Tips for Supplementing Your Breastfed Baby
As a breastfeeding parent, there may come a time when you need to introduce your baby to bottle feeding. Whether you’re returning to work, dealing with an illness, or facing situations where direct breastfeeding isn’t possible like during travel or medical procedures, supplementing with formula or expressed breast milk can help ensure your little one continues to receive the nutrition they need. While transitioning from breast to bottle can feel challenging, with the right strategies, you can successfully manage both, keeping your milk supply steady and reducing the chances of nipple confusion. In this blog, we will explore some helpful tips for supplementing your breastfed baby, making the process smoother for both you and your little one.
What is supplementary feeding exactly?
Additional feeding is simply giving your baby breast milk or formula on top of breastfeeding. It may be done because there are problems with breastmilk or attachment. The most common way to supplement feeding is by giving the baby a bottle, but there are other options such as using a cup, a breastfeeding supplementing tube.
Breastfeeding mothers’ nutrition tips
Women are advised to continue eating the same way they did during pregnancy. A breastfeeding woman requires 200 extra calories a day compared to her pregnancy diet. It is also important that these calories are from healthy foods. Breastfeeding mothers usually lose between 1 and 4 pounds per month, without limiting their calorie intake.
She explains that a baby has a “suck, swallow, breath” reflex. A newborn baby can’t control the bottle when they’re flat on their back. As soon as they fill their mouth with milk, it’s swallowed. They gulp a whole glass of milk. The poor mother then thinks she doesn’t have enough milk! The mother will also doubt herself because her baby is going to sleep a lot after drinking so much milk.
Hot Tip: Offer the breasts after the bottle
Pinky advises that timing is important when combining breastfeeding and bottle feeding. Unless you have to bottle-feed for medical reasons or if you will be separated from your child, it’s best to avoid bottles and baby dummies during the first few weeks, until your baby has mastered breastfeeding.
Pinky’s tip to keep the breastfeeding rhythm going is to “offer the breast afterward if you can.” If your baby needs extra feeds, then you can supplement. Put the baby back to the breast afterward.
Keep all the equipment on hand
The equipment you need for bottle-feeding, be it with formula or expressed breast milk, is essential. The Tommee Tippee Basics Starter kit includes six bottles, a sterilizer, and everything else you need. You may also want to express breast milk using an electric pump like the Philips Avent Comfort Electric Breast Pump that remembers your pumping rhythm.
Will adding supplements ruin all my efforts?
Many mums have different feelings and concerns about introducing bottles to a breastfed child. You may have spent time and effort getting breastfeeding started, or you might still be figuring out what works for you. You don’t want to let anything stand in the way.
When babies are feeding from a breast, they use a different suction action. It’s important to understand how the mechanisms work to encourage your child to become comfortable with both.
5 Steps for Successful Supplemental Feeding
- Support your baby’s head and neck to ensure that your baby is in control of milk flow.
- To encourage your baby to open his mouth, gently stroke the lip of your baby from top to bottom using your nipple.
- Hold the bottle horizontally for her to drink. This mimics the experience your baby has at the breast where she must suck to release the milk.
- This will give your baby a rest.
- You can tell that she is finished if she stops sucking or turns her back.
After one hour, throw away any milk that is left in the bottles. They can become contaminated.
It may seem difficult to make a change in your baby’s routine at first. But by following these easy steps, both you and your child will have a more pleasant experience.
Can I give my baby both breast milk and formula?
Breast milk is best for your baby. In some cases, breastfeeding or exclusive breastfeeding is not possible or an alternative. In large part, what’s best is whatever works for you and your family. If you supplement your baby’s diet, he will be healthy and happy, especially if this means less stress for yourself.
Supplemental nursing systems can be beneficial for babies who require extra nutrition. It is when mothers place a tube at their nipple to deliver pumped milk, formula, or both while breastfeeding.
You can also give your baby formula or pump milk in a bottle. Wait until your baby is comfortable and good with breastfeeding before you introduce artificial nipples. Lactation experts recommend that you wait until your baby is 3-4 weeks of age before giving him artificial nipples (including pacifiers).
What is the best way to start giving my baby formula?
You can nurse your baby first if you are using formula to make up for the lack of milk you produce. You can then give your baby any pumped milk and supplement it with formula as necessary.
Start replacing breastfeeding with bottle feedings if you are stopping breastfeeding or weaning your baby from it altogether. Pump to relieve uncomfortable engorgement. Engorgement occurs when your breasts become swollen and painful. They may also be warm or hard. This can cause clogged ducts or a condition known as mastitis.
Your milk supply will drop when you reduce the number of nursing sessions. Your body will adjust to the new schedule and produce enough milk.
What are the possible effects of a diet with formula on my baby?
If you are starting your breastfed child on formula, it can affect the frequency, consistency, and color of their poop. Talk to your doctor if you notice that your baby is having trouble pooping.
You can mix some of your breast milk into formula if your baby is not interested in it. This will help him get used to it.
Giving your baby the first bottle
It is best to have someone else open the bottle. It’s because babies are used to breast milk and can smell their mothers. Try to get someone else, like a partner or caregiver, to give the baby’s first bottle.
Consider being away from your baby when he takes his first bottle. He will be confused as to why you aren’t feeding him normally. You may need to continue doing this until the baby is used to drinking from a bottle.
Be patient and try again if your baby is having trouble adjusting to the new feeding method. If you have any questions, talk to your doctor.
Breastfed Babies Supplements
Breast milk is rich in vitamins and minerals. It’s good to supplement some of the nutrients your baby may lack. Your baby’s age will determine how much you should give.
Here are some guidelines
Vitamin D
Nursing babies should take a daily supplement. Vitamin D is added to infant formulas. Vitamin D is produced by the body’s skin when it is exposed to direct sunlight. However, infants younger than 6 months should not be in direct sunlight. After 6 months, protect your baby’s skin by using sunscreen in the sun.
Iron
Iron is found in breast milk for the first four months of life. Then, they need iron supplements until they start eating iron-rich food (such as meats and cereals) at around six months. Talk to your doctor if your baby is getting a mixture of breastmilk and iron-fortified infant formula. Some babies need iron supplements even after they begin eating solids if they do not consume enough iron-rich food. Your doctor can determine if your child is getting enough iron.
Fluoride
Fluoride is not necessary for babies younger than six months. If your water lacks fluoride, you can begin supplementing after your baby turns 6 months. Fluoride is absent in well water, bottled drinking water, tap water, and ready-to-feed formulas.
You should check if the water in your community is fluoridated. Ask your local water utility, your dentist, or your doctor if your water is fluoridated. Too much fluoride in the water can leave white marks on teeth.
