One reason is that mixing breastmilk and formula can result in breastmilk being wasted if the baby does not finish the milk since the formula needs to be discarded. For safety reasons you should never combine your breast milk with unmixed powdered or concentrated formula.
Everything You Need To Know About Formula
Is it Safe to Physically Mix Breast Milk and Formula.
Rules for mixing breastmilk and formula. It should feel warm not hot. The combination of infant formula and your babys saliva can cause bacteria to grow. Some moms prefer this method because they can be sure that their baby is getting enough breast milk and then add formula as needed.
The amount and proportion of nutrients will change. If for example you know that your baby consumes about four ounces per feeding you can prepare two ounces of baby formula according to the directions. Swirl the breast milk to mix the fat which may have separated.
Be sure to clean and sanitize the bottle before its next use. When you mix the two the composition of the resulting mixture is going to be greatly altered. Before choosing an infant formula for your child talk to your pediatrician.
The problem with mixing breastmilk and formula is that once she drinks out of it if she doesnt finish it you have to discard it within an hour like you do with plain formula. The composition will neither be like breastmilk nor like formula milk. There is a way to combine breast milk with baby formula.
For example a baby is to eat 20 ml each feeding. It is not recommended to put formula and breast milk in the same container. Store unopened infant formula containers in a cool dry indoor placenot in vehicles garages or outdoors.
Giving your pumped milk to your baby first and on its own ensures that all of your liquid gold will be used and less will be wasted. Rules for Mixing with Breast Milk and Formula in the Same Bottle If you decide to go with option 1 where you put everything in the same bottle here are some guidelines for how to do it. Do not heat breast milk directly on the stove or in the microwave.
If youre using formula that needs to be prepared like powdered infant formula mix and prepare according to the directions first before adding it to your breast milk. You should never add undiluted powdered infant formula or concentrated liquid formula directly into your breast milk and you should never use your breast milk in place of water to mix concentrated or powdered infant formula. Plain breastmilk she can keep drinking- Ive read anywhere from 4.
While a bottle of room temperature breast milk is good for up to 5 hours a bottle of formula or breast milk mixed with formula should be discarded after 1 hour from the start of use. The storage guidelines for both formula and breast milk are different. Does mixing formula and breast milk together in the same bottle or syringe change the composition of the milks and therefore should not be done.
The issue is this. Formula bottles should be discarded after an hour whereas breast milk can be kept much longer without being spoilt. If you need to supplement your infants diet with pumped breast milk and formula they may be mixed together safely in the same bottle.
Test the temperature of the breast milk before feeding it to your baby by putting a few drops on your wrist. You can then add two ounces of breast milk to the bottle and combine. So for example if you mix 2 ounces of expressed breast milk with 2 ounces of formula and your baby only drinks 2 ounces altogether youll have to throw the leftovers out wasting some of the breast milk.
This is to prevent the wastage of precious breast milk. To avoid this kind of waste. Mixing formula and breast milk may affect some of the protective elements of human milk.
Keeping formula feedings and breastfeeding separate The third way of mixing formula feeds and breast milk is to alternate between the two during the day but not physically mix the liquids in a bottle. Throw out any infant formula that is left in the bottle after feeding your baby. Always prepare formula according to the manufacturers directions using clean water.
Breast milk on the other hand will keep refrigerated for a number of hours in a bottle thats been fed. Formula spoils much quicker than breast milk. Doctors orders say Feed 20 ml breast milk or.
Thus if a baby doesnt finish the feed the breast milk gets wasted as you cant reuse formula. It may also affect the total protein and mineral intake of the baby. The composition of formula milk mimics that of natural breast milk but remains static.
