Breastfeeding should i supplement with formula

But here are some ways supplementing could support breastfeeding success. Feeding your baby both breast milk and formula is also sometimes called mixed feeding , combination feeding , or partial breastfeeding.

But here are some supplementing tips it can help to know:. How does supplementing with formula affect breastfeeding? What does your Get 5 simple steps you can take during pregnancy to help feeding your baby Here are six common breastfeeding questions to consider when deciding between Then, give any pumped milk you have and make up the difference with formula as needed.

If you're stopping a breastfeeding session or weaning from breastfeeding altogether, you can begin to replace breastfeeding with bottle feeds. As you do this, pump to reduce uncomfortable engorgement so you will not have problems with plugged ducts or mastitis. As you eliminate nursing sessions, your milk supply will decrease and your body will begin to adapt to produce enough milk to accommodate your new feeding schedule.

Starting your breastfed baby on formula can cause some change in the frequency, color, and consistency of the stools poop. Be sure to talk your doctor, though, if your baby is having trouble pooping.

If your baby refuses formula alone, you can try mixing some of your pumped breast milk with formula to help the baby get used to the new taste. If possible, you should have someone else give your little one the bottle at first. This is because babies can smell their mothers and they're used to receiving breast milk from mom, not a bottle.

So try to have someone else — such as a caregiver or partner — give a breastfed baby the first bottle. Also consider either being out of the house or out of sight when your baby takes that first bottle, since your little one will wonder why you're not doing the feeding as usual.

Depending on how your baby takes to the bottle, this arrangement may be necessary until he or she gets used to bottle feeding. If your baby has a hard time adjusting to this new form of feeding, just be patient and keep trying. Nursing can be a wonderful experience for both mother and baby. It provides ideal nourishment and a special bonding experience that many mothers cherish.

Breastfeeding helps defend against infections, prevent allergies, and protect against a number of chronic conditions. The AAP recommends that babies be breastfed exclusively for the first 6 months.

Beyond that, breastfeeding is encouraged until at least 12 months, and longer if both the mother and baby are willing. Fighting infections and other conditions. Breastfed babies have fewer infections and hospitalizations than formula-fed infants. During breastfeeding, antibodies and other germ-fighting factors pass from a mother to her baby and strengthen the immune system.

This helps lower a baby's chances of getting many infections, including:. Nutrition and ease of digestion. Often called the "perfect food" for a human baby's digestive system, breast milk's components — lactose, protein whey and casein , and fat — are easily digested by a newborn.

As a group, breastfed infants have less difficulty with digestion than do formula-fed infants. Breast milk tends to be more easily digested so that breastfed babies have fewer bouts of diarrhea or constipation.

Breast milk also naturally contains many of the vitamins and minerals that a newborn requires. One exception is vitamin D — the AAP recommends that all breastfed babies begin receiving vitamin D supplements during the first 2 months and continuing until a baby consumes enough vitamin D-fortified formula or milk after 1 year of age.

The U. Food and Drug Administration FDA regulates formula companies to ensure they provide all the necessary nutrients including vitamin D in their formulas. Still, commercial formulas can't completely match breast milk's exact composition. Because milk is a living substance made by each mother for her individual infant, a process that can't be duplicated in a factory. Breast milk doesn't cost a cent, while the cost of formula quickly adds up. And unless you're pumping breast milk and giving it to your baby, there's no need for bottles, nipples, and other supplies that can be costly.

Since breastfed babies are less likely to be sick, that may mean they make fewer trips to the doctor's office, so fewer co-pays and less money are paid for prescriptions and over-the-counter medicines. Different tastes. Nursing mothers usually need to extra calories per day, which should come from a wide variety of well-balanced foods.

This introduces breastfed babies to different tastes through their mothers' breast milk, which has different flavors depending on what their mothers have eaten. By tasting the foods of their "culture," breastfed infants more easily accept solid foods. With no last-minute runs to the store for more formula, breast milk is always fresh and available whether you're home or out and about.

And when women breastfeed, there's no need to wash bottles and nipples or warm up bottles in the middle of the night. Since your baby can digest breast milk more easily than infant formula, the latter allows them to feel fuller longer. They may not seem hungry as quickly after formula feedings as they do after breastfeeding.

Refusing the bottle is usually no longer an issue after some time. After your child gets used to the formula and drinking from a bottle, however, you may have the reverse issue: They may no longer want to nurse. Drinking from the breast takes more work, and many babies end up finding formula more satisfying. Adding formula to your baby's diet may change the pattern, color, and consistency of your baby's poop e.

The ultimate goal of every parent is to have a happy, healthy baby who is growing and thriving. It's great if you can breastfeed exclusively, but it's not always possible or desirable for every parent.

Breastfeeding doesn't have to be all or nothing. Every baby and situation is unique, and a combination of breastfeeding and formula may work best for your family.

Get it free when you sign up for our newsletter. What are the recommendations for breastfeeding? Updated January 31, Johns Hopkins Medicine. Managing poor weight gain in your breastfed infant. Nemours KidsHealth.

Feeding your newborn. Updated January Your newborn's growth. Updated October Breastfeeding FAQs: Solids and supplementing. Updated June Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Infant formula preparation and storage. Updated May 7, Breastfeeding and the use of human milk. Your Privacy Rights.

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