Question
Can baby use formula and breastmilk?
4 May 2024. Related: All topics, Children, HIV transmission.
Hi please I gave birth prematurely and at the NICU the nurses said baby needs more nutrients so they add premature babies formula to my expressed breast milk and give to baby. Pls is this also mix feeding or is it ok to continue that way am home and baby is still low weight. Thanks
Answer
Hi, how are you doing?
Congratulations on having a baby. It is great to hear that baby is now home.
Are you on any treatment? and do you know your viral load? and has baby been given any treatment to take now that you have left NICU?
This is technically mixed feeding, however because baby has been unwell the slight increased risk of transmission is outweighed by bay’s need for nutrition/feeding.
How is baby feeding now?
If you are both on treatment now, even with mixed feeding the risk will still remain low as the treatment will work to suppress any active HIV in the body. What have the nurses said about mixed feeding?
How underweight is baby? do you think you will be able to switch to exclusively feeding with one type of feed at some point?
Now baby is home they are doing better and you are already doing everything you can to help baby. The small risk of mixed feeding is outweighed by keeping baby healthy and well fed. When baby reaches a suitable weight, you can choose to feed with just one method which will reduce the risk even further.
Josh.
Hi Kerusha, no this is not considered breastfeeding. The small drops of water that comes from your breast is not enough to be considered mixed feeding. There is no risk to baby by letting them continue to suckle on your breast.
Hi..I have weaned of my baby from breastfeeding and started bottle feeding. But my baby likes sucking the breast even though milk doesn’t come out but small drops of water comes out of my breast…is this considered mixed feeding? And can baby be infected by this?