Can I make my babies formula with expressed breast milk instead of water?

Question

After 6 weeks baby had still not gained her birth weight back. Doctor said to supplement her with formula because she did not believe i had a good milk supply. So I have been bf, pumping milk and giving bottles of formula.

Answer 1

No.

The formula will not deplete the EBM of its nutritional value but you should not prepare the formula that way. For one thing: why? If you have EBM that is *all* your baby needs.

If you give your baby formula prepared with EBM you are effectively doubling your baby's caloric and nutritional (vitamins, minersals) intake, which is absolutely ill-advised.

If you feel your baby is having a problem gaining weight appropriately you should speak with the pediatrician; if, from a medical standpoint, that is true the pediatrician may recommend that you use a particular formula that is higher in calories, or may recommend some other course of action. But you should not prepare formula with EBM in any event, and you absolutely should not be upping your baby's nutritional intake in such a manner unless on the specific advice of a pediatrician. In addition to the calorie/nutrients issue there may also be a resultant imbalance of water if you prepare formula using EBM, which can cause problems as well.

Incidentally, if you are concerned with weight gain: many premature babies born at low birth weights are given a special, higher calorie formula for several months to help them gain weight....and that formula is nowhere near double the calories. Breastmilk and regular formula have 30 calories per ounce; the higher calorie formula for preemies has 32 calories per ounce. So you can see that doubling the calories would be, well, crazy.

All that being said: breastmilk is the best thing a baby can have, with all the nutrients and a host of other benefits. If you are able to provide your baby with breastmilk, expressed or "direct from the source," that's wonderful. If you need or choose to supplement with formula, that's absolutely fine, great, your choice, etc. But if you are giving breastmilk...why on earth would you want to also give formula in the manner you're suggesting? Formula is fine but, why would you want to add anything synthetic (formula) to baby's perfect food (breastmilk)?

ETA:

After reading your additional details:

1) If you have an issue with milk supply there are things you can do to boost that supply. Further, you can check whether your baby is getting sufficient amounts of BM by calling the hospital/pediatrician/local breastfeeding center and requesting that they weigh the baby immediately before, and then again immediately after, you breastfeed. This requires a special, very sensitive scale -- start by calling the lactation consultants at your local hospital to determine whether they can do it there or, if not, where they recommend that you go for this to be done. That "weigh in" will tell you how many ounces of BM your baby is getting at a feeding. Further, you should speak with the lactation consultants to see if 1) they can meet with you and baby to determine whether there is anything else going on, such as a poor latch or other reasons they can help correct that would make your baby not be nursing enough, and 2) what they recommend for a possible milk supply issue. In general, supply increases with demand, and goes down with decreased demand. In other words, if you start to supplement with formula your supply will, typically, go down. On the other hand, if you have some "marathon nursing days" where you basically nurse A LOT, your supply will improve. There are also some herbal supplements that many women find effective, notably: Fenugreek and Blessed Thistle. Drinking dark beer can also help -- not light beer, but dark, as it's the hops in the dark beer that is thought to boost supply. Many women find some or all of those approaches helpful. (But don't drink the beer right before nursing/pumping!) And to be clear: I am NOT someone who insists that you must nurse and that formula is evil. At all. I am someone who had supply issues myself -- while I was never able to overcome it entirely and yes, I did give my twins formula, I was able to improve my supply with dark beer, fenugreek, and blessed thistle. I also took a prescription medication that is often used to boost milk supply, and it is called Reglan. If you do have a supply issue you should speak with your OB/GYN or general practitioner about putting you on Reglan. Reglan is typically taken for 10 days, and most women see a notable difference and don't need to take it again. I had to be on it constantly, but that's unusual.

Anyway: that is all IF you have a supply issue. Your pediatrician may well have been jumping the gun, willing to blame weight issues on fictional low supply, without recommending that you have that checked and consult with a lactation consultant.

If you do supplement with formula -- which is fine and is absolutely your choice, don't let anyone tell you that formula is evil or make you feel guilty/bad if you're not exclusively breastfeeding your baby! -- then do it separately. That is, breastfeed sometimes, use formula at other feedings, but do not mix the two. I also suggest you ask the pediatrician about Enfamil Enfacare (Simulac also has a higher calorie formula for low birthweight babies, but I don't recall the name) to see whether the pediatrician thinks such a formula is warranted for your baby.

And lastly: keep an eye on your baby when your baby does nurse/eat. Is s/he spitting up a lot? Struggling with the nipple? These can provide clues. If your baby spits up a lot and/or seems uncomfortable s/he may have reflux, with is very very very very very common in infants and can contribute to an issue with weight gain (and can be treated, and is outgrown, too).

Hope that helps. Best of luck to you!

Answer 2

Ive been mixing my 3 month old's cereal with breastmilk for the past month because my milk supply has been decreasing and she wasnt getting full enough and in order for her to get used to the taste of the formula and to keep her satisfied, i would mix in a little breastmilk instead of water..... but she's gotten to the point now where she doesnt need her formula to be mixed with breastmilk because she's gotten used to the taste of just the formula. There's nothing wrong with her, she's a healthy 12 lbs and growing..... good luck and your baby will let you know when it no longer needs the breastmilk suppliment.....

Answer 3

You don't need to, because the breastmilk is full of more nutrients than the formula provides...and if you you mix breast and formula mlk, then you will potentially be overdosing your baby on some vitamins which can be harmful.
Just use the breastmilk if you have it :)

Answer 4

No that would make it too rich. You can mix expressed breastmilk and formula but you need to make the formula to the proper ratio of formula to water first.

Answer 5

well if you give your baby breast milk, they dont need the formula at the same time. the breast milk has all the nutrients that the formula would give your baby. so do formula or breast milk, but not both at the same time.

Answer 6

NO< YOU CAN"T.
If you mix the formula with another 'concentrated ' solution, such as breast milk, the baby will not get the right proportion of ingredients, and will get dehydrated.
Only mix formula with clean water.

Answer 7

you should not need to give your baby formula if you are expressing breast milk. If you want to give your baby formula you hould mix it as the can describes. Mixing the two can give the baby to much of certain vitamins.

Answer 8

why not just feed the baby the breast milk?

EDIT: if you are not making enough milk, feed the baby the breast milk first then feed formula if you run out. do not mix the dry formula with breast milk. mix it with water.

Answer 9

Either breast milk or formula. Don't mix both.

Answer 10

no the formula take out the nutrien in the breast milk