When it comes to feeding your baby, it’s not always a question of only breastfeeding or only formula feeding.
Many women combine both, often called combined feeding or partial breastfeeding. In which case they bottle feed their baby with formula and also breastfeed their baby. Although for optimal health, exclusive breastfeeding is recommended unless your baby is receiving prescribed supplementary formula feeds due to poor growth or ‘failure to thrive’, mothers find they sometimes have the need to supplement breastfeeding with formula.
Reasons Why Mothers Combine Breastfeeding with Formula feeding
Usually mothers face challenges when breastfeeding and these challenges can be resolved, but until they are, a baby may need extra nourishment. these are some of the reasons why mothers bottle feed their baby
- Low milk supply. You may want to combine breast and formula milk if, for example, you find it hard to express enough breast milk. In this case combining breastfeeds with formula feeds is much better for your baby than stopping breastfeeds altogether.
- Separation from baby. Bottle feeding is an option that could suit you if you go back to work. But before you return to work, or when you want to cut down on breastfeeds, try to reduce the number of feeds gradually.
- Multiples. When you have twins or triplets and can’t produce enough milk for both of them you may decide to bottlefeed one while breastfeeding the other.
- When you need extra sleep
If doing a combination of the two makes you happier and saner, then you should do it without worrying about what anyone thinks about your decision.
Effects Of Combined Feeding
1. Reduced milk supply
Breast milk supply is generally driven by frequent, effective breastfeeding. Giving your baby formula can affect the frequent feeds needed to ensure you’re making the right amount of milk, especially when you first start breastfeeding. And since you are combining breast milk with formula feeding then you will breastfeed less, and your breast milk supply will reduce. Although, much older babies from eight or nine months can breastfeed just a few times a day, and there is still a supply.
2. Reduces immunity
Introducing anything other than breast milk for the first six months of life can open up the baby’s immature immune system and gastrointestinal tract to inflammation, illness, and diseases.
3. Preference of bottle over breastfeeding
While a bottle releases formula without stopping until the bottle’s empty, a baby has to suck and suck the breast before milk comes out so if babies are introduced to an artificial teat before breastfeeding is well established, they might start to prefer the bottle over breast.
To introduce bottlefeeding and formula into breastfeeding there are some things you have to know which are;
- Always breastfeed first to keep up your supply.
- Before you introduce formula or a bottle with breast milk, wait until breastfeeding is well established (this usually takes about five to six weeks postpartum). Waiting will help reduce your baby’s chances of developing nipple confusion or establishing a bottle preference.
- To keep up your milk supply use a breast pump. Try pumping before you go to bed at night or first thing in the morning; some doctors also recommend pumping before a nursing session. Since breastmilk supply depends on the laws of supply and demand, you can make your body produce more milk by using a pump.
- When bottle feeding your baby, hold your baby in a different position from your usual breastfeeding one.
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