Mixed breastfeeding: everything you need to know

Because they do not want to breastfeed or they cannot do it at some specific time, because they do not have enough milk or it is not of quality, because they find it impossible to offer each and every one of the shots that your baby needs or, due to the transition from breastfeeding to artificial feeding. As we can see, there are several reasons why women opt for this type of breastfeeding, which is divided into two types: coincident and alternating.

Coincidental mixed breastfeeding is the type of breastfeeding that the mother assumes when she does not have enough milk. In the first take what the baby does is to receive first breast milk and then artificial milk and in the amount he wants. For its part, alternating mixed breastfeeding is when some intake cannot be from breast milk. In this way the baby receives artificial milk exclusively and then, the next shot is breast milk. In this type of mixed breastfeeding, it is essential that the bottle does not annul the breast. Recall that there are many babies who are going to prefer artificial breastfeeding because it is much sweeter, and mothers, in addition, will prefer it because it is more comfortable than the maternal one in which the baby should be offered continuously.

And if, for example, mixed breastfeeding constitutes a transitional stage to habituate the baby to formula milk, although it is already recommended that one dose be replaced every time until seven or ten days have elapsed, That will be when the little one only drinks formula milk.

Advantages and disadvantages of mixed breastfeeding

Since breastfeeding provides everything a baby needs, opting for mixed breastfeeding when the breast cannot be offered exclusively to the baby is undoubtedly the best option.

Keep in mind that in addition to providing the necessary nutrients, breast milk also provides immunoglobulins, which are defenses against antibiotic properties helping to protect against some diseases. It is for this reason that it is better to stop to think and shuffle the option of mixed breastfeeding before offering directly and exclusively artificial milk.

There are also risks in mixed feeding for milk production. This is mainly due to the fact that it is going to take a lot less effort for the child to suck the bottle nipple than the breast, totally causing the end of breastfeeding.

It must also be taken into account that the production of breast milk will always be stimulated by the sucking of the baby. Therefore, as a consequence, we have the less breast milk, the less the mother produces. To continue the production of breast milk it is necessary to put the child to the chest often without resorting too much to artificial milk.

How to achieve satisfactory mixed breastfeeding

Many mixed lactations fail. But why? Many times because the baby ends up taking a lot of bottles and little breast, something that, in addition, can be complicated for the mother who does not understand that rejection by her baby too much.

For reasons like this, mixed breastfeeding is not usually an option to choose too common due mainly to its complicated maintenance if the mother will always be with the baby. The baby will always want more and by increasing the amount of bottle what can happen is that milk production is maintained or resented.

However, you can follow some tips to achieve satisfactory mixed breastfeeding:

• Offer the chest first. The best thing is that, so that breastfeeding is not completely abandoned, which is something that usually happens, always choose to offer the breast to the baby and leave artificial breastfeeding for the end.

• Always choose a suitable supplementation method. That is, it is not a type too invasive, and that allows the baby to decide the amount of artificial milk he wants to drink.

• Always keep the baby close. Both the mother and the baby should be very, very close to each other, thus resembling the physical contact that is obtained with breastfeeding.

• Finally, it assesses the causes for which mixed breastfeeding is offered since, for example, if the mother does not have a low milk production it could be counterproductive to increase the amount of artificial milk offered to the baby as it grows.