Is it okay to feed my baby formula most of the time, but pump breast milk for one or two daily feedings?

Question

My baby's due in a few days, and I'm planning to bottle feed her because I need to return to work rather soon (and also want her daddy to be able to participate in feeding her). However, I feel sad every time I read about how healthy breast milk is, and want to find a reasonable way to provide it. Is it possible to give her formula for most of her feedings, but pump one or two bottles of breast milk per day? If so, I can use a manual pump to produce a couple bottles of breast milk per day even when I return to work, but she would drink from a bottle from the start and I wouldn't have to worry about having a difficult time switching from breast to bottle. I've tried searching for information on this option but have found nothing. The closest I've found is the opposite -- breastfeeding most of the time but supplementing a couple daily feedings with formula. Would my option be difficult for her stomach to handle? Would I continue to produce enough milk? Thanks in advance for any info! :)

Answer 1

Without the baby suckling directly from the breast, at least 3 feedings a day the chances of making enough milk are slim. A pump can not remove the last 10% or more of milk causing your supply to go down.

There is no reason why you can not nurse your baby when you are home. Also there are many reasons why direct from the breast is best. The easiest to document is that ANY bottle feeding increases the chances of ear infections because of the suction caused. Formula in the bottle only makes this worse, while breastmilk is antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral, formula is a sugary breeding heaven for all of the above. Any formula that ends up in the ear canal through the mouth (it's all connected) or from leakage is just adding to the risks.

Another reason is that when you suckle the baby they pass bacteria and viruses to you so you can make antibodies. Without this there is a delay between when the baby is exposed to something, and when you finally if ever are exposed and begin to make antibodies.

Any formula is hard on the stomach. Formula changes the pH of the intestinal tract causing it to become more susceptable to bacteria, it irritates the intestinal track causing it to loose iron. Which is why formula has so much iron it makes babies constipated, because otherwise they become anemic. Formula fed babies almost always experience severe constipation at least once during the first year, if not more often.

Rent a hospital grade pump. It will cost you about $200-$300 for the year (potentially less) and formula will cost you AT LEAST $2,600 ($50 per week, which is one can, most parents need an average of 1.5 if exclusively formula feeding). Note my prices may be slightly off as I am Canadian but I am basing them on what I have heard of American prices and what I know of Canadian. The ratio is about the same.

Read this:
http://www.massbfc.org/formula/bottle.html

There is no reason you can't, with some support, make enough milk even though you are returning to work. There will be struggles, there may be nipple confusion, you may need to really work to keep your supply up, or it may be easy. But it can be done.

Also many moms will tell you dad promises to do night feedings, and never does. Even if he does there is no way any mother can sleep through her baby crying which your babe will do the whole time daddy is heating up the formula. Much faster just for you to breastfeed and co-sleep.

As your baby gets older (4-6 months) you may even find you don't have to pump any milk because the baby "reverse cycles" does all their feeding at night, rather than when mommy is away.

Answer 2

Congrats and good luck.
Yes it's ok to do that. Just try to at least give her only breast milk for the first 6 weeks, even if it means pumping & freezing. It was too hard for me to use the manual pump. You can get a $60 one at walmart that does the job. Don't get me wrong there is a big diffrerence from the expencive Medela (which is very nice). I went back to work after 6 weeks and had a hard time pumping at work so my son started getting more formula then breast milk and he's doing great.

Answer 3

My baby had latching problems and I had inverted nipples so I did'nt really have many options. I feed him mostly formula but I also pump 3-5 times a day to give him as much breast milk as I can. It is also nice for my husband to be able to participate in feedings. I think this works out fine for both me and the baby. I never did produce enough milk to feed only breast milk and I think my supply is getting smaller. I've just started taking Fenugreek suppliments to increase supply. Good luck!

Answer 4

Good luck with the baby!
As to the question of whether your baby would be able to handle the combination- you can't be sure until she's born. Some babies can only handle breastmilk, some can only handle breastmilk if their moms eat a specialized diet, some can only handle specialized formulas. MOST babies will be fine with both.
Any breastmilk you can give her will be a benefit (assuming, of course, that she can tolerate it). My advice would be to pump quite a bit in the first few weeks to establish your supply. If you only pump once or twice a day from the beginning, your supply might go away quickly. The first few weeks are really essential for getting it started, and you can freeze any extra for when you return to work. After that- it will depend on your body as to whether or not your supply will keep up- every woman is different. There are herbal supplements and teas that some women swear by to keep their supply up; for most women, pumping only once a day will lead to their milk drying up very quickly. My advice would be to pump as much as you can- it will probably be healthier for your baby, and much much cheaper for you to have more breastmilk than formula available.
Also, consider putting her to the breast for the first few days. Before your milk comes in, your body will produce colostrum- a clear, yellowish liquid- that has enormous health benefits for newborns. You shouldn't have a problem then introducing the bottle if she is only a few days old.
Again, good luck and congratulations!

Answer 5

It will be great to give your baby some breast milk. Some is better than none!

I don't know though if you will keep producing enough for very long. How about starting out just breastfeeding, until you are producing plenty of milk. Then you can slowly back off, and pump 3 or 4 times a day. I don't know if a manual pump will do the trick though.

Good Luck!

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Answer 6

You can do this and I think it's great that you want to give your child some better than none....your milk will not dry up as long as you keep to a schedule...breast milk runs by supply and demand...it will tailor itself to how much you use and when it's used. Just try to pump at about the same times each day and you should have no problems.

Answer 7

Yes, it is okay - but your baby will tell you. I had elaborate plans for switching from bottle to breast with two of my babies, and one of them was allergic to formula, and the other refused to take formula. I ended up pumping milk and freezing it for both. You can always get yourself to the point of nursing your baby upon waking in the morning and before he or she is put down for the night. I was lucky enough to be able to pump out milk with my hands, and I never had to use a pump. You need to begin nursing exclusively, and after a time (depending on how much leave you have) begin to switch to a bottle. They usually have lactation specialists in all hospitals, and you can always call La Leche League for help.

Answer 8

Yes, you could feed her both breastmilk and formula.

Switching from the breast to bottle is easy since sucking from a bottle is so easy for the baby. I suggest you try to breastfeed from day one and keep it up as long as you can to et your milk supply going and to bond with your baby. During that time you can also pump extra milk for bottles.

Answer 9

Your going back to work doesnt mean that you cant still breast feed. Just store enough breast milk in the fridge for your hubby to feed the baby with. No problem. I dont suggest mixing formula
feeding with breast feeding because that would in all probability upset your babys tummy. If you store enough milk and feed your baby when your at home then it should work out.

Answer 10

Any breastmilk you can provide for your baby is beneficial even if it's in a bottle. My son had both formula and breastmilk that I pumped for him. In fact, you can mix formula and breastmilk in the same bottle and breastmilk also freezes well if you want to pump ahead. Breastmilk is best for your baby, but not every woman can breastfeed, so pumping is just as good for them. If you want to continue to produce enough milk, you need to do it consistently. Congratulations on your baby and best of luck to you!