For artificial feeding, if the mother has, for one reason or another, no or insufficient breast milk. Lactation can be increased in many ways, for example, by eating differently, taking vitamins, developing breasts, more often applying the baby to the chest. In this case, the lactating woman should sleep well and have enough rest during the day. Nothing can replace a baby of mother's milk, together with him he receives all the necessary nutrients, the child has immunity.
If the lactation does not increase, however you try, the question arises of supplementing the baby with donor milk or artificial mixtures.
There is another type of feeding, in addition to breastfeeding and artificial feeding of children. This type is called mixed feeding, which involves the presence in the daily ration of a child at least 1/3 of breast milk. The rest of the baby's nutrition are artificial mixtures, which are now vast. To select an artificial mixture for a child is not worth it yourself, it should be done by a qualified specialist taking into account the health and condition of the child.
Mixtures in composition are as close as possible to breast milk. They are divided into species according to the age of the child. In addition to dry adapted mixtures, on the market there are fermented milk mixtures that are more suitable for feeding weakened, premature babies, since they are easier to digest by the body, forming easily digestible flakes in the stomach. Sour-milk mixtures contain bifidum bacteria, acidophilic rods and other beneficial bacteria that promote the secretion of gastric juices, and improve the absorption of nutrients. Many pediatricians are advised to buy sour-milk mixtures, rather than the usual ones.
If the doctor has prescribed a formula for you to feed the baby, then there is no reason to change this mixture to another. The digestive system of the baby is still weak, it will adapt for a long time to a change of food.
If the baby is transferred from breastfeeding to artificial feeding, then the number of feedings per day is usually reduced to 6, since the mixtures on the basis of cow's milk are longer digested, respectively, the feeling of hunger comes later.
While preparing the mixture, follow the recommendations given on the package, do not put the powder more than it should, this can lead to disruption of the child's digestion: vomiting, diarrhea, regurgitation, an allergic reaction may occur.
To prepare the mixture, use only boiled water or children's drinking water, which is sold in stores. Prepare the mixture immediately before feeding, measuring the dry mass with a measuring spoon. If the mixture is induced with a margin for several feedings, then it is stored only in the refrigerator. To warm up the mixture, the bottle should be lowered into hot water. To check if the mixture is warm, drip a few drops of the mixture on your wrist.
If the infant is ill-fed with artificial feeding, consult a pediatrician who will prescribe another mixture.
Do not forget that children who are on mixed and artificial feeding need extra liquid. The kid should drink about 50-100ml of water daily. at artificial feeding it is necessary to take the kid on hands that during a nursing the corporal contact of mother and the child so the kid will be quiet will remain. After feeding, the baby should be placed in an upright position ("column"), so that the child will vomit the air.
At different times of the day the baby can consume a different amount of the mixture, do not overfeed it by force, if he refuses to eat the norm.
To feed without any problems, special attention should be paid to the opening on the nipple, it should not be too small, so the baby will be difficult to suck and quickly get tired. If the hole on the nipple is too large, then the baby will choke on the mixture. Duration of feeding with time is established - 15-20 minutes.
After feeding, the bottle and the nipple should be thoroughly washed with soap and rinsed with boiling water. Bottles and baby nipples are boiled for 5 minutes after each use.