Mixed Breastfeeding: Everything You Need To Know

It refers to mixed breastfeeding when the baby is fed with both breast milk and formula. It is the method that many mothers choose to feed their newborn.

Although this is not usually the mother’s first choice, mixed breastfeeding is the ideal solution for many women. This decision is often influenced by the difficulties of feeding the child exclusively with breast milk.

If you’re completely new to this subject, you’ll probably ask yourself: Why choose mixed feeding anyway? Does this influence the baby’s development? When is it recommended? Then we’ll tell you all about mixed feeding.

Reasons for choosing mixed breastfeeding

Generally, the mother chooses between exclusive natural breastfeeding or exclusive artificial feeding. The combination of the two types of feeding usually occurs because of a problem with natural breastfeeding, arising from any difficulty on the part of the mother or baby.

There are many reasons why a mother chooses mixed feeding as a feeding method for her little one. Typically, they can be summarized as:

• Personal choice. Many women have a bad experience with breastfeeding and it turns out to be convenient to combine it with artificial breastfeeding.
• Because of the baby. For some reason, baby a cannot be well fed with breast milk alone and needs extra support.

Breastfeeding vs mixed breastfeeding

A key moment for a woman who has just given birth is when she breastfeeds her child for the first time. Although there is a lot of information on the subject, this moment is unique and exclusive for all mothers.

Often the frustration of a bad “fit” turns the time to breastfeed the child into a stressful time for the mother. The problem is that the more stress, the harder it is to breastfeed. Faced with this situation, the mother often ends up deciding to combine natural breastfeeding with artificial milk, even abandoning breastfeeding completely.

It is recommended that you ask your doctor for questions about breastfeeding. Often these issues can be resolved easily.

When breastfeeding is not enough

Breast milk production is different for each woman. During the last trimester of pregnancy, the mother-to-be’s body is already preparing for breastfeeding. Once the baby is born and the placenta is expelled, the body is ready to breastfeed.

However, it can happen that the demand for milk is greater than the amount produced by the mother  or that the baby has complications in reaching the nipple. Such problems cause the baby to not get enough food.

It is normal for a newborn to lose weight immediately after birth and recover without major problems a few days later. If this does not happen, consult your doctor as it may be necessary to supplement your child’s diet through mixed feeding.

Can mixed breastfeeding bring any problems?

The baby will end up choosing the method he likes most naturally, and the parents will decide what is most convenient for everyone.

Feeding your baby through mixed feeding will not cause any problems. Don’t worry about not breastfeeding exclusively with breast milk and having to bottle-feed. However, there may come a time when you won’t be able to maintain both procedures, you or your baby will end up choosing just one.

If you find that your baby doesn’t want the bottle and prefers the breast, rest assured that this is the most normal thing that could happen. The baby’s connection with the mother is a very special bond that is strengthened at the time of breastfeeding. If, on the other hand, he chooses the bottle, it is probably because he finds the nipple of the bottle more comfortable to suckle than the nipple.

Feeding a newborn is an activity that requires so much responsibility that it can take the tranquility of many mothers. Don’t worry, your baby will give you clues about the path to follow. And, above all, don’t forget to always consult the professionals who are at your disposal to clarify any doubts.