Breast milk and formula mix?

Question

I EBF my baby girl but now that I went back to work I find I cannot pump enough for to eat in a day and dipped into my freezer stash to tje point where I will run out soon. I will have to start supplementing with formula since quitting my job to make sure I can nurse her is no go at the moment. She drinks 4 5 oz bottles during the day so I wanted to do 3 oz breast milk and 2 oz formula.  Can I mix them in one bottle or should it be BM first and then formula? What is the best water to use? Going to call her peds for his thoughts but wanted advice from moms who know.

Answer

Mix them together. Make formula as normal then tip them in together 😊

Answer

I don't breastfeed anymore but when I did I had a hard time producing so I wanted to mix and my lactation co sultans said not to mix because breast milk is better longer than formula and if she didn't drink it all at one go it would have to be thrown out 😬. I would just make two bottles give her Breastmilk first then top up with formula. That's just what I was told and that way you know she's had all the BM before moving on to formula.

Answer

I was told not to shake your BM, roll it side to side (by my doc) it will break down the healthy elements. I always made the formula then added the BM in.

Answer

My doc said to use bottled water for mixing formula. I wouldn't mix them for a couple reasons: 1. If baby for some reason doesn't eat 5 oz for a feeding you will waste valuable breastmilk and 2. Formula is only good for 2 hours at room temp once mixed and only 1 hour once baby drinks from it, whereas breastmilk can sit out much longer before and even after baby drinks from it. You want to be sure not to have to throw out your liquid gold because it's mixed with formula.

Answer

I mix BM and formula on a 3:1 or 2:2 ratio depending on how much BM I have. My lil boy takes 3-4 4oz bottles while at daycare and they are good about letting me know when the bottle was warmed if I pick him up and there was some left over from his last feeding.

Answer

You might have to mix it at first either way. My baby hates formula, she just spits it out and cries.

Answer

In my opinion, it kind of depends on the situation and the baby.  I have a really hard time product information breast milk, so I strategically feed my EBM to my baby separately (when I know she will take all of it and be least likely to throw it up, lol).

However, when I was a RN in the NICU, I would sometimes do things a little differently...  We mixed formula with breast milk moms brought in all the time, hoping to provide at least a little bit of digestive benefit every few hours as opposed to giving one breast milk feed and then going another 12 hours feeding straight formula. We did sometimes premix a shift's worth of EBM/formula feedings in really stable babies.  However, we mostly did this will babies who had to take the entire feed no matter what (via tube feeding, etc.).  Some bottle feeding babies really prefer breast milk over the taste of formula, and so we would give them the breast milk first to ensure they at least at that and didn't waste all their mom's hard work and enjoyed the taste and therefore took more by bottle before being gavage fed by tube.  And of course, if the mom freshly pumped and brought in some EBM, we would try to give that first without having to refrigerate or reheat (as those processes can affect some of its super powers).😜

Whenever possible, I tried to ask the mom what she would prefer and then explain my reasoning one way or another.  As long as your supply is good and you pay attention to storage guidelines as others have mentioned  (I suggest you not premix more than a day's worth with advance as formula or anything mixed with formula expired after 24 hours per our unit guidelines), you should be good!  I would also try to give her freshly pumped milk whenever she happens to be hungry right after you pumped to ensure more potential antibody, etc. transfer.

Answer

If I know my baby is going to drink the full amount, I'll mix formula and breast milk into one bottle. But if I think she just wants to snack, I'll give her breast milk first then formula because if its mixed, breastmilk lasts longer than formula

Answer

I supplement 2 oz formula 2 oz BM .. I mix the formula with nursery baby water and shake it to mix it then I add the BM in and roll it side to side to mix those two together then I heat a mug of water and let it sit to heat up the bottle and my baby lovessss it lol

Answer

I'm know there is a lot of conflicting information out there but I trust my pediatrician and the lactation consultant :) We all do what we think is best for our baby!

Breast milk and formula mix?

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