Question
Can I change from breastfeeding my baby to formula milk?
5 January 2018. Related: All topics, Children, Pregnancy, South Africa.
Hi, I am HIV + and I take my ART very well. My baby tested negative on the first day of birth on the second day the results were insufficient but on the 3rd day the results were negative again …..I am breast feeding and giving my baby nevarapine but I am planning on stopping breast feeding after a month and formula feed because I will not be always around to take care of baby. I am avoiding mix feeding, is this wise?
Answer
Hi
Thanks for your question and congratulations on your new baby. It sound like you are doing an amazing job of looking after your baby and the test results are really good.
Because guidelines for breastfeeding are linked to where you live, including the country and if this is in the city or countryside, please ask your doctor or nurse these questions.
i-Base is in the UK and guidelines in SA are sometimes different.
You are right that if it us important to exclusively use either breastfeeding only or formula milk only. If your circumstance make it important to change this is also usually okay, but your clinic can give you the best information about how and when to do this.
Hi Onorsime,
Breastfeeding guidelines vary depending on where it is that a woman lives. In the UK we only recommend formula feeding as with formula there’s no risk. If you wish to breastfeed the best thing to do is to talk to your doctor, they will be able to advise you.
I have been feeding my baby with formula for three days after birth cos my breasts didn’t produce milk. Can I switch to exclusive breastfeeding? My viral load is below 20.
Hi Anonymous,
It’s good to see your CD4 count is in the range for someone who is HIV negative. And do you mean your viral load is undetectable? If so, all this looks like your HIV meds are working well. It looks like you’re doing all you can to protect your baby from HIV.
But I’m sorry to hear the nurses made you feel like a bad Mom. There’s nothing wrong with feeding your baby with formula. Here in the UK, HIV positive Moms are recommended to formula feed only.
Please talk to your doctor or nurse about switching to formula. What HIV meds are you taking? Please let us know.
Hi I am HIV positive, virol load LDL and have a CD4 of about 500. I am breastfeeding baby and she is one week old, I wanted to formula feed but, nurses made me feel like a bad Mom. Can I change baby from breastmilk to formula or is it risky?
I am very worried.
Hi Zee,
Your baby testing negative early on is a great sign that they should be OK. However, to know for sure you’re going to need to wait until your baby is around 18 months old. Please see here: http://i-base.info/guides/pregnancy/hiv-negative
Hi my boy tested negative at birth but I gave him breastmilk and formula bcz I was producing less milk now he’s 2months old I stopped giving him breastmik we were taking our medicine so I would like to know that he is safe??
Hi Phumi,
Babies born to positive mothers need to be either breastfeed or formula fed, you can’t mix.
Hi can I use formula and breast milk if I’m hiv positive and my viral load is undectatable and my baby is taking Nevaropine.
Hi Nompumelelo,
If you want to ensure that there is no risk, then sticking to formula is the best thing that you can do. If your baby is constipated (which is common) please talk to a doctor about this.
Hi I’m Hiv positive with undectatable virial load I hv been giving my bby a formula but now want to change to breast milk due to the fact that my bby it’s always constipated and suffering from indigestion so can I shift her to breast feed