Mastering Mixed Feeding: From Breast to Bottle

If you’re curious about feeding your bub in a mix of breast and bottle, or breastmilk and formula, a combination of the four, or just want a way for Dad or Grandma to jump in with a bottle, you’ve likely come across the term “mixed feeding”. Mixed feeding is a flexible approach that can help maintain breastmilk in your baby’s diet by expressing breastmilk and bottle-feeding, while also allowing friends, family, and especially Dad to bond through feeding bubba. 

Let’s explore what mixed feeding is, why you might consider it, how to introduce it successfully, and the potential hurdles you might face along the way. Whether you’re looking to top up an occasional feed, get back to work, or simply share precious feeding moments with other caregivers, we’re here to help you navigate the ins and outs of mixed feeding confidently.

What Is Mixed Feeding?

Mixed feeding, often called “combination feeding”, typically involves a blend of breastfeeding and bottle-feeding (with either formula or expressed breastmilk). Many Australian parents find that this approach provides the best of both worlds: it keeps breastmilk in the picture while also letting others, like dads or grandparents, share the feeding fun and bond with the baby. 

Many lactation consultants point out that maintaining an exclusively breastmilk diet for your baby whenever possible supports optimal digestion and immune benefits. That’s why Nourishy’s freeze-drying service is a game-changer. By transforming your own breastmilk into a shelf-stable powder that lasts up to three years, you can offer bottles filled with the very same nutrients, antibodies, and familiar taste your baby already loves. Freeze-dried breastmilk lets you keep the advantages of mixed feeding, while freeing up time for work, rest, or shared feeding moments with Dad and other caregivers. In short, it’s the smoothest way to mix feed: all the convenience of a bottle, none of the compromise.

Is Mixed Feeding Beneficial?

Yes, when it serves both mum and bub. Mixed feeding can simply mean alternating between breastfeeding and bottle-feeding, giving you the freedom to share feeds, rest, or juggle work commitments. Although lactation specialists still view exclusive breastfeeding as the gold standard, real-world life often calls for flexibility. For parents who’d rather keep formula out of the picture, swapping the bottle’s contents with your own freeze-dried breast milk preserves every antibody and nutrient while offering the convenience of a bottle. With this approach, breastmilk remains the cornerstone of your baby’s diet, and everyone, mum, baby, and other caregivers, wins.

Benefits of Mixed Feeding

• Flexibility: You’re not tied down to the clock for every single feed, which can be a huge relief.
  
• Rest for Mum: Handing a bottle to Dad or another loved one means more rest when you really need it.
  
• Supplementing a Low Supply: If you’re concerned about milk production, you can still continue breastfeeding while topping up with formula or expressed breastmilk.
  
• Addressing Baby’s Weight Concerns: For babies who need a little extra, mixed feeding can ensure they get the calories they need while you work on your supply.
  
• Shared Bonding: Offering a bottle of breastmilk or formula lets other caregivers experience those sweet feeding snuggles, too.
  
  

A Mixed Feeding Routine That Works for You

Some families choose a predictable routine (e.g., breastfeeding during the day and formula at night), while others switch it up based on how the day is going. The key is flexibility, listening to your baby’s cues, staying tuned in to your own comfort, and doing what works best for your household.

Finding Your Rhythm with a Sample Schedule

Mixed feeding can look different depending on your baby’s age and your own lifestyle. With newborns, you might still be breastfeeding quite frequently - sometimes between 8 and 12 times a day. Adding in formula or freeze-dried breast milk with a bottle could mean replacing just one or two feeds to start. As your baby grows older (e.g. 1 month or 3 months old), you can settle into a more predictable routine.

Example Combination Feeding Schedule for a 1-month-old

• Early Morning (Around 6 AM): Breastfeed
  
• Mid-Morning (Around 9 AM): Bottle of expressed milk or formula
  
• Late Morning (Around 11 AM): Breastfeed (offer the other side if baby still seems hungry)
  
• Afternoon (Around 2 PM): Breastfeed or top up with a bottle of expressed milk or formula if needed
  
• Late Afternoon (Around 5 PM): Breastfeed and possibly supplement with a bottle. Remember this is a time when the Witching Hour can creep in and your baby might want extra comfort through breastfeeding.
  
• Evening (Around 8 PM): Bottle of formula or expressed milk (perfect for Dad to help out)
  
• Night Feeds: Mostly breastfeed unless you have pre-prepared bottles

Babies can be unpredictable, so don’t panic if these timings shift from day to day, especially in times of cluster feeding. Staying flexible and responding to your baby’s hunger cues is what really counts.

Introducing Bottle Feeding to a Breastfed Baby

If you’d like to add bottle feeds, whether with your own freshly expressed or freeze-dried or breast milk, start gently. The ultimate goal is to help your baby associate the bottle with a calm, enjoyable experience, just like breastfeeding.

How Do I Introduce Bottle-Feeding to My Baby?

Mixed feeding can be a great stepping stone when transitioning from exclusive breastfeeding to introducing a bottle. Offer one relaxed bottle session at a calm time of day so bub learns to see the bottle as just another cosy way to feed. Alternating between breast and bottle in this low-pressure way protects the positive association your baby already has with breastfeeding. 

• Pick One Feed to Replace: 
  Choose one feed to offer by bottle (formula or expressed milk). Continue breastfeeding normally for the rest of the day.
  
  
• Mimic Natural Breastfeeding: 
  Use paced bottle-feeding to mimic breastfeeding, where you tilt the bottle so milk flows slowly. Give your baby frequent pauses to burp or rest, mimicking the natural rhythm of breastfeeding.
  
  
• Top-Up Feeds:
  If your baby still seems peckish after breastfeeding, a small top-up of formula or expressed milk can be a lifesaver. Offer it slowly so bub can recognise that “full” feeling.
  
  
• Choose Your Moment: 
  If your baby is overtired or very hungry, they might be less patient with something new. Aim for a time when bub is relaxed, often mid-morning or early afternoon.
  
  
• Experiment with Bottles & Teats: 
  Some babies take to a particular teat shape or flow rate better than others. Don’t be discouraged if you need to try a couple of options.
  
  
• Watch Baby’s Response: 
  If bub seems content, consider gradually introducing more bottle feeds. If there’s resistance, keep the pace slow and stay reassuring.
  
  
• Evaluate Your Supply: 
  Every time you skip a breastfeed, decide whether to pump. If you’re trying to maintain or increase supply, pumping sessions can help keep production steady.
  
  
• Adjust As Needed: 
  Mixed feeding is all about flexibility. You might add in more bottle feeds during busy times or scale back if you want to boost direct breastfeeding.

Mixed feeding doesn’t have to mean an end to breastfeeding; it can be a strategic way to keep breastmilk in your baby’s diet while juggling work, family commitments, and your own well-being.

How To Combine Breastfeeding And Pumping

A common question mums often ask is, “Will I produce less breastmilk when I start bottle feeding?” The short answer is: it depends on how frequently you breastfeed or pump. If you start offering several bottle feeds in place of breastfeeding without expressing in between, your body may get the message to make less milk. However, there are ways to maintain or even boost supply.

Evaluating Your Breast Milk Supply

Some mums prefer to combine direct breastfeeding with pumping so there’s a backup stash on hand - super handy if you need a break or plan to head out. You might breastfeed on one side while pumping the other, or wait an hour or so after the first morning feed to pump when your supply tends to be at its highest.

1. Create a Consistent Pumping Routine: Try to breastfeed and pump around the same times each day so your body keeps up production. Pick consistent times to pump, like after a morning feed when your supply is generally higher. This helps your body adjust to the extra demand.
   
   
2. Try Power Pumping: A technique where you pump in short bursts with rest intervals to signal your body that a growth spurt is happening and you should keep producing milk.
   
   
3. Relax & Unwind: Try a warm shower or place a warm compress on your breasts before pumping. Being calm and comfortable can boost your let-down reflex.
   
   
4. Feed on One Side, Pump on the Other: Some mums like to pump one breast while baby is feeding on the other. This can be efficient if your little one only takes one side per feed.
   
   
5. Store Your Milk Safely: Follow proper guidelines for chilling or freezing expressed breastmilk—check out Our Ultimate Guide to Storing Breast Milk for Aussie mums and dads for detailed info.
   
   
6. Consider Freeze-Drying: If you plan to pump regularly and build a bigger supply, freeze-drying your milk can give you a lightweight stash that keeps for up to three years, perfect for those unpredictable growth spurts or when life just gets busy.
   
   

Tackling Common Mixed Feeding Hiccups

1. Handling Breast or Bottle Rejection

It’s not unusual for a mixed-feeding baby to refuse the breast if they’ve grown accustomed to the faster flow of a bottle or vice versa. Here’s how to encourage a smoother transition:

• Skin-to-Skin Magic: Holding your baby close, skin-to-skin, can reignite their natural feeding instincts.
  
• Try New Positions: Sometimes a different hold or angle will help your baby latch more comfortably.
  
• Relax & Reassure: Babies sense tension. Speak softly, hum, or maintain a calm atmosphere to help them feel safe.

If your little one turns up their nose at the bottle, consider paced bottle-feeding, experimenting with different teats, or letting another caregiver offer the bottle so baby associates it with a fresh experience.

2. Digestion Upsets: Tiny Tummies, Big Troubles

Parents often wonder, “Will alternating breastfeeds with bottles lead to constipation?” In some babies, formula can lead to firmer stools, but true constipation involves infrequent, hard stools and visible discomfort. When bottles contain your own freshly expressed breast milk or freeze-dried breast milk, stools usually stay soft and familiar. Poop color can also shift with formula feeds - dark green is often due to the iron in formula, which is completely normal.

• Prioritise fluids: Whether baby is on the breast or drinking your bottled breast milk, frequent feeds keep them hydrated and bowels happy.
• Count those nappies: Mixed-fed babies may poo a bit less often than exclusively breastfed ones, but comfortable, steady weight-gain is the real yardstick.
• Call in the pro: If hard stools, straining, or tummy pain persist, touch base with your child health nurse or GP for tailored advice.

By leaning on bottles of your own breast milk whenever possible, and reserving formula only if you choose, you can enjoy the flexibility of mixed feeding while keeping baby’s tummy (and nappies) content.

3. Spit-Ups & Overfeeding

If your little one vomits after a bottle, it could be due to gulping too quickly, taking in too much air, or even a mild intolerance to formula. Make sure you’re following the formula’s mixing instructions precisely. Or rule out the hassle by freeze-drying your own breast milk into a powder form that works exactly the same as formula, but with all the benefits of breast milk. To reduce spit-ups and overfeeding:

• Slow the Flow: Use a slower-flow teat and take breaks to burp baby, preventing overfilling.
  
• Consider Reflux: If vomiting is frequent or forceful, speak with your healthcare provider for guidance.

From bottle refusal to belly woes, these challenges are all part of the mixed feeding journey. When in doubt, a quick check-in with a child health nurse or GP can help you tailor solutions that work best for your baby.

Mixed Feeding for a Comforted, Well-Cared-For Baby

Mixed feeding can be a flexible approach, especially for busy Aussie families balancing life’s many demands with a newborn. While the saying goes ”breast is best”, the ultimate goal is a happy and well-fed baby, therefore “fed is best”, whichever way is possible for mum. 

Keep in mind, every family’s journey is unique, and there isn’t a single “right” way to feed. If you find yourself with extra breastmilk, Nourishy’s freeze-drying service can preserve your breastmilk for up to three years, offering extra peace of mind when life gets hectic and helping you navigate any bumps along the way. 

 

Frequently Asked Questions About Mixed Feeding

Is Mixed Feeding Good for Babies?

Yes, it can be. The ideal scenario is one where your baby’s nutritional needs are met and you feel confident in your routine. Mixed feeding is just one of many ways to ensure your baby thrives. If you notice any feeding difficulties or have concerns about your baby’s health, consult with your child health nurse or GP for personalised guidance.

Can I mix formula and breastmilk in the same bottle?

It’s generally best to prep formula separately, then add breastmilk if you want to combine them:

• Make the formula according to the instructions.
  
• Add your safely stored, expressed breastmilk to the bottle.
  
• Follow guidelines for how long breastmilk and formula can remain at room temperature or in the fridge.

When Can I Start Combination Feeding?

Most parents wait until breastfeeding is fairly well-established, often around a few weeks in, though every situation is unique. If you’re unsure, having a quick chat with your baby’s pediatrician or lactation specialist can ease a lot of worries. They’ll look at bub’s weight, feeding cues, and overall growth to guide you on the ideal timing.