mixing breastmilk with formula

[lucyp]

I am wondering if you can mix breastmilk with formula - one of tha ladies I work with says she used to do that with her little girl.. but I am dubious as I had not heard of this before. I had always offered 2 bottles if I was going to do that....... Has anyone else done this or know if you can? My little person is 5 months old.

[dee dee]

yes you can mix breast milk and formula, I used to do it for my dd. The only thing is make sure that they are the same temperature when combining them eg both cold from the fridge or both at room temp.

[lucyp]

so do you use the breastmilk in lieu of the water or just add it to the made up formula at the same temp?? Sorry to sound naive but never done it before:)

[dee dee]

hey I know it can be a bit confusing, and I also always wanted to know if I was doing the right thing. You make up the formula as usual with the water and then add the breastmilk.

[Milly]

Hello!

As far as I know, you are best not to mix them and give it to them separately. So say a serve of the Express Breastmilk first and then a serve of the formula. This is so that your breastmilk does not go to waste and most imprtantly that the formula is made up accurately. It is best not to mess with formula mixing at all too and the Express is like gold (in that it is not always easy to go back and get if you have spent a while expressing it and it could potentially go to waste if the composition of the formula/breast mix does not work), so best to treat them separetly.

There are few different ideas about this, and Deedee said she did not have worries, but I was told to treat them separetly if I did that. Much like if you had the baby on the breast for the first half of the feed and supplemented them with a top up formula bottle. It is also to do with composition.

:)

[madvoice]

I have been told that you can mix breast milk with formula though you need to make sure that the formula is premixed according to recommendations and then add breast milk to it. I'm about to start a thread similar to this but with a few variations.

[kamoo]

Hi Madvoice,

As I had trouble breastfeeding (mastitis and the problems that go with it) I mixed milks under the instruction of the midwives half and half. Which meant mix up your formula and if you are using it at every feed. Mix up say 180mls (leave it in the fridge, but only for 24 hours, then throw it out if you don't use it) but only use 60mls of that and add 60mls of breastmilk. I did this for about a week or so then went straight to formula as I was not producing much of anything. This I did deliberately so that I would not be producing any more breastmilk. Not that I could express much in the first place. (not sure if those last few sentences made any sense, but I know what I am on about :)

Anyway hope this helps. You may even be able to mix a different percentage, I think it is really up to you and what bubs is happy with.

I do not recommend lactation consultants as I told the one that instructed me where to go (in a rather blunt and rude way). That is another story and if you would like to hear more about it email me.

Kamoo

[maybe1more]

My doctor told me that i could mix the two, he said at least my bub was getting breast milk as well, it also make it easier for me when i put bub on just formula, he was already use to the taste.

[madvoice]

Kamoo,

Thank you so much for the e-mail. It made me relax. My DD is still getting some Breast milk but at least she's taking well to the formula. I'm very surprised at how much weight she's put on in the last 5 days and how much more settled she is. I am now certain I made the right choice.