Can I feed my baby both breast milk and formula?

only 2% of the population in the United States cannot legitimately breastfeed.

Supplimenting with formula is one of the WORST things a mother can do for her milk supply.

DO NOT FEED FORMULA, instead nurse MORE to increase your milk supply.

Yes. The "breast feeding" Nazi's would say, "No," but any decent MD, will tell you that supplementing breast milk with formula is much better than your baby not getting enough nutrition.

the problem is twofold:

one, there is a balance of good and bad bacteria in your stomach. this is called "gut flora". when a baby has just one bottle of formula, it will take up to two weeks for the good bacteria to outnumber the bad bacteria again. this has a huge impact on your immune system and is the reason why breastfed babies are FIVE TIMES LESS LIKELY to die of SIDS. Breastmilk promotes healthy gut flora.

Secondly, when you give your baby a bottle, you are filling them up so they will breastfeed less. Breastmilk is produced on a "supply and demand" basis. So if your infant skips a nursing session due to being full on formula, your milk supply can be diminished. The number one reason breastfeeding doesn't work out is due to supplementing with formula. The formula companies know this! That's why they send you free samples and push the hospital to send you home with more samples. The best thing to do is not give any bottles until the baby is 2-3 months old, and then pump breastmilk for the bottle instead of using formula.

I supplemented at first, but pumped, because my son had jaundice, and formula is heavier, and pushed the bilirubin out of his system faster. It was either that, or run the risk of putting him back in the hospital for light therapy to break down the bilirubin. After the bilirubin cleared out, it was back to full-time breast for us.

Seriously, be sure to pump. I had to hand express because pumping did not work well enough for me. Your body needs to keep making enough milk for the subsequent feedings and stay on a schedule.

Good luck to you.

i fed my newborn (5weeks old) both breast milk and formula,
she doesnt latch on for very long as she starts to pull at my nipple with her mouth as my milk is too slow for her at the begining an she is to impatient to wait for it to flow properly(and so am i as she will start screaming if its not going fast enough!lol) so i express out about 200-250 mls of breast milk per day for her to feed on and the rest of her bottles are formula,i find that formula also fills her up alot more and she seems more content with it as for the breastmilk she needs alot of it for it to fill her up.
its completly your choice!dont let people make your mind up for you!

Yes, either or or both.

absolutely yes.

yes supplementing is fine.

Of course you can. If you find that you cannot give a breast feeding, for whatever reason, it is absolutely okay for the baby to take a bottle of formula. Or, for that matter, to be fed entirely on formula.

Yea! I fed my son both ways from the time he was 1 1/2 months old until 4 months and only formula there-on. He is perfectly healthy and fully functioning at 19 months. Do what you feel is right, and don't let others sway you or postpartum depression could waver or return.

Of course you can!! You can also pump to increase your supply and supplement with breast milk while doing so!

Yes! While many studies support feeding babies breast milk, many mothers can not supply enough breast milk (whether because of time constraints or production problems) and therefore supplement breast milk with formula as needed. Some breast milk is better than none at all.

Yeah.

Yes, but I've always read that if you want to breast feed, try that first. Babies can feed easier from a bottle than the breast so they have problems latching on if they get too used to the bottle first.

YOu can, but unless you keep baby on the breast, your milk supply might drop.
However, I remember with both mine that I simply could not produce enough after 4 months to ensure that the baby put on weight. We tried shortening the period between feeds, and my diet was excellent, but not enough milk. So I comped, and my babies were happy.

yes, but make sure you pump.

I started feeding my 4 month old both at about 21/2 months old. I can't pump enough to feed her during the day and also at night. So while my husband is feeding her the bottle of formula I am pumping for tomorrow. It works pretty good because she gets me in the morning, bottles of milk during the day, and formula at night. That also helps her sleep though the night. Works great. :-)

to the anonymous... actually it is not souly because they suplment a feed with formula that breasts dry up it can be a nuber of reasons such as diet, stress, depression etc... please dont preach at people in this subject as every mother is trying there best and each is different as are the babys i am suplimenting but also expressing when missing the feeds and all is well so each individualmake there onmind up what is best for your baby trust your instincts and your babys....

Where it is true that Breastmilk is the "Perfect Food" and that it is healthier and better for your babies in so many ways, antibodies etc. Some women simply can not produce enough breast milk to satisfy their baby. So In turn to not letting your baby starve or get dehyrdated due to not enough fluids etc. Formula is the solution to keeping baby healthy, fed, full, and gaining proper weight. SoME breast milk is better than none. Even if you can only breast feed for a short while it is better than not have done so at all.

Plus like everyone else is saying, do what YOU feel is right too. No one knows whats better for your baby than you, it's mother! It is great to get opinion and input and proper education about such things but you are the one making the ultimate decision.

Good luck!