Colostrum then formula feeding

You could definitely do this if that’s what you want. Put in your birth plan that you want to combi feed but are really keen on ensuring your baby gets colostrum. You can buy ready made formula bottles for use in the hospital for when you want to use them. Or you could bring them home and introduce it then. Cow and gate do ones especially for packing for hospital with teats and everything. I’m sure other brands too. Tell them you’d like support with getting baby to latch and then you just offer the formula when you want to. You’ll likely find at hospital they will encourage you to breastfeed but then if you and baby don’t take to it like a duck to water they’ll then encourage formula anyway… that’s what my hospital did anyway. I really wanted to exclusively BF my firstborn but he struggled to stay awake for feeding in the early days and we ended up back in hospital on a combi feeding plan. I did both for 7 months in the end. Feel free to PM me if you’d like to chat more about it :)

I’m very pro breast personally, but I know it’s not for everyone. My m/w gave me some little syringes to collect colostrum early, as I’m having a spinal epidural. I’ll be collecting a couple of weeks before birth, freezing then giving to baby at hospital before breast feeding. Good luck and don’t stress xx

You can totally give colostrum first then formula feed, my midwives did not put any pressure on me to do either, totally my choice in the moment and they helped with my choices. Don’t feel pushed into something if you aren’t comfortable. If you do choose to take formula to the hospital take the premade bottles with teats start packs (pack of 6) from aptimal or cow and gate :) very helpful My son had colostrum then formula and I pumped for 6 weeks, my daughter the same. Not one midwife or nurse or consultant could get my daughter to latch to me, she just wouldn’t but fed from a bottle for her dad straight away, if not I wouldn’t have been released if she didn’t feed

Same as me, I don’t want to breastfeed but love the idea of baby having the colostrum. I’m thinking (will confirm with midwife) either have some ready that I’ve expressed before hand or hand express once I’ve given birth and feed to baby either via syringe or bottle (sister in law done this) will try my best to pump once home if not it will be formula xx

There was confusion on whether I could breastfeed right up until I went in to be induced and then I managed to collect some colostrum and gave that to baby alongside carton pre mixed formula because we felt fed is best

My aim is to breastfeed but I want to pump and bottle feed so it takes the pressure off me constantly having to be the feeder as I have another child aswell, but with my first 10 years ago I tried for 3 days in hospital to breastfeed and she was getting nothing from me at all, I had breastfeeding team in, different midwives massaging me and trying to get her to feed and nothing, she was latching fine just nothing coming out of me which I wasn't prepared for as I hadn't bought any formula or Bottles or Steriliser etc this time round I'm taking Formula to hospital and have bought everything I need for bottle feeding as regardless I will be using bottles anyway but I also haven't had any leaking or change in my breasts at all through this pregnancy so I'm convinced I won't be able to feed again

Thank you everyone, really appreciate the help/advice!!💕💕💕💕

I’m going to do this too!! I don’t want to breastfeed but am keen to do the colostrum part in hospital and then switch to bottle feeding

I’m in the same position, going to collect colostrum and planning on expressing for the first couple of weeks (only for the anti bodies in the breast milk) and bottle combi feed between breast milk and formula (formula only from 2 weeks old) however taking the pre-made formula bottles that you can buy with teats for the hospital if the colostrum volume is not enough for baby 😊 most brands do the pre-made formula bottled for new borns in hospital with teats!