The issue of feeding newborns worries many pregnant girls and newly moms. Women should know how to feed a newborn baby correctly and not harm him.
Pediatricians from the World Health Organization are unanimous that infant formula for infants should consist only of mother’s milk. Nature took care of the children and gave each mother the opportunity to give her baby healthy and nutritious food that replenishes the body with all the necessary vitamins.
After the birth of a baby, a mother may experience various unforeseen situations when breastfeeding will be impossible. In this case, it is necessary to correctly select a specially adapted mixture for the crumbs. Experts advise buying and choosing a breast milk substitute based on the individual characteristics and preferences of the crumbs.
Breastfeeding is not only a physiological meal, we can say that this is a responsible and enjoyable moment when the closest people communicate with each other as closely as possible. For women, the time of feeding newborns will remain in their memory for a long time and will be a warm memory. In these happy moments there is a certain birth of maternal love, tenderness, warmth, which is so important for a little crumb.
Feeding procedure for a newborn baby
To learn how to properly feed a newborn baby, you need to listen to the doctors who teach these skills to young mothers. The whole process of feeding infants should be comfortable and convenient. It should be treated with warm feelings and positive emotions.
After the birth of the baby, if there is such an opportunity, then the first feeding of the infant must be carried out in the maternity room in the first minutes of his life. Perhaps the baby will not immediately want to eat, but the direct process of applying to the breast will give the young mother many positive and pleasant emotions.
Today, in many maternity hospitals, the joint stay of a child with a mother is widely practiced. If there are no contraindications, then the baby is with the mother, from the first minutes of life, rarely when they bring the baby to the mother for 2 days. Therefore, during your stay in the maternity hospital you can learn and learn how to properly breast-feed a baby. The first meals the crumbs will be difficult and many mothers worry that their beloved children eat small portions. But do not worry in advance, because then the baby necessarily eats the missing amount.
Newly made mothers should worry and worry more about comfortable postures for feeding infants, because how fully they depend on them, the baby eats.
Infant feeding regimen
Pediatricians from the World Health Organization could not come to a consensus and determine the optimal diet for a newborn baby. Some were clearly convinced that breastfeeding was necessary for strictly defined hours. Another part concluded that children should be fed on demand. If you look from the point of view of the mother, then it will be convenient for her to feed her baby according to the regime, for example, every 2 to 3 hours. But for a child it is better if mother feeds him according to his physiological needs.
If we talk about adults, then subject to the regime, they can go to the kitchen and take a small snack when they feel hungry. Therefore, why torment the baby and feed him strictly according to the regime, if his body requires otherwise. Each person has his own individual needs and characteristics, this also applies to newborn children. As practice shows, some of the children love for a long time, and slowly sucking mother’s milk, while others prefer to eat quickly.
The feeding regime of the infant will change, because every month it will develop and only closer to a year old the regime will more or less improve. In most cases, young mothers worry that their beloved babies do not receive the required amount of milk. But among doctors there is no consensus on how much a newborn baby should eat. Nutrition of an infant occurs on an intuitive level.
Nutrition for newborns
Sometimes there are times when mom may suddenly disappear breast milk, so you should think about buying a special adapted mixture. Of course, mother’s milk is the best baby food for newborns, but it’s not always possible to breastfeed. Doctors determined for themselves the only scheme and formula for calculating the required amount of food for the newborn baby.
The daily rate of the adapted mixture is calculated as follows: the number of days the child’s life multiplied by 70.
This indicator can be used if birth weight was less than 3kg 200g. If the weight of the child at birth was more than 3 kg 200 g, then the number of days lived should be multiplied by 80.
The resulting figure must be divided by the approximate number of feedings per day and the final result will be the amount of milk that the newborn should eat for one feeding.
But such calculations should not be blindly trusted and considered that this is the only correct formula, because every little person is an individual. And the daily rate is selected in a strictly individual order. The above formula is great for determining the required amount of the finished mixture. Many well-known manufacturers indicate on the boxes or jars with baby food an approximate menu and the amount of feedings.
Every mother should remember that if her child eats an artificial mixture, then the “on demand” mode is not suitable for him. In this case, you must adhere to the daily routine. Newborn babies should be fed from a special bottle at least once – 2 times in three hours.
Is water needed for a newborn?
This question today excites many young mothers. Children’s pediatricians did not agree on a single opinion and each offers its own option, solutions to such a difficult issue. But as statistics show, nevertheless, most of the doctors believe that there is no need to additionally supplement the newborn baby and the artificer with some water.
For the crumbs that feed on breast milk, nutrients are sufficient, and it does not need fluid. If the street is stuffy and hot summer, you need to milk it a little with water. But do not abuse it. After all, the amount of milk produced by the mother directly depends on the frequency of application of the baby. And the extra fluid will take up a lot of space in the stomach, which was originally intended for milk.
Monthly baby nutrition
Every mother wants her child to grow up strong, healthy and smart. The main source of excellent health is proper and complete nutrition. Young parents should definitely take care of the optimal diet in order to choose the best feeding option for the newborn baby.
Even before the birth of a baby, expectant mothers ask at a doctor’s appointment, “What kind of food is better for newborns?” Often they get the answer that, in addition to breast milk, there should be no additional fluids, such as baby tea and water. In the first days after giving birth, a young mother has a small amount of colostrum, which is considered very useful for normalizing the baby’s intestines and gastrointestinal tract. Mom’s colostrum is able to protect just born baby from a variety of infections and develop immunity.
In such a difficult and at the same time joyful period, each mother is obliged to devote all her attention to the organization and planning of proper nutrition for the baby. It is necessary to take into account the needs of the child and feed him on demand. The more mom puts her baby to her breast, the more milk will be produced from her. Important is the timely feeding of newborns at night.
Feeding infants at 2 months is practically no different from the previous regimen. A 2 month old baby should drink breast milk. Very often, mothers begin to unreasonably worry that their baby at 2 months eats little or milk is not very oily. In order to dispel all fears and worries about this, it is necessary to conduct an experiment and analyze wet diapers.
Moms who are breastfeeding a baby should follow a diet and not allow themselves to be excessively. While the baby is 2 months old, mom should not eat spicy, pepper, fatty, red and many other products. You should abandon food, which can adversely affect the general well-being of a 2 month old baby.
As in 2 months, 3 months of a baby’s life, the regimen does not change and remains the same. Most often, women during this period may experience a lactation crisis. Almost half of mothers make the wrong decision and transfer their 2 – 3 month old baby to artificial or mixed nutrition. But there is a way out of this situation. It is necessary to apply the baby to the breast as often as possible and eventually any lactation crisis will pass.
A 4-month diet begins with some changes. If the mother sees that her child is ready for innovations in nutrition, then you can occasionally give a few drops of pure or diluted apple juice.
Pediatricians and doctors from the World Health Organization recommend the use of green apple or pear juice. No other foods or fruits should be administered at this age. If the baby has problems with stools, allergic rashes, then it is worthwhile to wait a while with the beginning of feeding.
At the age of 5 months, some mothers want to start feeding their baby food from the common table faster, justifying it with the fact that he will grow faster. But such a statement is erroneous and completely incorrect. At the next examination in the doctor’s office, each mother should consult about the introduction of complementary foods. Today, doctors from the World Health Organization do not recommend starting to administer complementary foods to infants up to 6 months. If the pediatrician did not identify developmental problems, digestive tract disorders and allowed to gradually introduce new products into the diet, then at the first stage it can be fruit juices or finely ground puree of homogeneous consistency.
When you first introduce a new product into the diet, you should closely monitor the baby and the reaction of its body. If there are no problems, then this lure can be safely offered to him for lunch.
After 6 months, all the recommendations and rules for the introduction of complementary foods should be prescribed only by the attending physician. He will consult in detail and informatively on all kinds of issues. Each mother can independently familiarize herself with the existing feed tables in the pediatrician’s office, ask questions of interest and immediately receive answers to them.
Each new product introduced into the diet should be given in a minimum dosage. After the adaptation period, the rate can gradually be increased. The children’s stomach and intestinal tract will fully form and get stronger only by the age of one. Therefore, you should carefully consider baby food and monitor the amount of food eaten. After six months, various cereals and cereals can be gradually introduced. Some mothers decide for themselves to buy them in pharmacies. It is certainly convenient and quick, but do not forget that cooked food yourself will always be more useful than instant porridge.
To please the little crumb, you need to take buckwheat or rice groats and thoroughly grind it into flour. Only after this process can it be heat treated. The same goes for fruit and vegetable purees. They can be cooked at home with fresh produce.
Many pediatricians and doctors of children’s clinics recommend that mothers and relatives of crumbs do not experiment with complementary foods and do not engage in amateur activities. The children’s body will not tolerate a variety of experiments and may fail at any moment. Long-term treatment and restoration of the normal functioning of the gastrointestinal tract have not benefited anyone.
How to understand that the baby has enough breast milk?
When a baby eats from a bottle, mothers can control the process of eating the amount of milk they eat. But what to do when the baby is breastfeeding? To determine whether a child is full, it is worth paying attention to such points:
- You can count the number of wet diapers or diapers. It is best of course to use diapers, because they will most objectively show the result. A baby who eats enough breast milk should go small about 8 times a day, and even more, if less than 2 times, an alarm should be raised.
- The mother should carefully examine the baby’s stool. The norm is a granular homogeneous structure of yellow color.
- Green stool in a small baby can tell parents that lactose deficiency is occurring in the body. In this case, you should contact your pediatrician for help.
- Make an analysis of the behavior of the baby during feeding. After eating, the child should behave calmly, give the breast himself or even fall asleep. This sign directly speaks of satiety and full satisfaction. If the baby is naughty and very often requires a breast, then he does not overeat. With this question, you need to consult a breastfeeding specialist.
Adhering to these simple recommendations, you can be sure that the baby will grow up strong and healthy.
