odd reaction: Using expressed breastmilk as anti foam?!

[DungeonDweller]

Hi,

Baby iscombi fed. Some BFing, some expressed milk, some formula.

I've recently began to combine my milk & formula (safely, handled correctly and with the right timing that it's thrown out based as it it were full formula). I used to feed the baby from two bottles sequentially but now just combine into 1 bottle for actually feeding.

Anyway.

I've noticed that if I have a bottle of formula (say 90ml), and put in another 90ml of my milk.. it de foams instantly. I'm sad so I've done experiments and it even happens at a different ratio of say, 90ml formula with just 20ml of my milk.
It happens when the expressed milk is same day fresh or 3 days old so can't be age/vitality.

No one has mentioned this before! We've managed to ditch the colic infacol when I do this, it's not needed.

Do I have weird milk, why hasn't anyone suggested it before e.g. health visitor?
Does this happen with other people?!

[DungeonDweller]

No one? Do I have super tits
If anyone else is combo feeding and fancies testing it, please report bk (or if there's a chemist here who has a theory on wtf is going on).
I'd be interested to hear if anyone elses does this & wish I'd known months ago, would have spared me endless pots of infacol.

[Jamhandprints]

Not sure what you mean by defoam? But anyway, it's not good to combine in the same bottle. I think it destroys the good bacteria and stuff in the breast milk. I can't remember exactly but remember learning on my antenatal that neither the formula or the breast milk are as good if mixed. Obviously fine to give each at separate feeds.

[divafever99]

I have no idea what you mean by "defoam". I combination fed, expressed and topped up with formula, but as a pp had said in 2 separate bottles, didn't think you could mix.

[DungeonDweller]

By de foam I meant become less frothy. I have a Tommy tippee and the formula is always a bit of froth on top, like beer

Thanks for flagging about not mixing, had no idea it would be bad/alter the goodness as I'd assumed it was all going into the same belly within 20min anyway. Will stop!

[modgepodge]

I’m combi feeding - not really by choice but had to introduce formula due to poor weight gain (underlying health condition). Initially my baby wouldn’t take the formula as she was used to breast milk, so I mixed them, gradually upping the formula each day until she’d take it ‘neat’. I told the dietician I was doing this and she didn’t mention anything about it killing nutrients or anything. 🤷‍♀️ I now usually add a little breast milk to the formula to thin it a little as it’s so thick it barely gets through the teat (and don’t want to go up a teat size in case it puts her of BF). I will ask the dietician n3xt time I speak to her if it’s ruining the goodness in both!

Anyway. I have noticed some feeds are more bubbly than others. I shall note whether the neat formula ones are more frothy than Mixed ones!

[Jamhandprints]

@modgepodge I doubt a dietician will know much about the specifics of breast milk.The NHS are notoriously bad at breast feeding support. I'd ask a breast feeding counsellor. You probably have a local support group, maybe with a number you can text/ call or a Facebook page.
@DungeonDweller, ah, I see, the TT machine makes it so foamy. I can imagine that can't be good for baby, no wonder so many have colic these days. Maybe worth adding a tiny bit of breast milk to it then!

[Suray]

I am combination feeding due to not producing enough milk. I was told by my neonatal unit, health visitor and gp that it is fine to put all in one bottle. But if the formula is too warm then it will kill all of the good nutrients in the breastmilk. I use bottled premaid formula to top up my breast milk. The more formula he lo has, the worse his colic is.