Our newborn is 2 weeks old and my wife is struggling with breastfeeding. We've been supplementing with formula bottles but now we're confused about the best way to do this. Should we do breast first then bottle? Just bottle? How do we know he's getting enough food? Any dads been through this?
We're dealing with this right now too. Wife pumped for about 2 weeks and then switched to formula for sanity. The guilt is real but honestly everyone is happier now. Fed is best, seriously.
Two weeks in is brutal man. We're supplementing too because my wife had the same issues early on. It's tough because you feel like you're failing but you're not. Fed baby is the goal. The schedule will even out as she gets more comfortable with it.
We did the same thing when our newborn was struggling with latching. The stress of a hungry baby is way worse than mixing in some formula. Your wife will appreciate not feeling like she's failing. You're doing great.
Breastfeeding struggles are real and honestly underrated as a stress factor. If supplementing is taking some pressure off your wife and baby's getting fed, that's a win. Don't let anyone make you feel bad about doing what actually works.
Combination feeding is totally legit. We did bottles during the day and breast at night for months. Takes pressure off your wife and the baby still gets breast milk. Nobody has to suffer through this.
Hey man, first two weeks are chaos no matter what. The supplementing sounds like the right call if it's helping your wife. Don't stress too much about having some kind of perfect plan. Fed is best and honestly you just do what works for your family.
The guilt around supplementing is so real but don't let it get to you. A fed baby and a less stressed mom is always the right call. The breastfeeding journey is different for everyone and some people need more support or combo feeding and that's totally okay.
This phase is temporary I promise. We did combo feeding for the first month and it saved my sanity and my wife's. Breastfeeding takes time to click and supplementing doesn't mean you're doing anything wrong. Just survive these early weeks however you can.
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At 2 weeks she might still be in the hardest part of breastfeeding. The pain, the engorgement, the frustration. Have you thought about getting a lactation consultant to come by? Even one visit made a huge difference for us.
Your wife is two weeks postpartum. Please tell her she's doing amazing no matter what. The breastfeeding thing should never come at the cost of her mental health.