How to transfer a child to mixed feeding. Mixed feeding

26.08.2019

There is a method of feeding a newborn that combines the baby's consumption of both mother's milk and a special artificial formula. On the site - a site for mommies - today we will understand the concept of “ mixed feeding».

Mixed feeding baby

So what is it?

Mixed feeding is considered to be feeding a newborn and a child up to one year old, when his diet includes both breast milk and artificial infant formula. According to various sources, the volume of mother's milk received per day should be at least a fourth to fifth part. In this case, the mixture is a supplement.

With this type of feeding, the artificial mixture is selected the same as with artificial feeding, with preference given to adapted milk formulas.

Why do you have to resort to mixed feeding?

Supplementing your baby with infant formula has to be done in several cases:

The baby gains weight poorly or not at all on breast milk alone;
The baby was born and does not digest breast milk;
There is not enough milk for full feeding (for example, if you have twins or triplets);
A situation where feeding is impossible (for example, the mother is sick or takes medications that are not compatible with breastfeeding);
The mother needs to go to work or go away on business, and at this time the baby is supplemented with formula.

In addition, mixed feeding of a newborn can be practiced if it has been C-section, pathological or premature birth, the mother “in the process” has lost a large amount of blood, or the baby and mother have an Rh conflict.

Is mixed feeding always the beginning of artificial feeding?

The main thing is to follow some rules, then lactation will last as long as needed. From all the abundance of information we have brought to the site the following axioms:

Breastfeed your baby first and then give formula;
You need to put your baby to your breast as often as possible, since your body can produce as much milk as the baby eats;
Drink large volumes of fluids and special lactogenic teas;
Eat properly and nutritiously;
Take a shower (contrast) - at least once a day;
Rest as much as possible, get enough sleep;
every few hours when you are unable to feed your baby;
Spend as much time as possible with your baby, carry him in your arms, this stimulates milk production.

Is it necessary to supplement a mixed-fed baby with water?

Both mothers and pediatricians argue about this.

Most experts are confident that artificial nutrition when mixed is practiced baby feeding, is not such a large percentage of the total volume of food. Therefore, there is no need for water in this regime, because mother’s milk is both drink and food.

Just remember that if your child is sick and especially has a fever, then water is still necessary, in a volume of approximately 100-150 ml per day (up to six months of age). To do this, use filtered, boiled or special baby water.

Mixed feeding of a baby: how to store formula and breast milk?

If you have to leave your daughter or son with a nanny, dad or grandmother, you can express milk in advance and freeze it in special bags. This food can be stored for quite a long time (up to seven days), and before feeding, simply defrost and warm up a little.

How to store artificial formula when mixed feeding your baby?

Most often, parents use dry formula. They need to be stored in a dry place, at a temperature no higher than 18 degrees, and once printed they are good for up to 30 days.

Ready-to-use (diluted) formula can be given to a child no later than four hours after its preparation, if it is kept at room temperature. If storage is carried out in the refrigerator, then no more than 48 hours.

But remember that with such long-term storage the mixture loses its nutritional properties.

Mixed feeding: is it possible?

With this type of feeding, the regimen is selected strictly individually.

If you have a moderate amount of milk, put your baby to your breast as often as possible, this will cause it to come in large volumes, that is, the practice of feeding on demand is used.

It is necessary to supplement the formula when the baby is dissatisfied after feeding, that is, he is not full.

If you have very little milk, it is better to wait for clear intervals between feedings, since the main diet in this case is an artificial formula, which takes longer to digest than breast milk.

Whatever diet you choose for your child, the main thing is that he remains healthy. Mixed feeding is not the worst thing that can happen. Don't worry, even a small amount breast milk better than no one at all.
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Website site – Supermoms

The main communication between mother and baby occurs during feeding sessions. And such sessions, like nothing else, establish an invisible connection between the parent and the baby. Therefore, pediatricians prioritize breast-feeding.

But there are situations when a parent has to combine natural breastfeeding with the use of infant formula. What is mixed feeding of newborns, how to feed the baby correctly in this case, what schedule will be optimal for mother and baby? We will look into these important issues together.

Breastfeeding is when you feed your baby exclusively with your breast milk. Artificial feeding is when the toddler eats a special milk formula. It is most often prepared from cow or goat milk taking into account the child’s daily needs for nutrients ah, micro- and macroelements.

Mixed feeding– this is a combination of the first and second options. In this case, the child receives mother's milk, and I eat from a bottle. Only in turns, following a strict schedule. It turns out that the baby seems to receive all the best from the mother, and the amount of food eaten per day is “caught up” due to the mixture. This type of nutrition is often called supplementary feeding.

Manufacturers try to adapt the composition of formulas as much as possible to breast milk. But in the end, you still get products that are fundamentally different for the digestive system. The stomach and intestines of a newborn are forced to adapt to two types of food at once - they want to eat. This is not easy, because you need good reasons for introducing supplementary feeding.

Reasons for mixed feeding

The main reasons why a mother may need help in feeding her baby include:

. There are women who are genetically programmed to produce enough milk. And there are those whose bodies are not designed for this. And then there is stress, which even a large number of milk eliminates it.
Life and society. Sometimes a mother needs to deal not only with the newborn, but also with school/work. But you can’t drag your baby with you either to university or to work.
Health issues. If the parent is not feeling well, there are problems with the heart or blood vessels, kidneys, lungs or some other organs, let alone breastfeeding.
Milk quality. If the baby develops poorly, malnutrition or anemia is registered, the reason may be that the mother has a lot of milk, but in composition it is almost water and does not satisfy the nutritional needs of the growing body.

Mixed feeding rules

The fundamental principles of supplementary feeding include several theses:

Breast milk is the best thing you can give your baby. In this regard, an adapted mixture should exclusively help make up for the lack of this food. And under no circumstances should it push him into the background.
Supplementary feeding is a temporary phenomenon. Supplementary feeding is introduced only for a few months. It should be replaced in six months.
Lactation needs to be maintained and extended. To do this, it is important to put the baby to the breast as often as possible; for this, you can even neglect the feeding regime.

In addition to principles, there are also rules. They will help you complete supplementary feeding without compromising your lactation and as correctly as possible from pediatrics:

Supplementary feeding is given only after the mammary glands are completely emptied, even if your cat has cried for milk.
Ideally, supplementary feeding should be given from a spoon - this way the baby will not refuse to “work” at your breast.
Once you have developed a feeding regimen, it is very important to always follow it.
If you do give formula from a bottle, you should choose a nipple with a very small hole. All children's utensils must be kept clean and sterile.
The temperature of the prepared “artificial” food should not exceed 38°C, but liquid cooler than 37°C should also not be given.

Calculation of milk/formula ratio

This is the most main question mixed feeding. You give all your milk, no matter how much your breast produces. It remains to determine how much formula, given your amount of milk, should be given to the newborn. Very often this issue is approached empirically - first they give the baby the breast until it is completely emptied, and then feed it with a mixture from a spoon or bottle until the newborn is full. And often this method works very well.

But if you want to know the daily volume necessary for a newborn mixtures, ideal method The calculations are based on the same “wet diapers”. Normally, the baby should write at least 12 times a day. Based on how many urinations are not enough to reach this norm, the required milliliter of supplementary feeding is calculated.

Thus, for every missing wet diaper ready mixture need to:

at 3 months – 30 ml;
at 4 – 40;
at 5 – 50;
in 6, respectively, 60 ml.

For example, if a child urinated 9 times at three months, he needs 90 ml of supplementary feeding per day, and if a five-month-old toddler spoiled only 7 diapers, he lacks 250 ml of food.

If you have ever been on a diet, then you know exactly what BJU is and how much protein, fat and carbohydrates you need per day to be happy. These are the main ingredients of any food.

A baby up to 4 months of age with mixed feeding must receive:
3-3.5 g of protein, 5.5-6 g of fat and 12-14 g of carbohydrates per kilogram of weight.

That is, a newborn weighing 4 kg needs, on average, 12 g of protein, 24 g of fat and 48 g of carbohydrates. After 4 months daily requirement in protein increases to 4, and fat - up to 6 grams per day. The amount of carbohydrates does not change.

Using this data, you can go crazy and calculate whether your newborn is getting everything he needs. But if the baby sleeps soundly and is steadily gaining height and weight, there is simply no point in worrying and making accurate calculations. The baby will still ask to eat exactly as much as he needs, no matter what you calculate using a calculator, the baby’s body knows better what it needs and how much.

How to choose a formula and bottle

If there is very little milk, feeding a newborn with a spoon according to the pediatrician’s recommendation can be inconvenient, time-consuming, and generally problematic. Therefore, the question arises about choosing a bottle. Today they are:

Glass. This best option, since the glass does not in any way affect the contents of the bottle. But if the baby has already grown up and moves his arms quite actively, such a vessel will easily fly to the floor and may simply break.
Plastic. This is the most practical and durable of everything there is. But there is one caveat - you can only buy such a bottle in a specialized store after checking the appropriate certificate. Only high-quality plastic will not affect the contents of the bottle in any way; cheap plastic will release harmful substances into the lukewarm liquid.

In addition to the vessel, it is important to choose the right “attachment” for it. Nipples are:

silicone;
latex.

And here the choice is entirely up to the child. Some children don’t care what the nipple is made of, others refuse to drink from a silicone one, and still others don’t like latex. It’s difficult to recommend anything here; only trial and error will help. But the choice of form is up to you. In this sense, an orthodontic pacifier will be ideal for a newborn, which in the baby’s mouth feels the same as the mother’s nipple. In addition, it would be useful to pay attention to the hole - it should be minimal; the child should work on eating the mixture in the same way as when sucking the breast. It would also be useful to ask about the anti-colic valve; it ensures normal sucking without swallowing excess air.

As for the mixture, the choice today is quite large. But it is simply impossible to say which of them is good and which is not, since different mixtures are perceived differently by different newborns. The first one will most likely be recommended to you by your pediatrician. Just don’t buy a large package right away, choose a small one to try. If the product suits the toddler, good. If not, you will have to choose another option, following the same trial and error method.

Did you know? If a young mother was at one time artificially or mixed-fed, it makes sense to check with her grandmother about which formula. In 80% of cases, it is ideal for the grandson.

Constipation in infants with mixed feeding

Constipation in a newborn with mixed feeding is not much more common than with natural feeding if the mother violates. Too many factors affect the baby’s digestive system. Therefore, you will have exactly the same amount of constipation as if the baby were exclusively a baby or exclusively artificial.

The only rational point in this is that with artificial feeding, food intake goes exactly according to schedule. Therefore, between feedings, if necessary, the newborn is given warm boiled water. With mixed feeding, water is usually out of the question, but if supplementary feeding makes up 50% of the baby’s total diet or more, constipation may be a consequence of a simple lack of fluid in the body. This may also be a sign that the formula simply was not suitable for the newborn.

Mixed feeding of newborns - video

In this video, a specialist talks about feeding a baby breast milk in combination with bottle feeding.

Mixed feeding for a newborn is a real way out when for some reason you have little milk, but you still want to maintain lactation until the last. It's okay if the baby eats two different products at the same time, no.

The opinion that babies on mixed feeding suffer more than on any single feeding is fundamentally wrong. With the right bottle, nipple and formula, colic, diarrhea and constipation occur with exactly the same frequency as other newborns. And all these troubles will also completely disappear after 4-5 months of a newborn’s life. The main thing is to follow the rules of such feeding and pay as much attention to the baby as possible.

Do you have experience with mixed feeding of a newborn? Which formula is right for your baby? Share your experience in the comments, it will be very helpful for those young mothers who are faced with the issue of supplementary feeding for the first time. Healthy children and good appetite to you!

Mixed feeding of newborns is a reasonable alternative when mother's milk lacks. It allows you to maintain lactation and provide for the baby at least partially natural nutrition. If you feed your baby correctly, mixed feeding will only benefit him. Over time, many women manage to completely switch their baby to breast milk.

Mixed feeding is a feeding method in which infant receives infant formula at the same time as breast milk. The amount of additional food should not exceed 50% of the infant’s daily food intake. If formula milk makes up the majority of the diet, feeding is considered artificial.

Properly organized mixed feeding of a newborn helps to maintain breastfeeding and increase milk production. Baby food cannot completely replace mother's milk. It contains many valuable substances that are not found in artificial analogues. Natural food is ideal for the development of the baby and protects it from diseases. Of no small importance is the psychological contact between mother and child, which is established during breastfeeding. The process of sucking mother's milk calms the newborn, giving him a feeling of security and comfort.

You need to start eating with breast milk. The baby should be allowed to empty both breasts before formula is offered. Allowing your baby to suck all the milk from the breast can significantly increase milk production. Before breastfeeding, the baby can only be offered certain medicinal mixtures prescribed by the pediatrician.
You should not offer your baby food in a bottle with a nipple. Satisfying his need for sucking, the baby may lose interest in mother's milk. If there is a large hole in the nipple of the bottle, it will be much easier to suck on it than on the breast. In this case, the baby may completely refuse to suck mother's milk. It is best to spoon feed your baby formula. This method is the most inconvenient for babies. Therefore, he will tend to suckle more.
To maintain lactation and increase the amount of milk produced, it is imperative to breastfeed the baby at night. During this period it is produced greatest number the hormone prolactin, responsible for lactation.
You can give only baby formula at one feeding. This scheme is convenient for women who need to leave for several hours every day.
It is recommended to breastfeed your baby on demand. You can offer breast milk when your baby is upset, can't sleep, or doesn't feel well. How more newborn will suckle at the breast, the more milk the mammary glands will produce.
If you carefully follow all the recommendations, the amount of milk will gradually increase. As it progresses, it is necessary to reduce the volume of infant formula. In this way, it is possible to transfer the child to full breastfeeding.

How to calculate the required amount of baby formula

The amount of additional nutrition is calculated depending on the child’s body weight deficiency. If a newborn at 3 weeks weighs 3100 g (birth weight 3000 g) and has all signs of malnutrition, he needs extra food. The body weight deficit is 3400 g - 3100 g = 300 g. To calculate the required daily amount of food, you need 3100 g: 5 = 620 ml. With seven meals a day, the baby should eat about 90 ml of milk per feeding.

Control weighing allows you to determine the amount of milk that the baby sucks from the mother during one feeding. If its quantity fluctuates between 60-70 ml, it is necessary to prepare a one-time portion baby food 40-30 ml.

If one feeding is completely replaced with infant formula, the serving volume should be increased to 90 ml.

Your pediatrician will help you calculate the optimal amount of baby formula. He will take into account individual characteristics the child, his state of health and the maturity of the digestive system.

What mixtures can be used for supplementary feeding?

When mixed feeding, your doctor will tell you how to choose the right milk formula. If the baby is completely healthy and has no problems with the digestive system, you can give him Nutrilon, Humana, Nan, Hipp.

When a baby suffers from constipation, regurgitation and colic, it is better to include fermented milk infant formulas Nan, Nutrilon, Nutrilak or Agusha in his diet. They contain lactic acid bacteria and bifidobacteria, which help restore a healthy balance of microflora in the child's intestines.

If your baby is intolerant cow's milk, you can feed him infant formula based on goat milk (Kabrita, Nanny) or soy (Nan-soy, Frisosoy, Enfamil-soy, Similac isomil). In most cases, such products are well tolerated by children.

For babies with protein intolerance, products with split proteins are made. Such mixtures do not cause a negative reaction in the child, but have an unpleasant taste and low nutritional value. They can only be used as prescribed by a doctor.

If you are mixed-feeding your baby, you should not try to feed him the entire prepared portion of baby formula at any cost. If he refuses to eat, the feeding should be stopped.

For the next meal, there is no need to prepare an increased portion of the formula, trying to compensate for the volume that the baby refused during the previous feeding. You should always prepare the portion of baby food recommended by your doctor.

After the baby has eaten the offered mixture, you can offer him the breast again. If the baby is not full, he will suckle with pleasure.

Infant formula takes longer to digest than mother's milk. The number of feedings with mixed feeding will be 1 less than with breastfeeding.

To prevent your baby from weaning off the breast, you can use a special device for feeding newborns. It is a container for baby food with a straw attached to it. The tube is fixed near the mother's nipple. The baby grabs it along with the nipple and receives additional nutrition in the most favorable conditions for him.

Mixed-fed babies need to be introduced to their first complementary foods 2-3 weeks earlier than those on a breastfeeding diet.

There is no need to be upset about having to supplement your baby with formula. Critical periods Happens to all breastfeeding women. As the baby grows, his food needs also increase. The mammary glands need time to ensure the baby’s increased appetite. For some women, adaptation takes a little longer.

We need to think about how to properly organize mixed feeding and restore lactation faster. You need to drink more fluids, eat well, get enough rest, get enough sleep and regularly be in the fresh air.

It is difficult to overestimate the benefits of breast milk, unique composition which contains all the most valuable things for the baby. Unfortunately, situations often arise when various reasons, including by medical indications, there is a need to introduce an artificial mixture. Today, manufacturers are trying to bring its properties as close as possible to the properties of breast milk, but not a single adapted formula can become its full replacement. And if a newborn can receive at least a little mother's milk, the best solution will adhere to the principles of combined feeding.

Breastfeeding experts identify several important points, which are worth focusing on if the mixture is to be introduced into the infant’s diet.

Breast milk, whenever possible, should always remain the basis of nutrition for the newborn. If the mother does not have enough of it, supplementary feeding with formula will help the baby get required amount nutrients. But you should not completely replace mother’s milk with adapted formulas, the value of which is incomparable with any, even the most expensive and high-quality, substitutes.

Supplemental feeding with the mixture is needed only until the moment when the baby can be introduced to complementary foods in the form of apple and vegetable purees. This occurs closer to six months of age. Juices and purees are given to the child instead of an adapted formula, and breast milk still remains in the child’s diet.

It is important for mothers to take care of maintaining lactation. This is best done by putting the baby to the breast frequently. Thanks to this stimulation of the mammary glands, milk will actively flow. Night feedings are the most valuable in terms of prolonging lactation, especially in the second half of the night, when the hormone prolactin, responsible for milk production, is more active. A pacifier should not replace feedings on demand, even if they do not fit into your child’s routine.

Natural feeding is simpler in terms of organizing the process, since there is no need to sterilize bottles and keep warm mixture ready. So before moving on to mixed or artificial type feeding, it’s worth thinking about everything carefully.

When to supplement with formula?

It happens that a mother does not have enough breast milk. This phenomenon is called hypogalactia. Hypogalactia sometimes appears immediately after childbirth (primary) or after some time (secondary). If none of the ways to increase milk supply helps, you should introduce adapted mixture to cover the lack of nutrients.

Lack of milk can be determined by the following signs:

Restless behavior of the baby during or after breastfeeding.

Mom feels how her breasts become empty even during feeding.

It is easy to determine that a baby does not have enough milk by the number of urinations. Three month old baby On average she pees about 12 times a day. The wet diaper test allows you to understand whether your baby is getting enough nutrition.

Low weight gain in the baby, delay in development, both mental and physical, may also indicate that the mother’s breast milk is produced in insufficient quantities to cover the baby’s nutritional needs.

Even if you have one of the above signs, you should not rush to administer the mixture yourself. IN this issue It is necessary to consult with a lactation specialist or a pediatrician who can give competent recommendations on maintaining lactation.

The mother's low milk production is not always constant problem. There are periods during breastfeeding that are called “milk crises.” During such a “crisis,” it seems that the baby is not getting enough nutrition, and the mother is in a hurry to supplement him with formula. But only frequent applications to the chest can be solved this problem, and within a few days lactation will be established again.

Organization of feeding

With a mixed type, it is difficult to adhere to a specific feeding time. In order for enough milk to be produced, the baby must be applied to the breast at his request.

The daily dose of the mixture is divided into 5 doses, which are distributed throughout the day. During the night, the baby should be offered only the breast, which will help maintain lactation.

Portions are usually made approximately the same; there is no need to overfeed the child. It should be remembered important rule that they cannot be prepared in advance. At each meal, the baby is offered a bottle of fresh formula.

How to calculate the required volume of the mixture?

In order to properly organize mixed feeding, it is important to correctly determine how much formula the baby needs to be fed. Domestic pediatricians suggest weighing the child before and after breastfeeding. The difference in weight is subtracted from the volume required for one full feeding.

Foreign experts do not adhere to this method, arguing their position by the fact that the volume of milk consumed can be different each time. They determine the right amount of formula using the above-mentioned “wet diaper” test.

IN at different ages The baby needs a certain volume of the mixture, which can cover the missing urination:

3 months – 30 ml;

4 months – 40 ml;

5 months – 50 ml;

6 months – 60 ml.

Using this scheme, it is easy to calculate the required daily dose. If a three-month-old peed only 10 times, he is fed 60 ml of the mixture during the day. If a child aged 4 months has wet diapers only 8 times during the whole day, he needs to add supplementary food in the amount of 160 ml.

How to choose a mixture?

If nothing bothers the child and there are no contraindications, you can choose from any of the following: “Nestozhen”, “Hainz”, “Humana”, “Mamex”, “Nan”, “Hipp” or “Nutrilon”. For children with bowel problems, constipation, colic, “Nan fermented milk 1” is recommended. It can be fed to children no older than 6 months.

If a child has a hereditary tendency to intolerance to cow's milk, he is prescribed hypoallergenic lines "Nan", "Hipp" or "Nutrilak". They contain partially hydrolyzed protein. If a child has a clear allergy to cow protein, the following should be chosen: “Damil Pepti”, “Nutrilak Pepti SCT”, “Frisopep”, “Pregestimil”, “Nutrilon Pepti TSC”, “Nutramigen”, etc. In these mixtures, possible allergens are completely destroyed hydrolysis. In any case, before choosing, you need to consult a qualified specialist.

Formula feeding methods

You should not immediately make an unambiguous choice in favor of a bottle, since the baby may later refuse the mother’s breast. The mixture can be offered in small portions in other ways:

You can try using a silicone spoon to gently dispense the mixture. There are many instructional videos on the Internet that will help you learn how to do this correctly.

A pipette is also used. They are recruiting for it a small amount of supplementary feeding and carefully pour it into the baby’s mouth, holding the pipette at the corners of the lips.

These methods are perfect if your baby needs to be given a small amount of formula. For large volumes, it is recommended to choose a bottle with a very tight nipple with a small hole. This way, the process of bottle feeding will be as close as possible to natural breastfeeding, and the baby will not get used to the easy sucking of liquid.

Features of supplementary feeding

Breastfeeding experts advise that when introducing supplementary feeding, adhere to following rules to maintain lactation for as long as possible:

Any feeding always begins with attachment to the breast. Only after the baby has emptied both breasts can you begin to supplement him with formula or water.

Feeding should also end with attachment so that the baby can calm down on the breast and fall asleep.

The child should feel comfortable during the meal. Mixed feeding and lack of breast milk should not cause him concern.

There is no need to overfeed the baby. In addition to existing standards, you should first of all focus on the needs of the baby. There is no need to increase the next dose if the previous one has not been eaten completely.

The well-known doctor Komarovsky claims that frequent skin-to-skin contact Mother and baby promote active milk production, which is very important for maintaining lactation during mixed feeding. The baby needs to be held and organized more often co-sleeping, do a light massage and apply it to the breast as often as possible to improve lactation. By surrounding the baby with care and love, creating a calm environment, the mother will help him enjoy natural feeding.

Misconceptions about mixed feeding

There are several myths associated with mixed feeding:

The combined type quickly becomes artificial. This statement is true only if the mother has no desire or goal to maintain lactation. If the mother competently approaches the organization of nutrition for the newborn and uses the help of specialists, she will be able to feed the baby breast milk for a long time.

Breastfeeding is necessary in cases where the mother’s own milk is not enough or the time has come to wean the baby from the breast.

Thanks to the achievements of modern Food Industry Parents have a wide range of options when choosing artificial milk formula. But no matter what mixture is chosen, mixed feeding of the baby should not be organized spontaneously, but systematically, in compliance with medical recommendations.

When there is little breast milk

You can suspect milk deficiency if the number of urinations per day becomes less than twelve. How to define it?

Instead of diapers that are comfortable in all respects, when dressing your baby, you need to return to regular diapers for 24 hours. Regularly checking them for dryness, it is important not to miss a moment, so as not to carelessly count two urinations as one. This is called the wet diaper test.

If there are less than 12 wet diapers per day, the child needs additional nutrition.

Calculation of the amount of supplementary feeding

Mixed feeding of an infant is organized in accordance with the calculation of the amount of milk formula. If, as a result of the “wet test”, only 7 diapers were wet instead of the required 12, then the supplemental feeding received should be exactly enough to wet 5 more diapers.

For a child up to three months, each act of urination requires approximately 30 ml of nutrition. Five dry diapers are multiplied by 30 ml and you get 150 ml of supplementary feeding per day.

A child from three to six months eats not 30, but 40-60 ml, so with the same calculation formula, the result will be changed accordingly.

Rhythm of supplementary feeding

There is no fundamental difference in how to organize mixed feeding of an infant, but there are two tactics:

After each breastfeeding, give the baby formula (the amount calculated using the above formula, divided by the approximate number of feedings per day).
Complete one or more feedings per day artificial mixture.

The choice of tactics depends on the family’s lifestyle and the baby’s preferences, which should also not be ignored.

Before nutritious feeding artificial formula, it is necessary to gradually accustom the child to new food, carefully monitoring the reaction. If on the second day after administering a few drops of the mixture allergic reactions did not appear, which means the mixture can be safely introduced into the diet.

What will change when switching a child to mixed feeding?

Many mothers note that with the introduction of supplementary feeding and with a favorable adaptation to it, children become calmer, sleep better and willingly suck on a bottle with formula.

This behavior of the child can make the mother decide that breastfeeding is not at all necessary for her baby and there is no point in wasting time and energy on maintaining it.

This erroneous opinion, since no achievements in the food industry have yet surpassed breast milk in the composition of the unique substances that a small person so needs.

If the baby does not demonstrate satisfaction with life, but has become even more restless, then his condition should be discussed with the pediatrician, answering in detail his questions about the child’s daily routine, his appetite and stool.

Is it possible to preserve breast milk when supplementing with formula?

Cases when lactation worsens due to a lack of nutrients in the mother's body are rare. It is known that during the fascist blockade, residents of Leningrad with monstrous malnutrition were fed infants own milk. This is not a medical miracle, since lactation mechanisms depend not so much on the food and drinks consumed, but on hormonal levels women.

Milk formation in mammary glands becomes possible thanks to the hormone prolactin, which is produced at night and in the early morning hours, from about 3 a.m. to 8 a.m., subject to night feedings.

The hormone oxytocin, produced when the nipples are stimulated, helps the separation of produced milk from the mammary gland, that is, to stimulate lactation, the baby must be breastfed until emptying.

To ensure that there are no obstacles to the production of oxytocin, the woman should feel relaxed, calm, safe and have as much skin-to-skin contact with the baby as possible: bathe him, massage him, care for him, play and caress him.

Breastfeeding will not fade away, even if mixed feeding has become the feeding rule. In this case, the breastfeeding scheme should be built not according to graphs and tables, but according to the baby’s request. In other words, if lactation is poor, there is no unnecessary feeding, especially at night. Little by little, lactation will be restored if there is no internal psychological resistance to this from the mother.

How to maintain lactation if the mother cannot be with the child all day?

Sometimes a mother who has returned to work or is taking strong medications is forced to switch to mixed feeding. Reviews from women who have passed this path indicate that even in the workplace or at reception medicines You can maintain lactation by regularly expressing breast milk using a breast pump.

If hygienic conditions are observed, this milk can be placed in a cooler bag and frozen at home or given to the child later from a bottle (except in cases of taking medication, of course).

In sad situations, when the baby lies in the hospital isolated from the mother, who is deprived of the opportunity to breastfeed him, this method will not only help maintain lactation, but also, by agreement with the doctor, will promote speedy recovery crumbs for whom mother's milk will become medicine.

Physiological changes in stool during supplementation

A child receiving supplementary feeding in the form of formula gains weight almost as much as his “colleague” on natural feeding. But the stool of such children is different.

The stool of a mixed-fed baby is characterized by a reddish-brown color and has a little foul odor, reminiscent of the smell of adult feces. The consistency of the stool changes from semi-liquid mushy to thicker, resembling plasticine. The frequency of bowel movements becomes less frequent. It's ok because digestive system the child is faced with food that is unnatural to him.

At first, there may be white lumps in the baby's stool. Most likely, these are fragments of undigested food: the enzymatic system did not have time to adapt to the changed diet.

That is why the smell and color of the stool of a mixed-fed baby differs from the stool of babies who receive exclusively breastfeeding. A few days after the introduction of supplementary feeding, the stool should become homogeneous, but it will never become similar to infant stool.

Constipation

Supplementing with formula milk, unfortunately, is not a panacea for digestive problems, even if the most expensive and advertised jar is chosen. Under the most favorable circumstances and provided that the supplementary feeding suited the baby well and the digestive system coped with the restructuring, excretory system It also takes time for changes in work.

The most common complaint about stool problems is with mixed feeding. Often the mother is to blame for this because she exceeds the dosage of nutritional powder in the formula. The solution is obvious: carefully read the instructions for preparing the food and give the baby additional fluids or, preferably, offer the baby the breast more often. The composition of breast milk is very specific and will naturally help establish a normal bowel movement.

But to solve the problem of constipation immediately, especially if the child shows all signs of discomfort, you can use glycerin suppositories, microenemas, lactulose preparations and tummy massage as recommended by the pediatrician.

Loose stool

For objective reasons, the stool of a mixed-feeding baby must be formed, therefore, when its consistency changes sharply and becomes similar to a liquid, heterogeneous porridge, and the frequency increases from one or two times a day to 5 or more, they speak of diarrhea.

Mixed feeding can be caused by many reasons, and, unfortunately, artificial supplementary feeding plays a role in its occurrence. The immune system the child experiences stress due to the intake of nutrients unfamiliar to his body. The insufficiency of mother's milk only aggravates this difficult situation, so the ingress of pathogenic microorganisms is less likely to pass without a trace for the baby.

If the already liquid stool of a mixed-fed baby contains a large number of white cheesy lumps, despite the fact that supplementary feeding was introduced more than a week ago, one can suspect that this particular jar of food is not suitable for the child, and it makes sense to choose food from another manufacturer. It is better to give preference to adapted milk formulas and select them in accordance with the age of the child and the doctor’s recommendation.

It would also be useful to check whether the child is suffering, which may be congenital defect or a consequence of other systemic diseases.

From whatever objective reasons Regardless of the mother’s decision to switch her child to mixed feeding, doctors recommend maintaining lactation for as long as possible and closely monitoring the condition of the child receiving artificial nutrition in infancy.

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