Is it okay to give your baby formula as well along with breastfeeding?

It is best to exclusively breastfeed your baby for the first six weeks after birth. After which, it is really up to the mother to decide how she wants to feed the baby. Usually, mothers start to consider adding or switching to formula because of considerations such as supply issue, returning to work, and being concerned about baby’s weight gain. In general, having a combination of both breastfeeding and formula will not cause any direct harm to the baby. As long as you are breastfeeding, the baby will be able to get the antibodies produced by the mother’s body to help protect them against infections. That being said, if you baby is below six months of age, consuming anything other than breast milk may expose his/her immature immune system and gastrointestinal tract to inflammation and disease. Also, there is a chance that your supply may be affected because the production of breast milk is related to the frequency and amount of breastfeed (especially if your baby is a newborn). Here’s an article that touches on mix/combination feeding: http://www.wewomen.com/baby-first-year/everything-you-need-to-know-about-combination-or-mix-feeding-your-baby-s429192.html And another as a guide on how to go about starting mix feeding: http://www.meandmychild.com.au/new-mum/mixed-feeding/ Make the decision based on what will work best for you and your baby.

Yes it is definitely ok. I did that in my early days as well. If you would like to supplement with breastfeeding: Always give baby breastmilk first (by latching) and then if baby still seems unsatisfied you can give him a bottle of formula to top up. If you would like to supplement into expressed breastmilk: Always prepare the milk separately and not using breastmilk to replace the water. That means to say if you would like to give baby 4oz in total then u would prepare 2oz of formula first (according to the instructions on the tin) then adding another 2oz of breastmilk to the bottle; or whichever combination you desire. However if baby is too young feeding from the bottle may result in nipple confusion and baby may end up refusing to eat from your breasts. If you're worried about that you could do spoon feeding or feeding from a cup. Also if you are struggling with supply, then bottle feeding may lead you to the top up trap. You may produce less because baby demands lesser at the breast and you end up with even lesser supply.

thanks