Having an undetectable viral load does mean that there is not enough HIV in your body fluids to pass HIV on during sex. In other words, you are not infectious. For as long as your viral load stays undetectable, your chance of passing on HIV to a sexual partner is zero.

Screening is usually done by taking a sample of your blood between 15 and 20 weeks of pregnancy (16 to 18 weeks is ideal). The multiple markers include: AFP screening. Also called maternal serum AFP, this blood test measures the level of AFP in your blood during pregnancy.

The bottom line is that if you’re living with HIV and have an undetectable viral load, you will still test positive for HIV if you get tested. But, this is expected, and doesn’t mean that your treatment is not working or that you aren’t undetectable.

BHIVA guidelines recommend that HIV-positive mothers should formula feed their infants. However, they also note that women with an undetectable viral load and good adherence who opt to breastfeed should be clinically supported to do so.

U=U is a scientifically proven concept that people with HIV who take ARVs daily as prescribed, and achieve and maintain an undetectable viral load, have effectively no risk of transmitting the virus to someone else through sex.

Q: Can two HIV-positive parents have an HIV-negative child? Yes, they can. Although HIV can pass from a woman with HIV to her child during pregnancy, at the time of birth, or when breast-feeding the infant, medical treatment of both the mother and her infant can minimize the chances of that happening.

In many developing countries, a two-dose regimen of nevirapine (NVP) around the time of birth is advocated as the most cost-effective way to prevent mother to child HIV transmission. One dose is taken by the mother at the onset of labour and one dose is given to her baby, between 48 and 72 hours after birth.

All HIV-exposed infants should be given a daily dose of NVP for 6 weeks after delivery. If a mother was on ARV treatment for less than 6 weeks before delivery the infant’s NVP prophylaxis should be extended to 12 weeks and the PCR repeated at 18 weeks.

Infants receive their last dose of NVP at either 24 weeks of age or 1 week after breast-feeding cessation, whichever occurs first, and have follow-up visits until the infant is 32 weeks old.

That, except for breastmilk, any food or drink taken before the age of 6 months may injure the baby’s young gut in different ways and cause diarrhoea, allergies, etc. That mixed feeding (i.e. breastmilk with any other food, drink or formula) is the worst option as HIV can easily invade an injured gut.

Some women may consider mixed feeding because they are uncomfortable breastfeeding in a public place, or because they are returning to work. Although some mothers successfully combine breastfeeding with returning to work, others may prefer not to.

The disadvantages of mix feeding Breast milk works best on a supply and demand basis; with the more your baby feeds the more milk your body produces. Mix feeding your baby therefore may affect your milk supply meaning that you produce less and that your milk supply may eventually dry up.

Using both breastmilk and formula to feed your baby is sometimes called mixed feeding, partial breastfeeding, complementary feeding, combined feeding or combination feeding. Health experts recommend feeding your baby breastmilk exclusively until they start solids at around six months.

While there’s nothing wrong with mixing breast milk and formula in the same container, it’s not recommended simply because you don’t want to waste a single drop of your precious breast milk. Formula from a bottle that your baby has drunk from must be discarded within an hour of preparation.

It can take several weeks for you and your baby to feel happy and confident with breastfeeding. Once you’ve both got the hang of it, it’s usually possible to offer your baby bottles of expressed milk or formula alongside breastfeeding. This is sometimes called mixed or combination feeding.

Thus experts generally advise introducing formula slowly, gradually replacing breastfeeding sessions with formula feeding. One method is to replace one nursing session per week with a formula feeding session. Start by giving your baby one bottle of formula at around the same time each day.

three to four weeks

Breast milk and formula don’t have to be mutually exclusive. Babies can thrive on breast milk, formula, or a combination of both. Keep them separate, mix them together, nurse, pump, and find what works for you and your baby.