Mix feeding also refered to as combination feeding implies mixing mediums (breast and bottle) and/or milk (breast milk and formula).
There are plenty of reasons mothers might choose to mix feed, and as long as it’s their educated choice and it is made to fit around their family and to promote their mental and physical wellbeing, it is nobody else’s business.
Here are few steps that you might want to follow if you were looking into combine feeding:
For the breastfeeding/bottle feeding combination:
1. Get breastfeeding to a good start:
Make sure your baby latches on efficiently. This means a BIG mouth full of breast in baby’s mouth not just your nipple (ouch!), a head tilted back and a positive alignment (ears, shoulders and hips in line).
Find a local support group for you and your baby if you feel the latch isn’t right or if it’s uncomfortable to breastfeed. If you are in Reading, I run the Baby Café on Tuesdays 1-3pm at the Biscuit Factory, 1 Queens Walk, Reading RG1 7QE and I can suppor you there.
If you are not local, have a look at the following site where you might find a local group:
https://www.nct.org.uk/local-activities-meet-ups/feeding-support#tag-target-2
https://www.breastfeedingnetwork.org.uk/drop-in-centres-map/
https://www.laleche.org.uk/find-lll-support-group/
You can also contact the following phone number:
La Leche League: 0345 1202918 (open from 8am to 11pm, 365 days a year). This link takes you to local practioners and their numbers: https://www.laleche.org.uk/call/
2. Get the right breast pump to suit you.
If you are going to mix breastfeeding and feeding breast milk from a bottle then you’re going to need to express. I wrote a BIG post about How to choose the right breast pump according to your needs. You are not going to need the same type of breast pump if you are expressing full time than If you are expressing once in a while. Click here to read the post.
3.