Mixture Feeding: Supplementing Breast Milk With Formulation

One of many first massive selections you’ll make on your child is selecting how they’ll obtain their vitamin: by means of breastfeeding, expressed breast milk, or method. Though this resolution could appear easy, there are lots of layers to this selection and several other elements at play. In some conditions, breast milk and method collectively could also be the most suitable choice on your child. That is mixture feeding, also called combo feeding or combined feeding, and is a standard methodology of feeding when supplementation is critical on your child.¹

Though this text discusses mixture feeding, it’s necessary to notice that the American Academy of  Pediatrics (AAP) recommends solely breastfeeding your child for the primary six months of life. Completely breastfeeding is all the time inspired if possible for the mom and child.² The introduction of method can put a mom’s milk provide in danger. It’s additionally been related to early cessation of breastfeeding.^3,5,7 In case your healthcare crew advises method for supplementation, please work carefully with a lactation guide to guard your breast milk provide.³

Some might surprise, are you able to breastfeed and formula-feed a child? The reply is sure; giving your child the well being advantages of breast milk is all the time factor!¹ Giving each method and breast milk to fulfill a child’s dietary wants is known as mixture (combo) feeding.¹ This combo feeding methodology could also be by selection or necessity. Some might resolve that mixture feeding will work finest for his or her child and household, whereas others transfer to combo feeding to fulfill their child’s well being wants. Some mother-baby duos expertise challenges of their breastfeeding journey that require supplementation with method, corresponding to low breast milk provide or separation of the mom and child.^3,4

You may apply mixture feeding in numerous methods. Mostly, you’ll see dad and mom mix breastfeeding and method feeding or expressed breast milk feeding and method feeding from bottles.

Bear in mind, the AAP recommends unique breastfeeding for the primary six months of a child’s life.² Sadly, even with the desire and need to breastfeed solely, typically, conditions come up that decision for mixture feeding and supplementing with method. Breastfeeding and method could also be vital as a result of well being issues for the infant or completely different maternal circumstances.³

The conditions beneath might point out that mixture feeding could possibly be useful on your child. It’s all the time good apply to achieve out to your healthcare crew to debate tips on how to complement with method earlier than giving it to your child.¹ Listed here are some attainable mixture feeding indications:

It’s regular for newborns to shed some pounds after delivery, however you need to monitor how a lot weight they’re dropping. For solely breastfed infants, a lack of better than 8-10% of the load might point out a priority with breastfeeding.³ Earlier than initiating supplementation with method, it’s finest apply to have a lactation guide consider you to debate child’s latch and breast milk provide.^3,4,7 There could also be an issue that may be corrected.^3,4

In some cases, although, that isn’t the case. Your physician might suggest supplementing with method alongside breast milk to assist your child acquire weight appropriately. Formulation supplementation will be non permanent because the mom works to enhance her milk provide.³

If a mom and child are separated and a restricted quantity of expressed breast milk is accessible, mixture feeding with method can be vital to fulfill the infant’s wants.⁴

Be aware: When you resolve that mixture feeding is what’s going to work finest on your child and household, you need to set up your breast milk provide first.¹ This will take a number of weeks however is necessary to assist preserve the mom’s breast milk provide.

Mixture feeding will mostly contain introducing a bottle. If attainable, an important factor to do earlier than introducing a bottle is to ascertain a breastfeeding relationship between you and your child.¹ That is when child comfortably breastfeeds, efficiently sucking and eradicating breast milk. It’s finest to delay bottle introduction till about 4 weeks of life.⁶

If you wish to proceed breastfeeding and provides a bottle, the strategy of paced bottle feeding is advisable.^3,4,7 Bottles supply a faster stream of milk to the infant versus breastfeeding, the place the infant has to work tougher to drag milk from the breast. Infants can acknowledge the convenience of bottle feeding and be extra proof against returning to the breast. Paced bottle feeding is a technique the place the mum or dad will maintain the bottle stage, encouraging child to drag the milk from the bottle by sucking, mimicking the wants of breastfeeding. This can assist make the transition forwards and backwards from bottle to breast simpler.⁶

It’s very attainable to achieve success with breastfeeding and bottle feeding when launched accurately. If introducing your breastfed child to a bottle causes concern, contact your lactation guide to debate various feeding strategies.

Whenever you’re breastfeeding, expressing breast milk, and giving bottles (method or breast milk), life might really feel a bit chaotic. It might even really feel complicated as you determine tips on how to mix breastfeeding and pumping or whether or not you possibly can even combine breastfeeding and method. So, what’s the easiest way to assist the chaos? Create a breastfeeding and method feeding schedule that works for you and child and protects your breast milk provide!

When mixture feeding, rule of thumb is to all the time give breast milk first. This could possibly be by means of breastfeeding or bottle feeding expressed milk. As we all know, breast milk is filled with superb vitamins and well being advantages. In consequence, you need to give it first.⁴ This will imply breastfeeding earlier than method or giving a bottle of expressed milk adopted by method. Doing this ensures the infant is eradicating milk from the mom’s breast to assist along with her provide. It would additionally decrease the chance of losing breast milk when bottle feeding.⁴

See beneath for 2 pattern breastfeeding and method feeding schedules:

1. Breastfeed: All the time breastfeed first when mixture feeding. Your child won’t solely obtain the advantages of breast milk, however this may even assist together with your milk provide. If child solely takes one breast through the feed, it will likely be necessary to pump the unfed breast. This protects your milk provide.¹
2. Formulation feed: Utilizing the paced bottle feeding method, you give your child method as directed by your healthcare crew.^3,4,7 When giving them method, it’s crucial to discover ways to accurately combine and safely put together powdered method. Observe the CDC’s suggestions for getting ready powdered toddler method.

For the Mother Who’s Pumping and Giving Formulation

1. Categorical milk and put together the breast milk bottle: Pump and pour milk right into a bottle. Or, you possibly can put together some beforehand pumped expressed milk in a bottle.
2. Feed expressed milk: Utilizing the paced bottle method, feed your child expressed milk.^3,4,7
3. Put together and feed method: Based mostly on how a lot expressed milk child took and their starvation cues, put together a method bottle. Utilizing the paced bottle method, feed your child method. Look ahead to child’s cues to establish after they’re full.
4. Pump, if not accomplished earlier than feeding: When you didn’t pump initially of the feed, you need to pump each breasts after child stops feeding to keep up your milk provide.

It’s necessary to notice that if full feeds are being rotated between breast milk and method after each method feed, the mom needs to be pumping to keep up her breast milk provide.

How To Preserve Your Milk Provide Whereas Combo Feeding

Breastfeeding is a supply-and-demand course of that places combination-feeding moms in danger for a drop in milk provide. It’s all the time useful to breastfeed when attainable, even together feeding.⁷ A child can stimulate the breast and take away milk finest. This indicators to the mom’s physique that breast milk manufacturing continues to be wanted.⁷ It’s essential for moms to precise milk as often as they might convey their child to the breast to feed as a way to preserve a provide to fulfill the infant’s wants. This may common round eight to 12 breastfeeding periods and/or pumping periods. If attainable, wait to start out mixture feeding till your milk provide is established within the first few weeks.¹

rule of thumb is to precise milk each time your child is feeding with a bottle.^1,7 When you’re unable to convey your child to the breast to feed, common pumping will likely be vital. The identical goes for in case your child feeds on just one breast; make sure that to pump the unfed breast as soon as the infant is completed.¹ Working with a lactation guide whereas mixture feeding will be very useful. They will present suggestions to keep up your milk provide. They will additionally enable you to work on returning to unique breastfeeding (if that’s the tip objective).

Whether or not mixture feeding began by selection or out of necessity for you, it’s great that your child is receiving breast milk! Please make sure that to seek the advice of your healthcare crew earlier than introducing method to your child. Additionally, work carefully together with your lactation guide to keep up your breast milk provide when combining breastfeeding with method. You bought this, mama!