Is mixed feeding bad for newborns? Mixed breastfeeding: the essence and basic rules of organization

Now every woman knows that there is no better food for a baby than breast milk. Complete breast milk contains not only all the nutrients necessary for the baby, but also enzymes for the normal functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, as well as antibodies that provide immune protection. Any artificial mixtures, no matter how high-quality they may be, cannot become a full-fledged replacement for breast milk. That is why breastfeeding is so valued, because it is the easiest and most natural way to give your baby the best food.

However, in some cases it is necessary to apply the technique of the so-called mixed feeding. What is it, what is it for and how to do it correctly, we will consider in this article.

- this is the feeding of a child with breast milk together with artificial mixtures, while the content of breast milk in the infant's diet should be at least 50%. In the case when mother's milk is less than half of the total nutrition, we are already talking about artificial feeding.

The basic principle of mixed feeding is to give the child the maximum amount of breast milk. It is better to consider this system as a temporary measure, necessary until breastfeeding is established, and make every effort for this. That is why, before giving the baby a mixture (supplementary feeding), he must first be given a breast, and only then, if the milk is over, and the baby is still hungry, they are supplemented with a mixture.

Reasons and indications for mixed feeding

The transition from natural feeding to mixed feeding can be due to several reasons:

Lack of breast milk is the most common cause. It is possible to determine whether the child has enough milk by weighing before and after feeding. In addition, with insufficient nutrition, the baby becomes restless or, conversely, lethargic, gains weight poorly or does not at all, rarely urinates (the normal frequency of urination is 10-12 times a day). Milk may not be enough even if twins or triplets were born;
- the second most common reason is the mother's going to work / study, when expressed milk is not enough for full feeding;
- sometimes they switch to mixed feeding after a difficult birth, caesarean section, large blood loss of the mother;
- the mother is taking medications that suppress lactation.

The decision to switch to mixed feeding can only be made together with a pediatrician, and even better, a breastfeeding consultant. Only experts can say for sure whether the baby really needs to be fed, or “not enough milk” is nothing more than a mother’s anxiety.

But the most common cause is a lack of milk. You can suspect or determine it before going to the doctor, even at home.

To do this, you can use the following methods:

For example, checkweighing method when the child needs to be weighed before and after feeding and determine the rate that he should eat, according to his age. If it does not eat, then you need to supplement the mixture to the norm.

The second way is urination counting method, they should be at least 12 per day, if less means not eating enough.

Third method based on weight gain, i.e. the child should gain weight according to his age norms, if he does not gain the prescribed grams, then the baby does not have enough milk.

The following signs will also help you suspect a lack of milk:

as we have already said, the baby pees little, less than 7 times a day, the urine is dark yellow and has a pungent odor
child is not gaining weight
the child cannot adhere to the approximate feeding regimen, requires to eat in less than 1.5-2 hours
changes in the nature of the stool, liquid, or its absence

How to calculate supplementary feeding with mixed feeding?

But you will have to calculate the volume of supplementary feeding each time on your own.

There are several methods for calculating supplementary feeding.
Below are schemes for calculating supplementary feeding that you can offer.

For children in the first 10 days of life the amount of milk required is calculated using the following formulas
1. The amount of milk per day (ml) \u003d 2% of body weight x n, where n is the day of life
For example, a child is 7 days old, body weight 3500 g
3500 x 2 x 7: 100 = 490 ml the baby should eat per day

2. The amount of milk per 1 feeding = 3 x day of life x body weight (kg)
Take the same child 7 days and 3500 g
3 x 7 x 3.5 = 73.5 ml should be eaten by the baby in one feeding

For children over the 10th day of life The most popular method for determining the amount of milk required is the Heibner-Czerny "volumetric" method.
According to this method, the daily amount of food is:
from 10 days to 6 weeks - 1/5 of body weight
from 6 weeks to 4 months - 1/6 body weight
from 4 months to 6 months - 1/7 body weight
older than 6 months - 1/8 body weight

For example, a child is 2 months old, body weight is 5 kg
5000 g (weight in grams): 6 (1/6 body weight) = 833 ml per day

Mixed breastfeeding scheme

It is better to follow a free diet with mixed feeding, giving the baby a breast as soon as possible, that is, on demand. But the minimum should be at least 3 breastfeedings, since with a more rare attachment to the breast, lactation quickly fades away. This is especially important at night and in the morning, when the activity of the prolactin hormone is the highest. This technique, in addition to the obvious convenience for the mother, is also very important for improving lactation. But during the day you can already feed the baby with a mixture. It should be borne in mind that with mixed feeding, the number of feedings will be on average one less than with breastfeeding, this is due to the fact that the mixtures are more slowly evacuated from the stomach and therefore the feeding intervals increase. The recommended break between feedings is 3.5 hours. By the time of the introduction of complementary foods, children should be on 5 meals a day.

Types of mixtures for newborns

When supplementing, as a rule, artificial mixtures are used, which are very similar in composition to the mother's breast milk. Milk mixtures are adapted and non-adapted. Which, in turn, are divided into sour and fresh (sweet) mixtures.

Unadapted (simple) mixtures consist of cow's milk and its components, they are not processed and therefore their composition remains almost unchanged. Therefore, these mixtures are used in extreme cases, in the absence of adapted ones.

Adapted Blends- These are mixtures that are very close in composition to mother's breast milk. In them, cow's milk has been corrected and enriched with vitamins and minerals, i.e. adapted for breast milk.

Well-adapted mixtures include Nutrilak-1 (Russia), Nan-1 (Nestlé), Nutrilon-1 (Holland), Humana-1 (Germany), etc.

Less adapted are "Nestozhen" (Switzerland), "Semilak" (USA), "Baby", "Kid" (Russia).

There are also acidic mixtures, they are good because they are more evenly evacuated from the stomach, are better digested, and also suppress the putrefactive flora in the intestines of the child. But they are not without a number of shortcomings. When feeding with exclusively acidic mixtures, the loss of some trace elements increases, for example, salts, calcium, ammonia is lost in the urine, etc. Therefore, feeding only sour mixtures is not recommended.

When choosing mixtures, consider:
- the degree of adaptation of the mixture (as we found out, they can be unadapted, adapted and partially adapted);
-individual reaction of the child to the mixture, i.e. how he bears it;
- a combination of mixtures (sour should not exceed 1/2 - 1/3 of the daily amount of food)
- the use of the mixture in accordance with the age of the child (usually the number 1,2 or 3 is indicated on the package, which corresponds to the following age 1 - from 0 to 6 months, 2 - from 6 months to 1 year and 3 - from a year)

But remember that all mixtures are suitable for feeding and it is not necessary to purchase the most expensive and adapted one, if the child tolerates the selected mixture well and has optimal developmental characteristics, then you should not change the selected mixture.

The choice of milk formula must be made together with the pediatrician, not focusing on advertising, advice from other mothers and sellers. Only a doctor will be able to determine which milk formula is best for your baby according to his age, health and individual needs. In addition, a competent doctor will give recommendations on establishing full breastfeeding.
The choice of milk formula must be made together with the pediatrician, not focusing on advertising, advice from other mothers and sellers. Only a doctor will be able to determine which milk formula is best for your baby according to his age, health and individual needs. In addition, a competent doctor will give recommendations on establishing full breastfeeding.

How to feed a child on mixed feeding?

With mixed feeding, there are several ways to supplement. One, as mentioned above, is spoon-feeding. This method is good for small amounts of supplementary feeding, which retains the ability to switch to breastfeeding after a while.

The second method, which is used if necessary to give the baby large volumes of the mixture, is feeding through a thin catheter coming from the bottle and fixed at the nipple. At the same time, contact between the mother and the child is not lost, which is very important for the preservation of breast milk, and the baby does not wean from the breast. This method is also good because it allows you to give supplementary food without stress for the child.

And, finally, the third method, which is used in the absence of the mother, is bottle feeding. If you have to give your baby a pacifier, choose the thickest one and make small holes in it so that the baby makes an effort, sucking out the food.

Problems with mixed feeding

One of the main problems with mixed feeding is the baby's refusal to breastfeed, since it is much more difficult for him to suckle the breast than to receive formula from a bottle. That is why it is better to supplement not from a pacifier, but from a spoon in order to prolong breastfeeding as much as possible.

In addition to breastfeeding, with mixed feeding, one of the most common troubles is a problem with digestion. The body of the child is adapted to mother's milk, which, in turn, is the ideal food for the baby. Artificial mixtures have a different composition and require a different intestinal microflora. That is why mixed-fed babies often experience constipation, colic, and there may be traces of undigested milk in the stool - white lumps.

This is caused by a violation of the acidity of the intestinal environment (in breast-fed children, intestinal acidity is 5.1-5.4 pH, while artificial feeding is 5.9-7.3 pH), which, in turn, inhibits the development of beneficial for digestion of bifidobacteria and creates a favorable environment for anaerobic putrefactive microflora. In addition, allergy-prone children may develop intolerance to milk protein, which will create many problems in the future.

In the video below, you can listen to your pediatrician's advice on how to combine breastfeeding with bottle feeding.

In conclusion, it should be recalled once again that the early introduction of supplementary feeding is an extreme measure, the need for which is determined by objective indicators, and not by the mother’s anxiety and the desire to supplement “just in case”. Consult with a good doctor who focuses not only on tables, norms and graphs, but also takes into account the individual characteristics of the child. Breastfeeding consultants are very good at helping to establish breastfeeding. It may be enough to correct a couple of mistakes, and breastfeeding will improve, providing not only good nutrition for the baby, but also peace of mind and confidence.

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

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 properly feed a child in this case, what schedule will be optimal for mom and baby? We will look into these important issues together.

There is breastfeeding - this is when you feed your baby exclusively with your breast milk. Artificial feeding is when the little one eats a special milk formula. It is prepared most often from cow or goat milk, taking into account the daily need of the child for nutrients, micro and macro elements.

Mixed feeding is a combination of the first and second options. In this case, the child receives both mother's milk and bottled food. Only in turn, following a strict schedule. It turns out that the baby seems to get all the best from his mother, and the amount of food eaten per day is “catching up” due to the mixture. Often this type of food is called supplementary feeding.

Manufacturers try to adapt the composition of the mixtures as much as possible for 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 is forced to adapt to two types of food at once - you want to eat something. This is not easy, because the introduction of supplementary food needs good reasons.

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 body is not designed for this. And then there is stress, which even a large amount of milk nullifies.
Life and society. Sometimes a mother needs to deal not only with a newborn, but also with study / work. But you can’t drag a baby with you either to university or to work.
Health Issues. If a parent feels unwell, there are problems with the heart or blood vessels, kidneys, lungs or some other organs, where can we go before breastfeeding.
Milk quality. If the baby develops poorly, malnutrition or anemia is recorded in him, the reason may be that the mother has a lot of milk, but in composition it is almost water, and does not satisfy the needs of the growing body for nutrients.

Mixed feeding rules

The fundamental principles of supplementary feeding include several theses:

Breast milk is the best thing you can give a baby. An adapted mixture in this regard should be exclusively an assistant to make up for the lack of this food. And in no case should it be pushed into the background.
Supplementation is a temporary phenomenon. Supplementary feeding is introduced only for a few months. In six months it should be replaced.
Lactation must 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 regimen.

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

Supplementary feeding is given only after the mammary glands are completely devastated, even if your cat has cried milk.
Ideally, supplementary feeding should be given from a spoon - so the baby will not refuse to "work" at your breast.
Once a feeding regimen has been established, it is very important to follow it at all times.
If you do give formula from a bottle, you should choose a nipple with a very small opening. All children's utensils must be kept clean and sterile.
The temperature of the finished “artificial” food should not exceed 38 ° C, but liquids cooler than 37 ° C should not be given either.

Calculation of milk/mixture ratio

This is the most important issue of mixed feeding. Milk you give everything, no matter how much it is produced by your breast. It remains to determine how much mixture with your amount of milk you need to give the newborn. Very often, this issue is approached empirically - first they give the baby a breast until it is completely empty, and then they supplement it with a mixture from a spoon or bottle until the newborn is full. And often this method really works.

But if you want to know the daily volume of the mixture needed by the newborn, the same “wet diapers” are considered the ideal calculation method. Normally, the baby should write at least 12 times a day. From how many urination is not enough to this rate, and calculate the required milliliter of supplementary feeding.

Thus, for each missing wet diaper of the finished mixture, you need:

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 food 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 for happiness. These are the main ingredients of any food.

Babies up to 4 months with mixed feeding per day 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 with a body weight of 4 kg needs, on average, 12 g of protein, 24 g of fat and 48 g of carbohydrates. After 4 months, the daily requirement for protein increases to 4, and fat - up to 6 grams per day. The amount of carbohydrates does not change.

Using this data, you can get confused and calculate whether your newborn is getting everything he needs. But if the baby is sleeping soundly and steadily gaining height and weight, it simply does not make sense to worry and do accurate calculations. The baby will still ask to eat exactly as much as he needs, no matter what you calculate with a calculator, the baby’s body knows better what he needs and how much.

How to choose formula and bottle

If there is very little milk, spoon-feeding a newborn on the recommendation of a pediatrician from a spoon can be inconvenient, long, and generally problematic. Therefore, the question arises about the choice of bottle. Today they are:

glass. This is the best option, since the glass does not affect the contents of the bottle in any way. But if the baby has already grown up and moves its 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 all that is. But one caveat - you can buy such a bottle only in a specialized store by checking the appropriate certificate. Only high-quality plastic will not affect the contents of the bottle in any way, a cheap one will release harmful substances into a slightly warm liquid.

In addition to the dish, it is important to choose the right "nozzle" for it. Nipples are:

silicone;
latex.

And here the choice is solely for the child. Some children do not care what the nipple is made of, others refuse to drink from silicone, and others do not like latex. It is difficult to recommend something here, only trial and error will help. But it's up to you to choose the form. In this sense, an orthodontic nipple 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 be useful to ask a question about the anti-colic valve, it provides normal sucking without swallowing excess air.

As for the mixture, the choice today is quite large. But to say which of them is good and which is not is simply impossible, since different mixtures are perceived differently by different newborns. The first one will most likely be advised by your pediatrician. Just do not immediately buy a large package, choose a small one for testing. If the product fits the little one, fine. If not, you will have to choose another option, following the same trial and error method.

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

Constipation in infants with mixed feeding

Constipation in a newborn with mixed feeding is not much more common than in a natural one, 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 an exclusively artificial one.

The only rational moment in this is that with artificial feeding, food intake is clearly on schedule. Therefore, between feedings, if necessary, the newborn is supplemented with warm boiled water. With mixed feeding, water, as a rule, is out of the question, but if supplementary feeding is 50% of the total diet of an infant or more, constipation may be the result of a banal lack of fluid in the body. It may also be a sign that the mixture simply did not fit the newborn.

Mixed feeding of newborns - video

In this video, a specialist talks about feeding a baby with 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 keep lactation to the last. There is nothing wrong with the fact that the baby will eat two different foods at the same time, no.

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

Do you have experience with mixed feeding 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!

Development by months to a year

Complementary foods according to Komarovsky

Nothing is better than breast milk for a baby. However, it is not always possible to feed a baby 100% with this, nature-approved product. Sometimes the mother does not have enough milk, and then there is a need for mixed feeding. Thus, the baby receives both breast milk and something else so as not to remain hungry. Does such nutrition harm the baby and how to properly organize it, says the famous children's doctor Evgeny Komarovsky.

Do I need to fight for breast milk

Insufficient lactation in a mother can be observed for completely different reasons - from hormonal failure to a neuropsychological state. It is this second reason that is usually the leading one. The mother does not have enough milk, she begins to blame herself for not being able to give the child the nutrition necessary for his health and development, and thus the vicious circle closes. A woman is in constant stress, which, in turn, adversely affects the mechanisms of lactation.

Of course, breast milk is very important for a baby, but a normal, healthy and smiling mother is no less important for him, says Yevgeny Komarovsky. And therefore, if milk is barely collected for one feeding out of five, then there is not much point in maintaining mixed feeding, you can switch to artificial. After all, if the total volume of mother's milk in the diet of the crumbs does not exceed one fifth, then it has almost no effect on health, and it can be safely abandoned.

The second option is to change your attitude to the problem.

If the mother stops punishing herself mentally for a lack of milk, and begins to calmly express or breastfeed at least once a day, and carry out the rest of the feedings with mixtures, then you can leave everything as it is (if this suits all parties - both the child and the mother, and dad).

Mixed feeding is optimal if the proportion of mother's milk exceeds the volume of one feeding. For example, if half of the daily diet or a little less is breast milk. The volume of natural nutrition in the amount of 30% of the daily diet can also be considered quite acceptable.

About the dangers of mixed feeding

Until recently, it was believed, and still some medical reference books indicate that a mixture of breast milk with another product during mixed feeding is harmful to the child. Some doctors even interpret it as an "environmental disaster for the child's body." Yevgeny Komarovsky is in a hurry to reassure mothers who do not have enough milk of their own. The modern industry that produces formula and baby food, he says, has done everything to minimize this harm. And she succeeded.

Thus, the composition of most milk formulas available today (we are talking about adapted mixtures) is as close as possible to the composition of breast milk.

Yes, this is not the same thing, and the mixture is not able to replace mother's milk, but it is better than giving cow or goat milk to a child, which are actually biologically alien products for him.

Kinds

Mixed feeding, despite its name, should not be chaotic. It also needs to be organized properly.

There are two main types of mixed feeding: alternate and sequential.

With alternate feeding, the mother will make it completely natural, and the other or several subsequent ones will be artificial. With sequential feeding, the baby can suck on the breast until the milk runs out, after which, with visible signs of anxiety (if the baby cries, reaches for the breast, smacks and demands the continuation of the “banquet”), he is given a certain amount of formula so that he does not feel hunger. It is important not to overfeed the baby.

To know exactly how much formula he needs for supplementary feeding, it is advisable to weigh the child before and after feeding.

Mom can choose one or another type on her own. Much depends on the amount of milk - whether it is enough for a whole feeding, and on other circumstances, for example, how often a woman can express. It is no secret that mixed feeding is often chosen when the mother needs to go to work and she is absent during the day. The most optimal is feeding every other time - at 6 am with a mixture, at 9 am - with a breast, at 12.00 - with a mixture, and so on.

Rules

The milk mixture saturates the baby faster and is digested a little longer, and therefore, with mixed feeding, you should not take long breaks between meals. A gap of 3-4 hours is enough. Even if you used to breastfeed on demand or every 2-2.5 hours, when switching to a mixed diet, it is right to feed with longer breaks and according to the regimen.

If the circumstances are such that the child has to switch to mixed feeding, then certain rules should be followed that will help the baby stay healthy.

For baby up to 6 months choose fully adapted mixtures. They are marked with the number "1" on the packaging.
For toddlers from 6 to 12 months there are special mixtures - partially adapted. They are marked on the box with the number "2".
Children from one year mixes with the number "3" on the package are suitable.

For a child of the first year of life, and even more so for a newborn, there is nothing better than breastfeeding (HB). But for various reasons, it also happens that exclusive breastfeeding is not possible, and a mixture comes to the aid of mother and baby. Mixed feeding of the baby - experts and mothers of "Littlevan" tell how to feed correctly.

Reference

Artificial feeding is a complete replacement of HB with artificial mixtures. Mixed feeding is a partial replacement when the proportion of the substitute in the diet is at least 1/5.

Mixed feeding of newborns: how to feed correctly (chart)

If a mother really cannot produce enough milk (a very low percentage of all women), it is almost always possible to establish a mixed diet.

Mode and volume of feeding

It is customary to feed children on artificial feeding according to the schedule: up to 1 month - on demand, but not more than 10 times a day; 1–3 months - about 7 times; 3-4 months - about 6 times; from 4 months to a year - about 5 times a day.

If you have a mixed diet, replace breastfeeding with formula in this scheme only when you really do not have enough milk. For example, up to three months it is recommended to feed every three hours, give replacement of breastfeeding only when the breast is empty at the right time.

Reference

Some pediatricians take a different view. They advise from birth to choose the minimum time between feedings - 2.5 hours. What are their recommendations based on? Food entering the child's stomach undergoes fermentation, after which the entire volume from the stomach moves further into the intestine, where the digestion stage is completed (with the help of bacteria). Now imagine: the first portion of food is almost digested, the stomach is ready to send it further, and then a new portion arrives. What will the stomach do? It will correctly send “further” everything that is in it, both overcooked and fresh. After that, “sour” milk, ready for absorption, will be absorbed, and “fresh” milk will begin to ferment in the intestines with the formation of a large amount of gases (hello).

The required daily volume of the formula for artificial feeding (one of the generally accepted options):

up to 2 months - 1/5 of body weight - 700–750 ml (100 ml per feeding);
2-4 months - 1/6 of body weight - 750–800 ml (140 ml per feeding);
4-6 months - 1/7 body weight - 800-900 ml (170 ml per feeding);
more than 6 months - 1/8-1/9 body weight - 1000-1100 ml (200 ml per feeding).

How to keep breastfeeding with a mixed diet:

1. Feed your baby in your arms face to face.

Despite mixed feeding, always hold the baby in your arms during feeding. Avoid feeding supplements to an infant in a crib or stroller. Do not deprive your baby of contact and communication with you, your warmth, the feel of your skin, the sound of your heart and voice, no matter what. The importance of your closeness, tenderness, and love cannot be overstated for emotional, neurological, and social health.

2. Do not believe that artificial feeding is better than mixed, even a little breast milk is already good!

There is a deliberately erroneous opinion that completely artificial feeding is better than mixed. Allegedly due to the fact that the child's digestive system is "confused" and suffers from it. In fact, even a small amount of breast milk in the diet is an invaluable contribution to health!

3. Donor milk is the supplement of choice.

Important: in accordance with WHO data, the “highest grade” supplementary feeding is the expressed milk of the mother. Further, the choice should be for donor milk - i.e. breast milk from another woman. It is human milk, not formula, that is the supplement of choice for infants. Now donor milk banks have begun to appear in Russia (in Europe and the USA this has been a common practice for more than a decade). And you can always contact the volunteer service that coordinates the gratuitous exchange.

4. Don't cook at home.

No matter how committed to a healthy lifestyle, organic nutrition and “homemade” products you may be, when feeding a newborn (and children under 2 years old) between animal milk and an adapted formula, make a choice in favor of the mixture.

5. Hydrolyzed formulas for sensitive babies.

Conventional mixtures contain protein molecules that are too large, difficult to digest. If you notice that a supplement is not suitable for your baby, discuss feeding with hydrolysed formula with your pediatrician. In hydrolysates, the protein is broken down into smaller parts that are tolerable for the baby's body. The taste of such supplements is different from the usual, be prepared for the fact that the child will need some time to get used to them.

6. Choose composition carefully.

Pay attention to the content of polyunsaturated fatty acids (DHA and ARA), DNA and RNA nucleotides, acidophilic and bifidum bacteria.

Reference

However, there are two “buts”: at the moment, it has not been possible to adapt the mixtures in terms of the quantity and quality of protein (in breast milk it contains 0.8-1.2 g / l, and in mixtures at least 2 g / l). An excess of proteins is an increased burden on the digestive tract, kidneys and immune system. And the proteins of alien milk themselves are intended for other purposes (why, for example, a calf needs to be smart, it needs to be strong = have a large muscle mass, therefore, among the proteins of cow's milk, there is more casein, and not A-globulin, and there are no proteins responsible for local immunity at all) . And the second "but" is the fats of breast milk, which are replaced by vegetable (mainly palm) for the simple reason that they are "unique" and it is not possible to synthesize them artificially. Otherwise, modern mixtures are not much different from each other.

7. Non-bottle supplements.

Highly recommended if you want to switch to exclusive breastfeeding. Mixed feeding will also last longer with this method of supplementation, because. the risk of the baby not breastfeeding will be minimal. A nipple on a bottle and a pacifier (no matter how “friendly” they are positioned by the manufacturer and no matter what form they are) often provoke the child’s unwillingness to suckle, pain in the mother’s nipples, crying during feeding and reduce the time spent by the baby at the breast. This is due to purely mechanical reasons due to the confusion of sucking methods and the constant flow from the bottle, instead of varying strength from the breast. And for psychological reasons - the baby eventually agrees to suck on the persistently offered substitutes and starts with resentment and negativity towards his mother's breast. If you have absolutely no choice but to leave the child with a person who is categorically ready to feed only from a bottle, take care of the most suitable one, in your opinion, and talk about the importance of feeding the child in your arms.

It happens that a woman has little milk or it is not fat enough. Sometimes the baby refuses the breast for some reason of his own and gains weight poorly. Or the woman went to work and does not have time to return to the next feeding. There are many reasons why a woman cannot fully breastfeed a newborn, each family has its own.

It is important for a woman to decide for herself whether she wants to breastfeed or not. If feeding does not bring joy or simply there is no desire, then, in agreement with the attending physician, transfer the baby to mixed feeding of newborns. But if you want to feed your baby with all your heart, do everything to increase lactation.

How to save breast milk

If there is even a drop of milk in the breast, do not refuse breastfeeding. After all, women's milk is the most useful and tasty for a toddler. Try to give your baby at least a drop of mother's milk, and then offer mixtures. To speed up the flow of milk and increase volume, apply more often to the breast. At every feeding, day or night ─ breast first. The efforts of the crumbs will increase lactation.

Mom makes every effort to keep breastfeeding as long as possible. Compliance with sleep and wakefulness, full-fledged multiple meals, a positive attitude ─ this is the key to the appearance of high-quality breast milk.

If you have problems with lactation, check the quality, quantity and frequency of your meals and drink about 2-3 liters of water per day. Express after feeding each (albeit empty) breast for 10-15 minutes, this sets the brain to increase lactation.

Even when feeding the baby from a bottle, try to take it in your arms, press it to your chest. So the baby feels the warmth of the mother's body, it soothes the baby. And in the woman’s breast, from contact with children’s hands and cheeks, a new batch of milk begins to be produced. This is how the female body works.

The main reasons for transferring a baby to mixed feeding: hypogalactia, poor nutritional value of mother's milk, mother's going to work, some mother's diseases

How much milk is missing

To find out if your baby is getting enough milk, pay attention to his nutrition and look in his diapers. If they have to be changed 5-6 or more times a day, then the food is correct, complete, sufficient. If:

the baby is gaining weight well,
maintains a time between feedings of at least 2–2.5 hours,
breastfeeding for less than 30 minutes
falling asleep after eating
wet diapers 6 or more times a day,
urine is light, almost odorless, which means that the newborn has enough food.

Otherwise, consult a neonatologist or pediatrician. On the recommendation of the doctor, introduce supplementary feeding.

In order not to overfeed and stretch the tiny ventricle, consider the following. Only 7 ml of liquid will fit in the stomach of a newborn. The baby is gradually growing, his stomach is growing, and on the ninth day he already holds 70-90 ml.

The volume of the stomach of a monthly baby reaches 100 ml.

Breastfeeding specialists determine the daily milk intake for infants from 1 to 10 days as a percentage of weight, and a single amount of food ─ by multiplying: every day of life X by 10.

The daily norm is 2% of the weight in grams X for the number of days.
One-time norm ─ the number of days of life X per 10.

From the eleventh day of life, the calculation is based on the weight of the little man:

1/5 of the weight - up to two months,
1/7 of the weight ─ from 2 to 6 months,
1/8 weight ─ from 6 to a year old.

For example: at 4 months, with a weight of 7100 g per day, he needs 7100: 7 \u003d 1014 g or ~ 1015 g.
With these indicators and 6 meals a day, a single meal of 1015 g: 6 times = 167 g or ~ 170 g.

Important! A child up to a year old should eat no more than 120 g per feeding, otherwise you will stretch the baby's stomach, colic and other problems will begin.

Knowing the rate of consumption per day and at one time, weigh the baby before and after feeding. You need to do this in the same clothes. Now calculate how much milk he sucks out of his chest, how much he lacks, how much to give during supplementary feeding. Make several control weighings, because today the baby will want to eat more, and tomorrow less. Choose an average, use it to calculate nutritional deficiencies.

Consider all these questions with your pediatrician, on his recommendation, start giving infant formula along with breast milk.

How to start supplementing

On the advice of your doctor, start introducing formula milk. Prepare a portion according to the instructions on the product. After the milk is completely sucked out of the breast, give the crumbs for the first time 10 ml of infant formula. Next time add a little more, but not more than once a day.

Many experts strongly recommend giving formula with a spoon rather than through a nipple. It is believed that milk flows easier from a bottle, the baby will choose a nipple instead of a nipple and completely refuse the breast. Perhaps this is correct, because it is not so convenient to eat from a spoon, the baby has only a sucking instinct. But if you make the hole in the nipple very small so that the milk does not flow into the baby's mouth, so that he has to make an effort, then the bottle will make feeding look like breastfeeding. Try to find a tight nipple with a low flow rate. Experienced mothers advise using AVENT nipples ─ milk does not pour out of them.

In any case, the baby grabs the mother's nipple in a completely different way than the nipple on the bottle. The nipple is narrow, easily enters the mouth, and the nipple needs to be pulled out. The baby does not understand what has changed, is naughty, does not want to breastfeed. Therefore, supplementary feeding is given only after the complete sucking of breast milk. And it's best to avoid bottles.

The mixture with mixed feeding should be given only after the baby has drunk all the available milk from the breast.

If supplementary feeding takes up more than half of the total diet, lactation of mother's milk will decrease and stop. Therefore, the transfer to a mixed diet is carried out slowly, for a long time, not more than 10 ml per day. And do not forget to express milk, then the flow of milk will adapt to the new feeding conditions. Over time, you will not need to express milk, it will come on time and in the amount that the baby needs.

What mixture to choose

In pharmacies and shopping centers, there are enough high-quality, full-fledged, balanced mixtures for supplementary feeding of infants. A neonatologist or pediatrician will tell you which formula is right for your baby. Children under 6 months of age are prescribed so-called adapted infant formulas. These mixtures are made from cow's, goat's or soy milk in powder form. The powder is diluted according to the instructions and the composition and taste are obtained, close to mother's milk.

Mother's milk is produced in such a composition that it is completely suitable for the child. Mixtures are made according to general GOSTs and TUs, so a doctor will help you choose a product for a particular baby. The doctor takes into account all the features of the crumbs, his weight, age, development, health status.

There has long been a dispute about which milk mixture, cow or goat, is more suitable for supplementary feeding. Many nutritionists lean towards goat milk. It is believed that it is better absorbed, the protein composition is closer to human milk. Moms love Kabrita's adapted formula, which is formulated with lipids, pro- and prebiotics. These ingredients aid in the digestion of the baby.

Clinical pharmacologist Natalya Eremenko warns that in some children, mixed feeding disrupts the intestinal microflora, and this leads to pain, colic, diarrhea or constipation. The kid tightens his legs in pain, cries, the doctor diagnoses dysbacteriosis. In some cases, a natural restoration of the microflora occurs, but children's probiotics are more often prescribed to restore the intestinal flora.

Pediatricians advise to feed the baby with a mixture from a spoon. But today you can buy a pacifier that mimics the nipple of the mother's breast. Some companies have managed to achieve amazing results - babies do not "see" the difference between a nipple and a nipple

Choose a supplement formula with your doctor. Give the baby a couple of days and observe the reaction of the body. Usually habituation occurs in 1-2 days. On the third day, carefully examine the baby for a rash. Check the tummy, if it has become hard, if the stool has changed. How does the baby feel: peppy and active or capricious and passive. If everything is fine with the baby, feel free to continue the mixed diet, the mixture is suitable for the baby. Otherwise, together with the doctor, decide how to replace it. If possible, refuse supplementary feeding, return to the previous breastfeeding.

mixed feeding

Mixed feeding involves feeding the newborn with breast milk and supplementing the missing infant formula. At each feeding, the crumbs are first applied to the breast, and only after he sucks everything, they are supplemented with the prescribed mixture.

If the doctor has prescribed supplementary feeding for the baby, the mother will have to prepare a fresh mixture for each feeding separately. The mixture is diluted only in a sterile container with boiled water not hotter than 38 degrees. Prepare a portion of the mixture and set aside. First, attach a cute baby to your chest. Let the baby try, suck both breasts, and if he does not have enough milk, give the mixture.

It is convenient to give the mixture at night so that the baby eats and sleeps well, and if he wakes up, give the breast. Especially good lactation occurs at 4-5 o'clock in the morning, enough milk is collected to feed the chick.

If it’s time for mom to go to work or school, try to feed the baby before leaving and upon returning. Pump a portion into a bottle for the day, and the milk will not be wasted.

Advantages and disadvantages

What more, pluses or minuses, contains a mixed diet, compare for a long time. Undoubtedly, the child will not be hungry during supplementary feeding and will gain weight for his age. And the downside is that the amount of mother's milk decreases, and this is always bad for a newborn.

Experienced mothers know that sometimes children ask for breasts not for food, but in order to be closer to their mother, to feel their native smell, to hear the beat of their dear heart, to calm down. The introduction of supplementary feeding does not affect the spiritual ties between the mother and the child at all. In his subconscious, you will remain the best, most beloved mother for the rest of your life.