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 Lizzy,
Unless a doctor has said that you can give your baby maize, then you shouldn’t be doing this. This is because babies under the age of 6 months should only be given milk. The vitamins will not be making your baby hungry. Given your babies age, you should discuss feeding with your babies doctor.
Hi.. I give birth 4weeks ago my baby is healthy and negative, I give him formula s26 gold, but he dnt get full ,becouse his doctor gave him vitamins d, and multivitamin, he always hungry, then I give him cream of maize, is it safe for him ? He will not be positive?
Hi Nthabi,
Congratulations on the birth of your daughter.
If you need to give your baby formula due to having to go back to work then you can. And yes you need to keep giving her the nvp.
Hi have been breastfeeding my baby for two weeks and now I have to go back to work.can I only put her to formula and continue with nvp?
Hi Jess,
The recommendations are, that fix feeding shouldn’t be done. The decision however is ultimately yours.
Hi.
I too an hiv positive and have been on treatment since I was 7 weeks pregnant. My baby was born at 39 weeks and tested negative. She went on navaripin for 6 weeks…was tested again when she was 10 weeks and she was negative. My plan was to exclusively breastfeed for 6 months but due to the long hours at work and me coming home and still need to pump breast milk for tomorrow, is way too much. I sleep a maximum of 3 hours each night and I’ve started to loose weight coz of this. My daughter is 4 months and I’ve decided to try her with S26 gold. Well I know I must either breastfeed 100% or formula feed 100% but is there no way around this? Can’t the nanny formula feed the baby during the day while I’m away and I come back from work and breastfeed?
Hi Promise,
NVP works to help prevent babies contracting HIV. Depending on where a person lives, babies will either take it for 4 or 6 weeks. It is very effective.
How nvp works
Hi Prichard,
Congratulations on the birth of your baby.
Its perfectly safe to give your baby formula. What you mustn’t do however is mix feed. Therefore, if you change to formula you must only give your baby formula.
Can I start giving my baby formula after 6weeks of nevarapine I have to go back to work. I have been exclusively breastfeeding for 6weeks.