can you mix breastmilk and formula?

[jag5000]

:dizzy: so, I'm sick.. can barely get out of bed :( .. poor me (yes, I can hear the tiny violins playing - :laughing:)

as soon as DH gets home I will be throwing the children at him and going to bed! I have been trying to madly express so I can have a solid sleep but not getting very far :( .. can barely get 20 mls!

can I mix this measly offering in a bottle with formula for DH to give DS? .. should he feed them to him separately?

I'm a bit nervous about the formula thing at all - DS has only ever had BM.. I have a great supply and not worried about losing it after missing just a few feeds.

any advice? is it ok to give to him just once or twice then not again? how much does he have (17 weeks)? I bought a small pack of ready mixed formula, is this ok?

sorry for all the questions.. my body and my brain are quite broken atm

thanks gals :)

[Beany]

Do you mean in the same bottle? No, absolutely not. You should offer them separately. To mix them up will not only interfere with the quality of the breastmilk, it will be difficult to regulate in terms of water content and so forth. Also, the baby might reject the funny tasting formula and so all that breastmilk, torturously obtained, would go to waste. If you must give formula, do so separately.

(or just lie the baby next to you and feed as you rest, ring a bell when you're done and get your husband to come and take them away :) )

[~Emmylou~]

Honestly? If you're only wanting to do it a couple of times while your not well it's not a drama.

Doing it constantly would interfere with the biological makeup of the milk as beany said, but not in a way that's going to make your bub sick.

If you want to mix it with formula, make the formula up first and then tip the BM in afterwards so that you don't get the water/formula quantities out. But yeah if bub hasn't had formula before you might find they baulk a bit at the taste...but some babies aren't bothered at all.

Much more preferable than tipping the BM down the sink ;)

Hope you feel better soon.

[jag5000]

oh yeah - thanks beany - see, told you I was sick :laughing: the water issue! - maybe I'll just tip it in after it's mixed - thanks for that emmylou, I wouldn't have thought of it. I'd get DH to give them separately but I know him - he's a lazy man and would just tip the EMB out ;)

I don't want to switch or anything - I just don't see the occasional feed of formula (like once every few months) to be a problem. As this will be the first time I'll just keep an eye out for any sensitivities

wish I could express more - I was getting a lot in the first 12 weeks or so - my body has regulated supply and I just can't get any anymore! :( I think I'll start regular pumping again and get a frozen EBM stash again
thanks again :)

ok - I'm off to bed with a panadol and a hot water bottle - nite nite *cough cough*

[AliyahBlake]

Hate to contradict you Beany, but, yes you can safely mix BM and formula in the same bottle. I was advised to do this by a couple of ECH nurses as I couldn't express enough for a full bottle (and DS was only having one bottle a day as I went back to work).

I used to make the formula up first (about 100mls) then add the BM to it. You just have to make sure both are the same temp. My DS didn't have any problems with the taste.

[Mummaholic]

I have also done this to no ill effect

[jag5000]

as an update - I did mix them (well, DH did) - bubs took it just fine. No reaction... I woke up after a 12 hour sleep feeling heaps better :D and boobies were full to bursting!

I believe that formula for one night was better than a sick mummy :)

thanks for your advice gals

[punkbaby]

Glad that your feeling better :)

I wouldnt mix them either thats JMO though

As for expressing jag i can get a whole 10ml out a day yet i have so much milk, its like my boobs stop the minute i get a pump near them LOL although i did find that i got about 20ml on when i fed her from one side and expressed the other, not sure if that helps you :)

I have about 20 containers in the freezer for emergencies with about 10 ml in each....just have to get her to actually take a cup or a bottle now, but like i said its back up for those just encase moments

[jag5000]

isn't it frustrating PB? ... you'd think boobies weren't that smart to know the difference between a pump and a baby.. but they do!!!

smart buggers that they are :laughing: