Question
What is the safest way to feed my baby?
4 January 2016. Related: All topics, Children, HIV transmission, Pregnancy.
I am 8 months pregnant and HIV positive.
Which is the best and safest method of feeding my child once she is born?
Is breast milk ok?
Answer
Firstly, congratulations on your pregnancy.
The answer to your question depends on which country you live in. This is because different countries have different guidelines for the management of HIV in pregnancy.
In the UK, the BHIVA (British HIV Association) guidelines recommend bottle feeding.
This is because in countries where mothers can have access to to formula milk AND clean water AND bottle sterilising equipment, the risk of transmitting HIV to the baby through bottle feeding is zero.
However, in some countries mothers do not have easy access to the all the above facilities. Unless sterile water and equipment is available, the baby is at risk of other serious illnesses.
In these countries, the WHO (World Health Organisation) guidelines recommend that if a woman is taking HIV treatment (ART), then she should breastfeed exclusively for 6 months. After 6 months the baby can then be weaned onto a safe diet without breastfeeding.
Taking ARVs and having an undetectable viral load dramatically reduces the risk of transmission through breastfeeding.
Exclusive breastfeeding is recommended because mixed feeding carries a greater risk of transmission.
Please discuss this with your doctor so you understand the recommendations where you live.
Are in contact with support groups for people living with HIV? I ask because many women find it helpful to share experiences and ways of coping with being positive and pregnant.
If you live in the UK, you may also find it useful to contact Positively UK, an organisation who support families living with HIV. They will put you in touch with an HIV positive “mentor mother”. Mentor mothers are HIV women who have had children and who can support you through your own pregnancy.
Good luck for the rest of your pregnancy and with the delivery.
This answer was updated in January 2016 from a question first posted on 17 April 2012.
Hi Miranda, A similar question has just been answered here.
Hi I am 6 months pregnant I want to feed my baby once I gave birth not breastfeeding I am HIV positive is it safe for baby? 2016/08/10 at 11:36 am
Congratulations on your pregnancy.
However, HIV can be transmitted to the baby from breastmilk. This is why HIV positive mothers here in the UK are routinely advised to use bottles and formula milk instead of breastfeeding.
But in countries where there’s no access to regular formula and clean bottles, some guidelines say that breastfeeding is okay for the first 6 months. After that the baby can be weaned onto a safe diet without breastfeeding. But it’s important that the mother is taking HIV treatment and viral load is undetectable.
It’s not a good idea to switch between bottle feeding and breastfeeding because this can increase the risk to your baby’s health.
You can find out more about HIV, pregnancy and women’s health in this guide:
http://i-base.info/guides/pregnancy
Hi guys I’m 8 months pregnant can I use both formula milk and breastfeeding my baby because I’m studying during the day I won’t be able to breastfeed him
Hi,
Here in the UK HIV treatment guidelines recommend bottle feeding. But you might live in a country where you can’t get formula, clean bottles and sterilising equipment. If this is the case, the WHO (World Health Organisation) says that mothers who are on HIV treatment should exclusively breastfeed for 6 months. After that the baby can be weaned onto a safe diet without breastfeeding.
It’s not recommended that you switch the way you feed your baby because this can increase the risk to your baby’s health.
You can find out more about looking after your health and your baby’s health here:
http://i-base.info/guides/pregnancy
Hi, I want to know if you’re HIV positive and you want to exclusively breastfeed for two months, is this a risk?
TAC stand for the Treatment Action Campaign. This is the largest HIV positive support organisation in South Africa and they were responsible for the drive to get ARVs available in SA.
The main office is in Cape Town, but there are support groups and branches across the country, including in Jo’burg.
http://www.tac.org.za/contact
They also publish an excellent newsletter every three months, called “Equal Treatment”. This is available in English, Xhosa, Zulu and Tsonga.
http://www.tac.org.za/equal-treatment/pain-public-sector
Hey Rebecca
What is TAC? and where can I find it in Johannesburg,
Hello,
I’m sorry to hear about your diagnosis. Do you have any support? If you would like to get support in South Africa you could contact TAC.
Have you started ARVs yet? Even when a woman is diagnosed late in pregnancy ARVs can prevent her baby from being infected. It is important that you start treatment right away (in the next day or 2) if you have not done so already.
Whether you choose to breastfeed or not is up to you. In South Africa women are generally recommended to breastfeed their children as this can prevent other illnesses- you and your baby would both need to take ARVs during breastfeeding though, to prevent transmission of HIV.
I m 8month pregnant I jst found out last week I m positive so wll my baby arrived having hiv and after birth should I breastfeed my child without infect him im from south africa