Can I mix Breast feeding with formula?

M

mavislohsp

Registered User
Hi,

I have exclusively breast feed my baby for 3 months. I find it too tiring to carry on while coping with my baby sleeping issue and house chores. Therefore i started to mix with formula for 2 meals a day. His response was ok, except he rejected bottle in the beginning and take lesser as compared to expressed milk.

Is it ok for me to continue mixing breast feed with formula until I there is no more milk from my breast? In fact, since now I am able to handle my baby's sleep better, I feel like to go back to solely breast feed again if possible. But people around me was saying that since now baby are able to take bottle and have no problem with mixing, I should continue doing this.

Can anyone give me some advice please? Thank you.
 
I combined breast feeding and formula for the first 5.5 months. I pumped breast milk, put it in a bottle and fed him from bottle often because I could see rate of consumption. After 5.5 months my breast milk declined considerably and I relied solely on formula until he turned one years old. Do what works best for you.
 
it is really a personal decision, not one that anyone here can or should comment on.

fact:
1) the more you breastfeed, the more milk you produce. the less you breastfeed, the less milk you produce.
2) formula will not kill your child (unless you buy milk from china!)
3) what works best for you and your family is what you should do... not what others tell you that you should do...
4) many women mix breast feeding and formula feeding. many only breast feed and many only formula feed.
5) by the time the child is 2 years old, there is no way to distinguish which children were breastfed and which were formula fed.
 
It is definitely possible for you to go back to fully breastfeeding if that is what you want to do. I have helped mothers who have gone from 100% formula feeding to 100% breastfeeding. And as you are already breastfeeding it will be much easier for you.

The main point to remember is that the more breastfeeding you do the more milk you will make. There are two techniques that really help increase the milk supply. These are: Breast Compression and Switch Nursing.

Dr. Jack Newman also explains how to do Breast Compression on his web site,

Breast Compression at http://www.breastfeedinginc.ca/content.php?pagename=doc-BC
He also has video clips on his website at http://www.breastfeedinginc.ca/content.php?pagename=vid-4dayold

Another good technique is Switch Nursing. Switch nursing is changing to the other side when the baby no longer seems interested. Usually when we start feeding the baby is very interested to suck, as the baby slows down we start the breast compression and when the baby slows down with the breast compression we change and get the baby to have the other side. On the other side after the baby starts to slow down we again use the breast compression and when he slows down again swap back to the first side again. We can continue swapping sides as much as we like and for as long as the baby is willing to continue to suck. It is fine to swap sides 8, 9 or 10 times in one feed.

And while I agree mainly with Cara?s post I wish to comment on her point 5. Remember that the main job of breastfeeding is not to give your baby food but rather to give your baby an immune system. Because of this there is actually a very big difference between babies (and later children and adults as many of the benefits are life long) who were breastfed and those who were formula fed.

Best wishes,
SARAH

Sarah Hung IBCLC
www.lotuslactation.com
 
hi all,

thank you so much for your valuable info and advices. I felt much better after reading your notes, bagel and carang. Sarah, thank you so much for the infoand introduce me the website by Dr Jack, it is very useful for me. Thanks again!

best regards,
Mavis
 
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