Mixing Formula and Breast Milk

Here’s a question that comes up all the time.  Can I mix breastmilk with formula?  Yes, yes, yes. If you have pumped milk, but not enough for a full feeding.  You can add it to formula that’s ready to feed or formula that you’ve mixed up with water according to the directions.
 
Please don’t mix powdered formula into pumped breastmilk, as there will not be enough liquid for the baby, it will be hard for the baby to digest and may cause gas, diarrhea or worse.  Be sure that you’ve mixed the formula according to the directions and then added the pumped milk.
 
Any breastmilk that you have is helpful for the baby.  So it’s ok to mix ½ ounce of breastmilk with 3 ounces of formula, or 3 ounces of breast milk with 1 ounce of formula.  It really doesn’t matter how you mix it, just know it’s ok to do so.
 
Many moms find that when they return to work, even if they’re pumping 4-6 times/day, their supply decreases, yet they don’t want to stop.  Adding formula to the pumped milk, helps stretch it out.  Good luck.