There are as many types of breastfeeding as there are mothers, so the important thing is to be able to offer each mother and her baby the best solution for their case. Therefore, if you decide to do
mixed breastfeeding, the midwives at Happymami have prepared the following post for you.
Mixed Breastfeeding: How to start the transition from breast to bottle?, to clear up any doubts you may have.The best food for your baby is
breast milk, but there are many occasions when the mother needs or wants to offer
breastfeeding combined with a bottle to her baby. That’s why we want to give you the best information to do it perfectly.Learn more about our
bottle for mixed breastfeeding.What happens if I do mixed feeding with formula?
Mixed breastfeeding can be done with breast milk (expressed breast milk) or
formula milk. The important thing is to follow appropriate guidelines to protect your breastfeeding, based primarily on avoiding generic bottles and using a Happymami mixed breastfeeding bottle.This way, on the one hand, you will prevent your body from stopping producing breast milk, and with the Happymami custom-made bottle, you will prevent your baby from confusion, protecting your breastfeeding.
Check our Breastfeeding Guide to resolve all your doubts about mixed breastfeeding.
Mixed breastfeeding from the start: how does it work?
From pregnancy, your body prepares to breastfeed your baby. And after delivery, putting your baby to your breast triggers a whole process in your body that will provide your baby with all the milk they need during the breastfeeding stage.To understand this process, we will call it the engine of breastfeeding, and its greatest stimulus will be your baby’s sucking, among others. Thus, we obtain the famous rule of “
the more sucking from the breast, the greater the production”. Whether it is sucking from the baby itself or a breast pump, this information is important in cases of babies who have required admission to an incubator and separation from the mother-baby dyad.
🍼 Our personalized bottles are designed to combine with breastfeeding from day one.🍼
Factors in mixed breastfeeding
Your breastfeeding consists of two fundamental pillars, your body and your baby, and taking care that both are not confused will be of utmost importance to be able to do mixed breastfeeding without losing your breastfeeding.What is nipple confusion in newborns during mixed breastfeeding?
This is the confusion that we generate in your baby when using a nipple different from your breast when we do mixed breastfeeding, after which your baby will become confused and reject your breastfeeding. Therefore, we need to avoid generic bottles and use a custom-designed Happymami bottle to prevent the confusion factor in your baby and protect your breastfeeding when combining breastfeeding and bottle.What should be done to avoid confusion in mixed breastfeeding?
To avoid confusion when doing
mixed breastfeeding. You can use alternative feeding methods such as finger-syringe, spoon, or relactation device. If you use a bottle, without a doubt, use a bottle that is as similar to your breast as possible, and the most similar will be a custom-designed Happymami.
👶🏻 Use bottles adapted to your baby’s needs to avoid confusion when combining breast and formula.👶🏻
Why is it important to use a bottle similar to your breast for mixed breastfeeding?
Your baby, at birth, has reflexes, called archaic reflexes. These reflexes are normal and will disappear over time, and they serve to “survive” in this first stage. Of all the newborn’s archaic reflexes, we focus on two, the rooting reflex and the sucking reflex.The rooting reflex occurs when your baby’s peri-oral area (around the mouth) is stimulated, they will turn their mouth in search of that stimulus. And the second super important reflex is the sucking reflex, a reflex that consists of when your baby touches something on the palate, they suck.But your baby does not know what a nipple is, or a pacifier, or what mom’s breast is like, and must learn how much stimulation mom is going to provide to their palate. Because for example, if mom has a large breast with a short nipple.In this case, the baby, over the days, will learn that mom has a very large breast, so when they bring the breast closer during feedings and touch the corner of the lips, the baby has already learned that it is a large breast and will open their mouth wide.As well, they will have learned how much stimulation they will have from mom’s nipple on their palate, being perfect for the baby, feeling very comfortable with that stimulation and performing perfect breastfeeding. Therefore, all breasts with their nipples are perfect for breastfeeding, all we need is for the baby to learn what mom’s breast is like and it will take days or weeks of establishment.
Advantages of using Happymami personalized bottles in mixed breastfeeding
Happymami bottles are an excellent tool to support babies during their learning in feeding, especially when they are developing and perfecting the sucking reflex. Designed to mimic the texture and shape of the mother’s breast, these bottles allow a natural transition between breast and bottle without confusion for the baby.
Nipples adapted to the baby’s learning
Happymami nipples stimulate the baby’s palate in a similar way to the maternal nipple, helping to reinforce the sucking reflex. They make it easier for the baby to associate similar feeding patterns between mom’s breast and the bottle.
Opinions of moms about Happymami
Mixed breastfeeding with formula
To
do mixed breastfeeding with formula, the most important thing is to consider not confusing your breast. Just as we mentioned before not confusing your baby by using a custom-designed mixed breastfeeding bottle. Now it’s time to think about not confusing your body, if we do
mixed breastfeeding.Therefore, if you
combine breastfeeding and bottle, keep in mind that each time, your baby will need more food. Then we must ensure that the breast also produces more. Maintaining correct stimulation of the breast, either with the baby or with a breast pump. And thus be able to do
mixed breastfeeding without losing your breastfeeding.
Mixed breastfeeding without decreasing your milk production
Your body after delivery or cesarean section and especially after skin-to-skin contact with your baby and putting them to the breast, understands that there is a baby, and will begin to put all the machinery in motion to offer your baby the food they need.The first few days your body says:
“Okay, there’s a baby, let’s start breastfeeding”. As we stimulate it with feedings, or with the breast pump if the baby is admitted to an incubator, your body will have a breast milk increase in a few days. Each mom is unique and it may be sooner or later, but with adequate stimulation we will have that breast milk increase.This milk increase indicates that your body understands
“Ok, ok, there is a baby or babies, I’m going to give it my all to make sure” and produces maybe 3 liters for example, your breast will be super swollen and what you have to do is put your baby to breast.Days go by and your baby of those 3 liters that your body had produced, maybe consumes half a liter, to say as an example. Then your body says
“Perfect, it’s not 4 babies, it’s 1 baby” and adjusts its production to your baby’s needs. Because it is perfectly prepared to do so.
How to do mixed breastfeeding?
To
do mixed breastfeeding without affecting your breastfeeding, we must follow some guidelines. The first thing is to avoid the use of the generic bottle, using a Happymami custom-designed bottle, this way you will prevent your baby from the confusion factor and protect your breastfeeding.
Resources for moms who choose mixed breastfeeding
In this section, you will find practical information and key resources for mothers who choose
mixed feeding, a detailed
guide on breastfeeding, and basic tips for
newborn care. Everything you need to know for this important stage.
How to do mixed feeding with a newborn?
The first ten days, we need to focus on establishing breastfeeding, so it is best to do exclusive breastfeeding only. These days are crucial for your lactation, and we need both your baby and your body to understand that we are going to start the engine of breastfeeding, so the first 10 days, only breast.From day ten of breastfeeding, we can start
mixed feeding by introducing one bottle a day. Our advice is to give one bottle a day, if possible, and it is highly recommended to do it with your breast milk, so your breast will continue to produce everything your baby consumes.It may be interesting to do this feeding at night, because there are babies who, after taking the bottle, will sleep a little longer, and those 2 or 3 hours can be very beneficial for your rest. Continue this pattern until the newborn is twenty days old.
Mixed feeding baby 1 month
From the twentieth day of the newborn, continuing with our
mixed feeding, we can now introduce a second bottle feeding a day, the one at night that we were doing and if you want another one during the afternoon or night as well. When is not so relevant, the important thing is that we maintain adequate breast stimulation to continue maintaining and increasing the production machinery.And obviously without forgetting to use a Happymami bottle designed to measure so as not to confuse your baby. And, from one month of age, we can give the bottles more freely, always prioritizing the feedings that you can with the breast, and use the bottle for those feedings that you need or want.Also, if you do
mixed feeding because your baby needs a supplement. First you breastfeed until it is empty and then you supplement with the amount prescribed by the pediatrician. If you continue to give the bottles with your milk, it will be perfect. If you decide to introduce formula feeding, that will be fine too.
Mixed feeding baby 2 months
It is very important to keep in mind that as your baby grows, he/she will need a greater
amount of milk in one feeding. This means that if we offer the breast to your baby, and then he/she takes 30 ml of formula, it would be advisable, at least until 2 months, to extract the same amount of breast milk. This way your body will produce everything your baby needs even if we do
mixed feeding.Maintaining this consistency of extraction until 3 months would be essential for an ideal
mixed feeding. But obviously we must adapt this information to your case.
The amount of bottle per feeding will be determined by your pediatrician if it consists of supplementation. Or by the needs of your baby, as a guide the amounts of each bottle to be taken by the newborn according to the stage in
mixed feeding are:
- Baby two days old, 19 to 20 ml per bottle
- Baby three days old, 30 to 40 ml per bottle
- Baby four to five days old, 50 ml per bottle
- Baby six to seven days old, 60 to 70 ml per bottle
- Baby 8 days old, 70 ml per bottle
- Baby nine to fifteen days, 80 to 90 ml per bottle
- Baby fifteen days to one month, 110 to 120 ml per bottle
- Baby two months old, 120 ml to 150 ml per bottle
- Baby three months old, 150 to 180 ml per bottle
- Baby four months old, 180 to 210 ml per bottle
- Baby five months old, 210 ml per bottle
- Baby more than six months old, 210 to 250 ml per bottle
Mixed feeding schedules
It is important to keep in mind that these schedules are just a general approximation. Each baby is different and may need more or less feedings throughout the day, depending on their age, growth and appetite.
- Morning (7:00 – 8:00 AM): Breastfeeding to start the day.
- Mid-morning (10:00 – 11:00 AM): Bottle to supplement feeding.
- Midday (1:00 – 2:00 PM): Breastfeeding to continue stimulating production.
- Afternoon (4:00 – 5:00 PM): Another bottle feeding to ensure the baby is well fed.
- Night (7:00 – 8:00 PM): Breastfeeding before sleeping.
- Early morning (2:00 – 3:00 AM): If the baby needs it, a breast or bottle feeding to calm hunger.
How should mixed feeding be given?
To offer
mixed feeding to your baby, you can do it as a supplement. Offering the breast first until it is empty and after emptying it, give the supplement with your Happymami bottle. Another option is to make complete bottle feedings, such as if mom has to return to work and dad needs to give the baby the bottle at home.
Risks of mixed feeding
If you do
mixed feeding, the main risk that can happen is that you lose your breastfeeding, so it is important not to confuse your body or your baby. We need to maintain a stimulation of your body so that it produces everything your baby consumes, and use a Happymami bottle designed to measure to prevent the confusion factor to your baby protecting your breastfeeding.
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