Partial Breast Feeding

Partial breast feeding is when you nurse your baby but also feed him or her formula to supplement.  Some people will tell you that there is no benefit to only giving your baby some breast milk but they are wrong.

Only a drop of colostrum (early milk) or breast milk will give your baby antibodies that will help him or her thrive and prevent illness.  Of course, exclusive breastfeeding is best but not all women can provide this to their baby and they shouldn’t be made to feel inadequate or guilty for it. Many mothers have found themselves in this situation after breast surgery or for other reasons.

If you are unable to provide all the breast milk your baby needs, don’t give up on breastfeeding entirely. There are herbs that can boost your supply – research these on your own or talk to a La Leche League leader or Lactation consultant. You can also use an SNS device. This is a supplemental nursing system that some adoptive mothers use and others who want their baby to suckle at their breast while still providing them with nourishment via a tube feeding system.


The benefits of partial breast feeding significantly outweigh the benefits of not breastfeeding at all.  Not only will the baby continue to receive nourishment from you but you will still decrease the change of developing breast or ovarian cancer.  You will also feel better about yourself both through being able to still provide food for your baby and stress reduction due the happy hormones that make breast milk (oxytocin and prolactin).

Your baby also benefits from the aspects of nursing that have nothing to do with the milk: the pleasure of skin to skin contact and increased bonding. The baby also will benefit from better jaw and facial development and the comfort that sucking at the breast provides.

If you struggle with not being able to provide all the breast milk your baby needs, you don’t have to wean.  Instead, do what you can and partial breast feed.

Tags: breastfeeding challenges