with formula your body will stop producing milk for that feed. You may feel a bit engorged the first day or two but that should die down just like it would when weaning completely.
What feeds are you currently doing? Do you know which you would like to replace with formula?
Have you considered pumping and using that milk?

[*Becky*]

I basically BF every 3 hours  (after initial feeding on demand) and then topped up with formula after if he was still hungry.

[MasynSpencerElliotte]

I did mixed feeding with my older two (could not pump for the life of me, something that is actually working this time around!). We started with the bedtime bottle being ff so dh could do bedtime. Gradually I just replaced a bf with ff...with DD1 I kept the morning feed longest, with DD2 it was the DF (was her best feed at the time). Routine stayed basically the same as far as I remember! Because I did it so so slowly my supply adjusted fairly good with minimal soreness and I do have oversupply.

[Shiv52]

Mixed feeding is entirely possible. I'd say at 2 weeks though your supply is still being established so if you can make it another week or two it will be easier to fade a feed out.

[MasynSpencerElliotte]

^^^ good point Shiv...we didnt start until 4-6 weeks iirc.

[*Ali*]

Do you have any IRL support that might help make BFing more enjoyable? Just wondering if you don't like it because it is taking too long or you have a latch issue that is making you sore.

[Fiver]

Just wondering if you don't like it because it is taking too long or you have a latch issuethey is making you sore.

I was wondering that too, especially as you BF the other LOs.
Is there something that's particularly different/difficult this time round?

[4 under 5]

Thanks for all the replies. My baby is two weeks old. I'm not sore or anything, I just hate not being able to do things for the other kids etc. it takes ages to feed dd, or if we have friends around I just don't feel comfortable whipping out my boobs. Silly I know but I've always been like this.