If you have been fully breastfeeding, embarking on a new routine of mixed feeding with formula means you will need to reduce the amount of milk that you are making, as your baby will get some of his milk through a different route.
The breastfeeding system of supply and demand will do this automatically in response to your baby suckling less at the breast. However, your body will benefit from a gradual rather than a sudden reduction, so make sure that you drop only one feed every few days.
Your body will then have received and acted upon the message to produce less milk before you drop another feed. In this way, you should avoid becoming painfully engorged.
By adjusting your milk supply in this way, you will be able to feed your baby as much as you choose, and others can feed him while you are away.It is advisable to wait until your breastfeeding has settled, say at four to six weeks, before you start changing it too much. Otherwise you may find that you do not make as much milk as you would like.
However, remember that sometimes babies start to prefer the bottle to the breast, as it is easier to get the milk from it. So if you feel that your milk supply is deteriorating because your baby wants the ease of the bottle, have a weekend where only you feed him, and increase your milk supply again.
