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 Lesedi,
It’s good to hear that your baby has tested HIV negative. It sounds like you’re doing all you can.
But please talk to the doctor or nurse about the best way to feed your baby. They can give the best advice to you. You can tell them you’re going back to work and explain the difficulties now that your baby is crying a lot.
M negative reacted n my baby is six weeks now only few hours I stopped breastfeeding because few month im going back to work so my baby is crying a lot can I breastfeed again
Hi Nomzamo,
Congratulations on your new baby girl. It’s great that she is HIV negative. It sounds like you’re doing all you can.
But it’s important to talk to the clinic about your baby’s treatment and medicine. Your clinic are best for giving you advice and information on this.
Please also talk to them about stopping breastfeeding. As Simon says above, it’s important to exclusively use either breastfeeding only, or formula milk only.
I am HIV positive an my baby girl is negative she is 4months now I want to stop breast feeding because there is no medicine for her at clinic what I must do
Hi Lebo,
It isn’t advised to go back to breastfeeding if you’ve stopped. If it’s possible it’s better to stick with the formula.
i stopped breastfeeding am using formula when my child is one month can i start again breastfeeding
Hi Lindo,
This is something that you should talk about with a healthcare professional, they will be able to tell you if your baby is developing as expected. So, if they are getting enough milk.
Hi I am HIV positive but my baby is negative, I am currently breastfeeding her and she is 3 months old now, the problem is she dont get full since I started pumping milk for because I had to go back to work and worse I am working shifts, what can I do?
Hi Juliya,
Congratulations on your new baby. It’s great news that your baby is HIV negative.
As Simon says, guidelines for breastfeeding are linked to where you live. So it’s a good idea to talk to the clinic about this.
But it’s important to exclusively use either breastfeeding only or formula milk only. If your circumstances 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 im hiv positive and taking arvs Can I change from formula feeding to breastmilk after a month if my baby is negative?