When can I give my baby formula?

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Dr. Ann Kellams
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, University of Virginia

Dr. Ann Lenox Kellams, assistant professor of clinical pediatrics in the Division of General Pediatrics and medical director of the newborn nursery at the University of Virginia Children’s Hospital, is an expert in newborn care and breastfeeding. Kellams teaches pediatric clinical skills to students and residents and authored the Newborn Nursery Resident and Student Curriculum and Orientation Manual for UVA Children’s Hospital. Kellams serves her surrounding community by being a mentor for the African American Student Mentorship Program, by serving on the Virginia Breastfeeding Advisory Committee and by hosting various community education workshops on newborn and infant care. She received the Outstanding Graduate Designation from her alma mater, the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine.

When can I give my baby formula?

In this video Dr. Ann Kellams discuss the many issues surrounding how to properly care for a newborn baby.

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Host: When can I give my baby formula?

Dr. Ann Kellams: So the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends exclusive breastfeeding for at least the first six months of life, meaning no other formula, solid food, cereals, juices, water of any kind. So our recommendation is that they only get breast milk. If you use any formula and you are also breastfeeding then it's important to remember that you would need to somehow tell the breasts that the baby was hungry otherwise we see problems with supply issue. So any formula that is given for example, for a medical reason in a baby where mom is breastfeeding, mom needs to be pumping and telling her body, even if nothing is coming out when she pumps at that moment telling her body, "Oh, you know what, there was another feeding there and we need to keep up with the demand of the baby.

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