Advice on Suplementing Formula

Being late on this you might not need the help. BUt it is ok to mix. My son has reflux so i mix half breast milk half enfamil AR and this is how they did it in the NICU too. So If the doctors in the NICU feed it to preemis it is fine.

As long as the baby likes the taste it should be fine. I am a Mother of 3, Daughters 22 and 17 and a three year old son. I mixed but one of my children wouldn,t take it. I guess she could taste the difference. I had trouble with having enough milk all my babies were really big so I breastfed and the gave a bottle of formula. Sometimes if I had left over in a bottle I would mix. Hope that helps. C. S.

Hi D.,

I supplemented for all three of my children, ages 6, 3 and 1 and I was always told never to mix the two because the formula could break down important nutrients in breastmilk. It would be easier wouldn't it?

Hang in there!! If you have any other questions, feel free to contact me anytime. I am not an expert, but sometimes experience is the best kind of knowledge.

C. Albrecht
Stay-at-home mom of three
Franklin, Tennessee

When I recently had my daughter, my lactation consultants told me it was fine to combine any breast milk I had expressed with formula, (although I was supplementing by syringe until my milk came in). Their reasoning was that any breast milk my daughter could receive was better than none.

One helpful baby site I often check to find answers to my questions is www.babycenter.com. It has a Q&A: Ask The Experts section where actual mothers' questions are answered by medical staff. Here is an excerpt from an article I found from a lactation consultant. The article's address is: http://www.babycenter.com/expert/baby/babybreastfeed/8883...

"Question: Can I mix breast milk and formula?"

"Answer: While there's nothing wrong with mixing breast milk and formula in the same container, it's not recommended simply because you don't want to waste a single drop of your precious breast milk. Formula from a bottle that your baby has drunk from must be discarded within an hour of preparation. Breast milk, on the other hand, will "keep," refrigerated, for a number of hours in a bottle that's been fed. So, for example, if you mix 2 ounces of expressed breast milk with 2 ounces of formula, and your baby only drinks 2 ounces altogether, you'll have to throw the leftovers out, wasting some of the breast milk. To avoid this kind of waste, a good plan is to feed your baby whatever breast milk you've expressed, and then follow that up with couple of ounces of formula if you need it."

So if you're not concerned with the possibility of wasted breast milk (or if you're like me and have a stockpile sitting in your freezer:) then it should be fine.

Hope this helps!

S.

I DID HALF BREAST AND HALF FORMULA AND MY LITTLE ONE TURNED OUT GREAT!!:-)

i fed both formula and breast milk as well, but never actually mixed them. i don't see any problem with it though. thank god my children never had trouble going from breastmilk to formula, but mixing it might get your baby more used to the taste of formula if that's what you're planning on going to.

when i was breastfeeding i was told to NOT mix formula and breast milk for the simple reason is breast milk is so much better than formula. It looses it value really. If your planning to wing your baby I would keep doing the 1 bottle of formula then next feeding breast milk. If your 100 % sure about winging your baby. If not my baby didn't go back to breast milk she like the forumla better and didn't want to touch the milk anymore. So make sure you want to do that cause it may cause problems. I hope this helps...

Oh yes I was told it was ok to mix. The way most (and I) go about it is to gradually increase the formula and decrease the breast milk. Soon, you will be full on formula. Good luck! ;)

Dear D. -

I don't see why not. Both my babies were raised on formula (soy) because they were adopted, and are both very healthy. I would consult your pediatrician if you have any doubts, and would also get the book What To Expect the First Year -- an excellent source for all new moms. Enjoy your new beautiful daughter!

R.

It is definitely okay to mix them in the same bottle. By the way, formula is okay to keep for two hours after starting a feed. If you feed your baby at noon and he takes half of it, and wants the rest at two, that is fine but then throw the any left overs away. This is how we do it at the hospital, two hours for formula.

Go ahead and mix. I just weaned my 11 month old triplets and supplemented with formula all along. The ratio doesn't matter. I pumped as much brestmilk as I could and then added enough formula to meet their needs. Good luck!

Hi, I don't see a problem with mixing formula and breast milk. My Dr. said it was absolutely fine and encouraged it if it would keep me breastfeeding. I breastfed almost exclusively for the first 6 months with only formula in between because my little one was not so little and was eating like a fish!!! haha

Anyway, there is no harm in mixing the two. The nurses at the hospital said it was fine as well.

Have a great day!!!

they are 2 different tastes all together.i would think that mixing them is not a good idea.breast milk does not need help,it works wonders all by itself.

Hi D.
I have a 5 month old boy and I also breast fed and supplemented with formula. The lacataion consultant at the hospital said to not mix the formula and breast milk in the same bottle, but they can have both at one feeding in separate bottles.
Good luck, I know how much work pumping is!
C. - first time mom also

Hi, a friend from church who had breastfeed 3 children gave me this hint when I was breastfeeding. When you get ready to use formula or whole milk, add a small amount(about 1-2 tablespoon) of pasturized apple juice(unsweetened) to the formula or whole milk. It makes it taste closer to breastmilk, which is sweeter than the others. I hope this helps.

Hi,
It is ok to mix the two, however, you may find that she may not like the taste of it mixed together, you will just have to try and see, but as far as being ok, it is totally fine. Let me know if you need anything else. I am a medical asst in pediatrics! Good Luck!

K.

Many people I know do mix the two. It tends to be easier on the stomach, not so much of a blast of just formula. I'm glad to see that you are still giving your child breast milk, as so many just give formula once the baby takes it well. We all know breast is best, but it's nice to see you not quiting it completely.

So glad to hear that you are still breastfeeding! If you must supplement with formula I would not mix the two. Breastmilk has living cells in it that help your babies immune system and digestive track develop...I don't know what effect the formula might have on those cells. Kudoos again on still providing breastmilk. I hope you'll consider continuing until your baby is atleast one year! My son just turned one and we are still nursing per American Academy of Pediatrics, Surgeon General, and World Health Organization recommendations.

Hi. I am a newborn educator for a local hospital. First, I would suggest attending or at least calling La Leche League for advice from other breast feeding moms. Calling your doctor/nurse is also a good thing to do. When it comes to feeding your baby, you really should consult your doctor before you change anything.

That being said, in my experience, breast milk should NOT be mixed with anything. I am curious as to why you would want to do that. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that mothers breastfeed their babies (exclusively) for the first year of life. There may be several reasons that it is best for your family to supplement but again, please consult La Leche League and allow a mom to guide you through that process. Finally, remember that our bodies create milk based on a supply/demand model. The more your baby nurses, the more milk your body makes. If you supplement, your body makes less milk.

I hope that helps!

D.- I take it you don't plan to breastfeed much longer, right? Because adding bottles, plus bottles of formula each day will soon effect your milk supply vastly. Mixing the real stuff with the artificial breastmilk is not going to effect either the breastmilk or the artificial breastmilk. But giving a few bottles will soon lead to you giving all bottles- nipple confusion, the ease at which milk will come from the artificial nipple and the lack of supply and demand will soon settle the problem for you- it will be all formula soon. If you did want to breastmilk feed or nurse your baby longer, I would suggest stopping the bottles or making sure that when he gets one you are pumping at the same time to insure your supply.

D.,

I believe combining the formula and breast milk are okay, but always check with your ped. Most peds tell you to combine breast milk and formula gradually when you are transitioning your baby to formula only and again combining formula and milk when the child is ready for whole milk.

Good luck.

I wouldn't...
It's ok to supplement though..

Hi D.,
I would NOT mix the two togther. The reason is because your breat milk has the perfect blend of fats, minerals and vitamins for your baby. Formula has a different blend of minerals, vitamins and fats for any baby. One is natural and one is synthetic. If I could suggest one thing I would say,Use breast milk majority of the time and formula when you can't pump. Formula should be used as a supplement for breast-fed babies. Feel very blessed that you are able and willing to breast feed. It is a wonderful thing!!! I nursed for 15 months and LOVED it!! My son is very healthy because of it.
Hope this helps and good luck to you!!

Yes! Just use as much breastmilk as you have and fill the rest with formula. I visited the lactation nurses quite a few times with both of my daughters. Best of luck to you!