How do i supplement breastmilk with formula

Apply market research to generate audience insights. Measure content performance. Develop and improve products. List of Partners vendors. Giving your baby formula in addition to breastfeeding is called supplementing.

It's completely fine and perfectly safe to do. Many families choose this type of combination feeding method, whether out of necessity e. In some cases, breastfeeding and providing formula may be recommended by a doctor for medical reasons. The American Academy of Pediatrics AAP and the World Health Organization WHO recommend breastfeeding exclusively for the first four to six months and then continuing to breastfeed up until one year or longer, along with the introduction of solid food.

For this and other reasons, including emotions and cost, making the decision to supplement with formula may not be an easy one. While many parents breastfeed their babies and give them formula because they want to, others do so because they have to. Regardless of whether all or none of these reasons for supplementing apply to you, the decision is entirely yours. If your baby was born prematurely or with certain medical conditions, they may need more than just breast milk.

Supplementing is often done for the purpose of helping a baby gain weight. A previous breast surgery or certain medical conditions can interfere with the production of breast milk, though any woman can experience low supply. If you or your doctor feel that your baby is not getting enough breast milk through breastfeeding alone, you may need to supplement with infant formula.

It may be too difficult or stressful to pump at work, or you may have a decrease in your breast milk supply once you return to work. If you don't have a stockpile of breast milk stored in the freezer, you may have to supplement your baby's diet with formula. Your partner may want to take part in feedings and you might welcome sharing the responsibility. You could pump and use your breast milk, or you can give your little one a bottle of formula once in a while.

Exclusively breastfeeding twins or triplets can be a challenge. Not only do you have to build and maintain a large enough breast milk supply, but you'll be breastfeeding very often.

You may just need a break a few times a day both physically and mentally , and formula feedings can help with that. You may simply have a personal preference to breastfeed some of the time and give your baby formula the rest of the time. When possible, most doctors recommend exclusive breastfeeding. However, at certain times your physician may want you to supplement your breastfed baby with formula.

This could include any of the following circumstances:. If you're not supplementing your child for medical reasons, experts recommend breastfeeding for at least one month before starting formula. In the past, they thought that babies should not get such foods like eggs , peanuts , and fish until after the first birthday. But recent studies suggest that waiting that long could make a baby more likely to develop food allergies.

Offer these foods to your baby as soon as your little one starts eating solids. Make sure they're served in forms that your baby can easily swallow. Note: There is no benefit to offering fruit juice , even to older babies.

Juice can fill them up and leave little room for more nutritious foods, promote obesity, cause diarrhea, and even put a baby at an increased risk for cavities when teeth start coming in. In their first few months, babies usually don't need extra water. On very hot days, most babies do well with additional feedings.

But you may want to offer your infant water, especially if your baby's pee is dark or your baby pees less often than usual. Once your baby is eating solid foods, you can offer a few ounces of water between feedings, but don't force it. Water that is fortified with fluoride will help your baby develop healthy teeth and gums.

If you live in an area with nonfluoridated water, your doctor or dentist may prescribe fluoride drops. Larger text size Large text size Regular text size.

CON: You have to prepare and wash two bottles. And again, no throwing away breast milk. I asked on instagram which one people preferred, and most said that they did the third option, where they had designated breast milk feedings and designated formula feedings.

If you decide to go with option 1, where you put everything in the same bottle, here are some guidelines and best practices. Do not add the powdered formula directly to your breast milk unless you doctor directs you to do this. When feeding from a mixed bottle, need to follow feeding and storage guidelines for both milks. Others decide from the get-go that a combination of both breastfeeding and formula is best solution for them and their babies.

Supplementing with formula simply means that you are choosing to give your baby both formula and breast milk whether by directly nursing or bottle-feeding with milk that you have previously pumped. Whether it's medically necessary because your milk supply is low or your baby is having trouble suckling , you're heading back to work and won't be able to pump often enough, or exclusively breastfeeding is just a bit too much for you to take on, supplementing with formula while you're breastfeeding is completely fine and safe.

In fact, for some women, it's the best of both worlds. Talk to your doctor about when and how often your little one needs formula. Many moms may start off supplementing with formula in order to get their milk supply up but are then able to back off again.

Others may move in the opposite direction, weaning baby off breast milk completely or at least cutting back. When supplementing with formula, it can help to make the feeding experiences as similar as possible. If you want to give your baby formula and continue breastfeeding, the key is to make sure your baby likes both, and the easiest way to do that is to be consistent.

Choosing the right formula can be overwhelming. With so many different types, it can be difficult to know where to begin. Most healthy babies do well with a milk-based, iron-fortified formula all infant formula in the U.