Partial Breastfeeding

For some mothers either breastfeeding or pumping every 2-3 hours all day and night is not desirable or simply not an option due to circumstances.

It’s Ok. You can still make breast feeding work but not exclusive breast feeding. (Well it is if you obtain donor breastmilk but that is another topic all together)

What is exclusive breastfeeding? Baby ingests nothing but breastmilk for the first 6 months until you start complementary foods. Then breastmilk and foods till 12 months. So, the goal of exclusive breastfeeding is breastmilk being the primary source of nutrition for 12 months. This is the recommendation of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Back to the subject at hand, partial breastfeeding. Have you decided that nursing or pumping is not going to happen every 2-3 hours? Then you have several options:

1. Option 1: Pump or nurse at regular intervals: every 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and so on. Then supplement with formula or donor breastmilk for the rest of the feeds. In other words, you decide the breast feeding schedule and supplement for the deficit. Babies need to eat every 2-3 hours regardless of your schedule. (formula and breastfed babies)

2. Option 2: Breast feed your baby then “top off” or supplement your baby with formula after every feed to allow for longer intervals in feeding schedule. This will dramatically reduce your milk supply due to un-natural feeding schedule . You must consult your physician to find out how much formula to supplement?

3. Option 3: Alternate breastmilk and formula feeding. There is a trick to making this work: the schedule. You must be consistent. Do the same thing day and night. An example would be every other feeding or every 3rd feeding or twice a day. This way your supply will adjust.

Here are some supplies that will make it easier:

What you cannot do is somedays give 100% breast then others supplement. Or nurse all day and supplement at night. You must be consistent with your emptying, so that your body can figure out how much milk to make. NOT being on a schedule also puts you in a position to have low milk supply or breast infections.

Yes, partial breastfeeding is possible and in my opinion preferable to weaning. I would much rather see a baby get 50% breastmilk long term than wean prematurely because a mother thinks it has to be all or nothing.

Still have questions? private consultation. I would be happy to speak with you on a We can come up with a individualized plan for you.

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