Supplementing is the practice of giving a breastfed baby additional milk — expressed breastmilk, donor milk, or infant formula — when breastfeeding alone does not fully meet the baby's needs.
Supplementing refers to providing extra milk alongside breastfeeding when a baby needs more than they can currently obtain at the breast. La Leche League GB states: "Babies sometimes need more milk than they can take at the breast." Reasons may include prematurity, ineffective latch, low milk supply, or specific maternal health conditions. Supplementing is distinct from fully switching to formula and is often practised as a short-term measure while breastfeeding is established or supply is built.
What milk can be used to supplement?
La Leche League GB describes a hierarchy of supplement options: "The first choice when extra milk is needed is your own expressed milk," followed by donor milk, with infant formula as an option when other sources are not available in sufficient quantities. The NHS notes that if formula is offered, this can reduce the frequency with which a baby wishes to breastfeed, which may in turn reduce milk supply: "Your baby will want to feed less if you are topping up with first infant formula milk."
How can supplementing be given while protecting breastfeeding?
La Leche League GB describes a sequence recommended by some healthcare professionals: breastfeed first using breast compressions to maximise milk transfer, then offer the supplement, then express both breasts. Methods of offering a supplement that may help protect breastfeeding include cup feeding, syringe feeding, a nursing supplementer (which allows milk to flow through a tube at the breast), or paced bottle feeding. La Leche League GB notes it can be important "to know how to use [bottles] in a way that supports breastfeeding," such as using paced feeding techniques.
What is a nursing supplementer?
A nursing supplementer (also called a lactation aid) is a device that allows a baby to receive expressed milk or formula through a thin tube positioned at the breast while breastfeeding. La Leche League GB explains that this "enables you to feed your baby expressed milk or formula at the breast while they breastfeed," supporting continued stimulation of milk supply and preserving the breastfeeding relationship.
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