It is common practice for some mothers to supplement their baby’s feeding with formula when they are breast feeding.
There can be a number of reasons to make this decision and usually it is because they have insufficient milk to satisfy the needs of the baby or else there is some concern that the baby might not be getting complete nutrition from the breast milk.
It can also be convenient for mothers who need to be away from their baby occasionally and they can still do so if they have someone who can mind the baby and bottle feed it.
It is perfectly safe to supplement the baby’s diet with formula just as it is safe to feed the baby on either breast milk or formula.
Most people will agree that breast milk is the best for the baby so a diet that consists of a higher portion of breast milk than formula will generally be better for the baby’s health.
One of the main reasons why breast milk is better is because it helps the baby to build up immunities and these same nutrients aren’t present in formula. This in turn will help protect your baby from illnesses so even if you are bottle feeding on formula then supplementing that with breast milk will only enhance your baby’s health.
One thing that you will need to be aware of is the fact that the less you breast feed the less there will be a demand for the milk and that will affect the supply.
Your breasts will produce less milk when this happens.
If your baby is gaining weight on a good basis and not crying out for more food then it is likely that you have the right balance in the supply of nutrients with the combination of breast milk and baby formula.
For some babies changing from breast milk to formula too often can lead to stomach upsets so a common sense approach and monitoring your baby’s condition at all times should see that it remains content, happy and healthy.