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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Mixed feeding

7 replies

victoriabeckham · 28/11/2004 21:06

Is it possible to mix feed a new born say breast every other feed????

OP posts:
pixiefish · 28/11/2004 21:06

can i ask why?

victoriabeckham · 28/11/2004 21:08

no reason why - just want to know if this is ok to do??

OP posts:
janeybops · 28/11/2004 21:09

Yes

pixiefish · 28/11/2004 21:09

i can't see why not- your body will adjust and will only supply the milk necessary

victoriabeckham · 28/11/2004 21:10

thanks janeybops

OP posts:
janeybops · 28/11/2004 21:10

But I usually wait til they're a few weeks old and my milk is established

tiktok · 28/11/2004 21:48

VB - it is certainly possible to mix feed, but it is very important not to do this with a newborn. The only way to build up and maintain a good milk supply is to feed frequently from the start. Otherwise, your body shuts down the production line. Any bottles of formula in the first weeks will interfere with this.

This is not the same as saying 'you cannot breastfeed if you ever give your baby formula in the first weeks'.

But it is a fact - not my opinion, but a well-researched fact - that if you give breast/bottle alternately at the beginning, you are very likely to find you do not have any breastmilk rather sooner than you want to.

Exclusive breastfeeding has many plus points from the health point of view, but mixed feeding does retain many of the health advantages of bf, so it's worth doing if this enables you to continue....but not at first. It takes several weeks to establish a supply, and for some women, 50/50 feeding, even after a couple of months, undermines bf to the extent that supply ceases. I have seen this happen many, many times.

Sorry to be negative about this - if you want to use formula, then it's better to wait, and then keep it to a minimum when you do introduce it, until you are confident you have a robust and responsive supply.

HTH

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