Without a doubt, breastfeeding is the best food for a child, especially a newborn baby. Female milk is rich in proteins, fats and carbohydrates, it is unique in its composition and practical fully absorbed by the intestines of the baby. In the first days of life for the baby, nutrition of breast milk is especially important, since it contains all the necessary bacteria for the formation of the basic microflora of the baby's intestines.
But it happens that due to some circumstances, breastfeeding can not be adjusted, or its scope is limited because of the early exit of the mother for work. In this case, it makes sense to transfer the newborn to mixed feeding, which involves feeding the baby, in which he, along with breast milk, receives the adapted mixture.
Reasons for transferring a child to mixed food
The reasons for pushing a young mother to the mixed feeding of a newborn child are diverse:
- hypogalactia (the evidence of it is the child's hunger crying, the lack of a chair or its excessive density, insufficient increase in the child's weight, the feeling of "empty chest", the lack of tides of milk);
- insufficient nutrition of breast milk (expressed in the infant's malnutrition and a small increase in weight);
- forced reduction of breastfeeding (in the case of a mother's illness, when she is in hospital and her milk is not enough, or in a situation where the mother is forced to go to work early).
In these cases, a favorable option would be to preserve at least several breastfeeding during the day and transfer the newborn to mixed food. It is not necessary at all to refuse breastfeeding, since no mixture contains immune bodies, unlike breast milk, and does not compensate for the touching process of natural feeding.
How to switch to mixed feeding?
The decision to transfer a newborn to a mixed diet should preferably be taken in conjunction with the pediatrician, who will tell you which mixture should be given preference in this matter. Also, attention should be paid to the steps of introducing the mixture into the newborn's diet. As this is a new food, it should be initially fed from a little bit, beginning with 20 ml, and gradually increasing its volume by 10 ml at each feeding, bringing it to the necessary rate.
How should I feed the baby with mixed feeding?
Having decided on the question of transferring a newborn to artificial feeding, the mother is faced with the question of how to organize it. There are several rules that will tell you how to properly organize mixed feeding:
At the beginning of feeding, you should first offer breasts, first one, then another, and only then it is necessary to offer the newborn a food in the form of a mixture. Thus, the breast stimulates to produce milk and the main food is provided to them. Compliance with this rule helps to fight against hypogalactia and gradually restores lactation. Feeding the mixture is best done using a spoon. This will avoid problems with the preference of the bottle nipple of the breast and with the rejection of it. Breasts should be given on demand, and complementary feeding - observing the time intervals (usually 3-4 hours). In this case, there will not be overfeeding with the mixture, and frequent stimulation of the breast in case of hypogalactia will help to solve this problem as a result.Lure with mixed feeding
Lure in the case of mixed feeding is introduced in 4-5 months, a little earlier than in the case with the natural. So it is recommended to do, since the mixture in the infant's diet can not satisfy all of its needs in
After 6 months, the likelihood of avoiding mixed nutrition of the child is increased. This happens in connection with the active introduction of new products in the menu of the child, which eventually crowd out the mixture. Breast milk in this case is obtained in the usual volume.