How to Transition Your Baby from Breastmilk to Formula

Switching from breastfeeding your little one to formula feeding him can be a stressful transition for both mama and baby. First things first, if you are feeling guilt about formula feeding, go ahead and take a serious moment to breathe into those thoughts and remove them from your frequency because baby just needs a happy mama not a perfect one. I have included a step by step process on how to transition your baby from breastmilk to formula to make the switch gentle on you both!

I know firsthand how emotional making the switch from breastfeeding to formula can be. After almost losing my milk supply, experiencing serious latching problems and going through a week of overtime pumping and breastfeeding to get my supply back up, the hormonal imbalance that came with the supply dip was wreaking havoc on my well-being. I was seriously disappointed I couldn’t continue breastfeeding and felt guilty at thought of giving my baby formula. I was feeding him the bottle, trying to get him back on the boob and pumping all at the same time, I overwhelmed myself to the point of exhaustion. I decided for my mental health it was time to start the transition because a not so happy version of myself was not doing my baby or me any good.

Looking back, I applaud myself for providing my little one with 4 solid months of breastmilk! Breastfeeding comes with many challenges and for some mamas, like me, it is best to transition to formula and that is completely ok! So now that we established that giving yourself a guilt trip that breastfeeding didn’t work is not healthy for your mindset, let’s talk about how to transition your baby from breastfeeding to formula. I did some research and discovered that if possible, it is gentler on your little one’s digestive system to take it slow. I put a plan in place to gradually introduce baby Louis to formula by adding a small amount to his breastmilk bottle and slowly increasing the amount of formula over a one-month span.

Once I had Louis’ feeding schedule ready to go, the next step was making a decision on what brand of formula to use. I feel strongly about eating organic myself to avoid toxic pesticides, chemicals and added hormones, so I knew I wanted to pick an organic brand. Organic formula is expensive, and I realize this is not an option for everyone, so I encourage talking to your pediatrician to see if he or she has a recommendation. My pediatrician recommended Earth’s Best Organic formula and she also mentioned goat’s milk formula like Kabrita can be gentler on my baby’s tummy. After reading up on top organic brands and taking my doctor’s advice into consideration, I decided on Earth’s Best Organic Formula. This company has a sensitive version as well which I like having that option if needed.

Before we get to the formula transition action plan, there are a few important notes I would like to mention:

Probiotics: my baby’s pediatrician informed me that breastmilk has naturally occurring probiotics so, when making the transition from breastfeeding to formula, it is important that I add probiotic drops to the baby’s bottle. I personally did not want to introduce both formula and probiotics at the same time in order to be gentle on baby Louis’ belly. I waited to add probiotics to his bottles when we reached the half formula and half breastmilk stage of the transition since he was still getting most of the necessary probiotics from my breastmilk in the first part of the mixed bottles. Additionally, I added just half of the probiotic serving until Louis was on 3 ounces of formula. I love Mommy’s Bliss Baby Probiotic Drops because the product is free artificial colors and flavors, sucrose and parabens.

2. Formula fed babies poop less often. While my baby was pooping daily, even sometimes multiple times per day on breastmilk, he started going less frequently once he was on half formula half breastmilk bottles. I was a little worried about constipation so just to ensure his little belly was processing the formula ok there were a couple techniques I tried to encourage bowel movements.

- Warm Baths: if almost two days had gone by without a bowel movement I would give Louis a nice warm bath to relax his belly. I spent extra time gently trickling warm water over his stomach with his favorite bath toys. I then warmed a face cloth with water and placed it over his belly while I washed his body. Warm baths worked very well to get things moving for our little one!
- Bicycle Kicks: with Louis laying on his back I moved his legs into gentle bicycle kicks for a few minutes to help stimulate a bowel movement.
- All Breastmilk Bottle: I liked giving Louis 2 full breastmilk feedings overnight if he was getting gassy or was starting to get backed up to give his digestive system a break from processing formula. I noticed this helped him as well. Dream feeding Louis was the only time I could get him to latch once we hit 3.5 months!
- Belly Rubs: counterclockwise belly rubs were another technique I used to ease Louis’ gassy belly.
- Sitting Upright: I found that Louis had an easier time passing a bowel movement if he was sitting upright in his baby seat chair or car seat. I would often times put him in the car seat in the house to get things moving.

Bath Essentials

Baby bathtub with a removable sling

Organic Washcloths

As always if your baby cannot make a bowel movement it is best to contact your pediatrician. There were times I had to give Louis half organic prune juice and half distilled drinking water bottles to help him poop if he was on his second day. This was recommended by our doctor given his age. I highly recommend consulting with your pediatrician before making any medical decisions for your little one.

Alright now let’s finally get to the feeding schedule!

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How to Transition Your Baby From Breastmilk to Formula Action Plan

Week 1

Days 1-3: introduce two bottles with 1 oz formula and the remainder breastmilk at mid-day feedings
Days 4 -6: add two more feedings with 1oz formula and the remainder breastmilk at mid-morning through evening feedings for a total of 4 bottles mixed with 1 oz formula
Day 7- all feedings with 1 oz formula mixed with breastmilk except one overnight dream feeding with full breastmilk if you choose

Week 2

Repeat format with 2 oz formula
Add 2 drops probiotics

Week 3

Repeat format with 3 oz formula
Add 3 drops probiotics

Week 4

Repeat format with 4 oz formula
Add 4 drops probiotics

Week 5

If you are feeding more than 4 oz total continue with the format until you have 100% formula bottles
If you are feeding 4 oz this last week would replace all feedings with full formula including nighttime feedings

*I recommend keeping a freezer stash of breastmilk in case your baby gets gassy and you want to give his digestive system a break.

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Weening off Pumping

As you are transitioning your baby from breastmilk to formula you will also want to start weening off pumping. It’s important to also take it slow to avoid clogged milk ducts or mastitis. Louis was on 4 ounces of milk during the formula transition so, I started weening my pumping back at week 3. I wanted to ensure he was doing ok on the formula before I started gradually reducing my breastmilk supply. For more information on how to ween off breast-feeding and pumping while avoiding mastitis check out Kelly Mom.

Bottles + Bottle Feeding Supplies

To prep for the transition from breastfeeding to formula you will need to stock up on bottles, nipples, bottle brushes, a drying rack and a natural dish soap that is safe for babies. Additionally, you will need to keep a lot of distilled drinking water on hand and of course a stock of formula.

I love using Nuk glass baby bottles. The glass is much more resistant to cracking when compared to plastic. Over time, with repeated heating and steam cleaning, plastic bottles break down and crack, so glass is definitely my preference. I did try both. I purchased the gift set complete with 4oz bottles, 8 oz bottles and a cleaner brush. The set comes with different flow anti-colic nipples that are shaped similar to a mommy’s nipples, making it easier for baby to adjust. Lucky for me, Louis had no problem taking the bottle!

I have a Baby Brezza bottle steamer which also can be used with some toys and teethers. If you want to be super efficient, Baby Brezza also makes a formula dispenser which mixes and warms bottles instantly. For moms who want less fuss this keeps things simple and efficient.