Pros And Cons Of Mixing Breast Milk And Formula – 4 Important Insights for a Balanced Feeding Guide

Many mothers consider mixing breast milk and formula to fulfill their babies’ nutritional needs. This method involves switching between breastfeeding, pumping, and bottle-feeding. Mothers may choose to alternate between the two methods, particularly when returning to work or trying to get more sleep. However, there are pros and cons to consider when mixing breast milk and formula.

In certain instances, it may be convenient to combine the two liquids in a single bottle, such as when you don’t want to prepare separate bottles for one feeding. However, there are benefits and drawbacks to this approach. Read on to learn more about the pros and cons of mixing breast milk and formula, as well as how to do it safely. It is also essential to discuss this method with your doctor or a lactation consultant to ensure the safety and nutritional needs of your baby.

Breastfeeding Again

Whether you’re starting out breastfeeding or resuming after weaning your last child, it’s advisable to seek your midwife, health advisor, or breastfeeding supporter for help if you want to start nursing more and give your baby fewer bottles.

These are a few useful breastfeeding tips you should note

• Hold your child close to your skin whenever you can. Your body will be prompted to produce milk, and your baby will be encouraged to eat.

• Continually express your breast milk. Prolactin, which stimulates your breasts to produce milk, is released when you express it. The recommended number of times each day is eight, including one at night. Your midwife, health visitor, or breastfeeding supporter can demonstrate how to express the milk. You can do it by hand if you find it easier.

• Try holding your infant near to your breasts and skin-to-skin while bottle-feeding. Feed your infant frequently. If your baby does not initially feed for a long time, do not be concerned. See advice on how to properly position and attach your infant in this article.

• Don’t make your baby stay at the breast longer than necessary; instead, pick moments when he or she is aware, relaxed, and not very hungry.

• As your milk supply rises, gradually cut back on the number of bottles your baby consumes.

• Put a lactation aid to use. To provide your infant access to milk from both your breast and the tube, a little tube is taped next to your nipple and extends into the child’s mouth. This supports your infant as they become accustomed to latching on to your breast.

Can Formula And Breast Milk Be Combined In The Same Bottle?

What is the good news? It is acceptable to serve breast milk and formula in the same bottle if you follow safe preparation procedures.

Pros And Cons of Mixing Breast Milk and Formula

• When you give only breast milk to your baby, the responsibility rests on you to produce enough milk to the extent your baby requires at any point in time. When combination feeding, however, you can supplement your breast milk with formula and can invite assistance from additional caregivers that can help with the bottle feeding.

• A mother returning to work, one with a limited supply, or one attempting to breastfeed multiples might all benefit greatly from combining breast milk and formula. This can be quite challenging and laborious for an exclusively breastfeeding mom.

• When combining breast milk and formula in one bottle to feed your baby, you’ll have fewer bottles to wash. However, the potential waste involved when the baby can’t finish a bottle is one disadvantage to take into account.

• Also, the shelf life of the bottle is shortened when breast milk and formula are combined, and pumping can be quite labor-intensive.

How Long Is A Formula Effective?

When combined with formula, fresh breast milk has a two-hour shelf life at room temperature but can last up to four hours when served that way. Discard milk in the bottle one hour after your baby starts sucking from it.

If your child doesn’t complete the half-breast milk, half-formula bottle in one feeding, you risk tossing some of your laboriously acquired breast milk away. The solution, in this case, is to first give your infant breast milk and then, if he or she is still hungry, to make a few ounces of formula to give them later.

How To Combine Breast Milk And Formula

You must prepare each type of formula according to the manufacturer’s directions before adding breast milk. As follows:

For concentrated formulas, whether liquid or powder

• Wash your hands, sanitize your kitchen counter, and check that all the equipment is clean (bottle, nipple, measuring scoop, can top).

• Read the instructions completely and follow the manufacturer’s instructions when preparing the formula.

• Once the bottle is prepared, you can add any expressed breast milk.

Adding breast milk and ready-to-feed formula to a bottle.

• Make sure all equipment (the bottle, nipple, measuring scoop, and can top) is clean, wash your hands, and sweep the kitchen counter.

• You can simply pour ready-to-serve formula into the same bottle as your expressed breast milk because it has already been prepared.

Rules For Safety When Combining Formula And Breast Milk In The Same Bottle

• Never give in to the temptation of blending powdered or concentrated formula with breast milk when making a combo bottle. Although it could appear like a technique to “pump up” the caloric or nutritional value of a baby’s bottle, this is the incorrect method and a bottle prepared in this manner could be harmful to your child.

• The precise balance of vitamins, minerals, electrolytes, and other essential nutrients in the formula can be upset in a bottle if the wrong amount of water is added, or if expressed milk is used instead of any water at all.

• Always adhere to the instructions on the label and make the formula in a different bottle as instructed before adding any expressed milk you wish to use.

• When combining breast milk and formula, keep in mind that the mixture, whether it contains breast milk or not, is fine at room temperature if it is recently made (that is, if your baby hasn’t drunk from it for two hours). However, if your child has consumed some of the bottle content, it must be finished within an hour.

• Whether it is an all-formula bottle or prepared formula made from concentrate or powder, it should be kept in the fridge and used within 24 hours.

Can You Combine Breast Milk And Formula In The Same Bottle?

Yes, you can combine breast milk with formula. However, experts suggest separating formula feeding and breastfeeding because:

1. Both formula and breast milk have varied storage recommendations. As you cannot reuse formula, breast milk is squandered if a baby doesn’t finish the feed. Some of the protective components of human milk may be impacted by the mixing of formula and breast milk. It might also have an impact on the baby’s overall protein and mineral intake.

2. Even though breast milk and formula have different qualities, there may be several good reasons to combine the two.

Why Combine Breast Milk With Formula?

If the baby doesn’t enjoy the flavor of breast milk and won’t eat, you might think about combining formula with breast milk.

• If your baby rejects breast milk because he or she doesn’t like the flavor, mixing some breast milk with formula can be an option.

• If your expressed milk is less and you’re starting back at work, you might think about combining breast milk and formula.

Whatever your reasons, speak with a doctor or lactation specialist before giving your baby formula and breast milk mix.

How Do You Combine Breast Milk And Formula?

Before starting, keep in mind that combining formula powder with breast milk could result in vitamin imbalance. Follow these instructions to properly combine formula and breast milk.

1. Prepare liquid formula or infant formula in powder according to the directions on the package or as advised by the baby’s physician. Given that it has already been properly diluted, breast milk can be added straight to a ready-to-feed formula.

2. To create formulas, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advises using water from a reliable source. Since the formula is not sterile, the water must be heated to a boil before adding the powder, and it must then be allowed to cool. You can either use boiled tap water or bottled water to make infant formula, depending on the quality of the water in your location.

3. Once the formula is prepared, you can combine it with breast milk in the proportion advised by your doctor and give the infant the mixture right away. The combined milk can also be kept in the fridge, but only for up to 24 hours. It is ideal to give the baby breast milk first, followed by formula, rather than mixing the two in one bottle.

4. To determine the proper proportion to blend breast milk and formula for your baby, consult a doctor.

Does Combining Formula And Breast Milk Provide Any Advantages?

Even while blending breast milk and formula isn’t always a good idea, there are some situations where it might be advantageous.

1. May aid the infant in adjusting to the flavor of the formula

While mothers start weaning their infants to formula, experts advise blending in a tiny bit of breast milk. When the infant becomes used to the flavor of formula, you can stop blending it with breast milk.

2. May encourage longer periods of sleep

It is as a result of the formula’s slower digestion when compared to breast milk. It might be useful in some circumstances. To get your baby to sleep longer, though, don’t use this method frequently. Consult a pediatrician for advice on how to encourage long periods of healthy sleep in infants.

3. In addition to these

Some mothers and other caregivers may find it convenient to mix breast milk and formula in one bottle if the baby receives both breast milk and formula.

What Could Go Wrong If You Combine Breast Milk And Formula?

The following are some possible negative effects of combining breast milk and formula.

• Wastage of breast milk may occur if the baby tends to not complete their bottle. To avoid wasting formula and breast milk, it is best to prepare it in small batches in these circumstances.

• When the frequency of breastfeeding or breast milk expression declines, the amount of breast milk produced falls. Combining breast milk with formula also cuts down on the amount of time a baby spends sucking, which lowers the amount of breast milk that is produced. If you want to retain an adequate supply of breast milk, breastfeed frequently and gradually add formula.

• When breast milk and formula are combined in an improper ratio, there may be potential health problems. For instance, a newborn that drinks less water may experience digestive and renal stress, leading to dehydration. Similar to this, adding too much water might make the meal sloppy and deficient in vital nutrients. Both situations have an impact on the baby’s growth and development.

• Ideally, the formula should only be mixed with breast milk when instructed to do so by a pediatrician. You may perhaps think about an option.

What Alternative Exists To Formula And Breast Milk Mixed?

When breast milk alone is not sufficient, experts suggest mixed feeding or combination feeding as an effective way to supplement breast milk. Mixed feeding, also known as partial breastfeeding, involves giving the baby formula and breast milk on alternate days.

By using this method, both you and your baby can benefit from breast milk and formula separately without any adverse effects. However, mixed feeding should never replace exclusive nursing unless recommended by a doctor.

If supplementing breast milk becomes necessary, blending formula and breast milk may be the only option. In such cases, it is best to seek advice from a professional, such as a lactation consultant or doctor, on how to combine formula and breast milk properly. They may also recommend better substitutes for you and your baby.

Therefore, consulting with a professional is crucial before considering mixed feeding or combination feeding as they can guide you on the right method to use and provide recommendations that are beneficial to both you and your child.

Can Constipation Result From Combining Breast Milk And Formula?

Yes. Combining breast milk with formula milk might make babies constipated because formula milk is more difficult to digest than breast milk.

Can I Give Formula Milk Right After Nursing?

Yes. After breastfeeding, you can give your baby formula milk. They would need some time to adjust to this change though, as bottle feeding necessitates a different sucking motion. Following breast milk, your baby will gradually start to accept the formula.

When Compared To Formula Milk, How Many Ounces Of Breastmilk Are There?

Breastfed babies typically consume around 25 ounces of milk per day, and this amount remains relatively constant between the first and sixth months. In contrast, formula-fed infants tend to consume more milk, around 7-8 ounces per feed. This is because milk flows more consistently from a bottle than from breasts, and formula milk may not be as easily absorbed as breast milk, requiring more milk to meet nutritional needs.

If you want to introduce formula to your baby and gradually wean them off breast milk, mixing breast milk and formula is a good option. It may also be the only option if your baby rejects breastfeeding or if you are unable to breastfeed. If you prepare formula properly in small batches to reduce waste, it is a safe alternative.

However, before combining breastfeeding and formula, it is essential to speak with your doctor to determine the right ratios and to ensure the safety of both you and your child. Your doctor may also recommend other alternatives that may be better suited to your needs.

What Situations Call For Combination Feeding?

Although exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of a newborn’s life may be advised, it may not be possible for a variety of practical reasons. Breast milk and formula feeding may be suggested in certain circumstances.

Before altering your baby’s feeding schedule, get medical guidance. 

Final thoughts

If a baby is not getting enough breast milk or starts to reject it, combining formula may be an option. This may help the baby begin the weaning process but could also cause the breast milk supply to decrease. When mixing formula and breast milk, make only a small amount at a time and ask a doctor for the proper ratio to prevent waste and safeguard the infant’s health.

Combining formula and breast milk in the same bottle can be a practical and secure option. Any amount of breast milk is beneficial for your baby, so it’s essential to mix the two liquids properly to consistently provide your child with the best (and safest) nutrition.

Many parents may wonder if it’s okay to feed their baby formula and breast milk at the same time. Breast milk is the ideal meal for infants up to and including six months. If your baby can’t eat straight from the breast, you can feed them expressed breast milk.

Sometimes, doctors recommend supplementing infant formula with breast milk to meet the baby’s energy demands. As long as you follow the guidelines, mixed feeding is safe for your baby. It’s essential to speak with your doctor and take the necessary precautions to ensure that both you and your child are safe and healthy.