What to Feed Baby After Taking Away Formula and Pureed Baby Foods
Breastfeeding is a natural matter to do, but it notwithstanding comes with its fair share of questions. Here's what you need to know virtually nearly introducing formula, solids, and more.
Is it OK to Requite My Baby Breast Milk and Formula?
Chest milk is the best nutritional pick for babies. But in some cases, breastfeeding (or exclusive breastfeeding) isn't possible or an selection. What's best for your baby's health and happiness is, in large part, whatever works for your family. So if you demand to supplement, your baby will be fine and salubrious, especially if it means less stress for you.
Babies who need supplementation may practise well with a supplemental nursing system. This is when moms place a small tube by their nipple that delivers pumped milk or formula while a baby is breastfeeding.
Babies also tin get pumped milk or formula past bottle. Simply it'due south a adept thought to wait until your baby has gotten used to and is good at breastfeeding. Lactation professionals recommend waiting until a baby is well-nigh 3-4 weeks old before offering artificial nipples of any kind (including pacifiers).
If I Give My Baby Formula, How Practise I Start?
If you're using formula because you lot're non producing the amount of milk your baby needs, nurse starting time. Then, give any pumped milk you take and make up the difference with formula every bit needed.
If you lot're stopping a breastfeeding session or are weaning from breastfeeding altogether, begin to supervene upon breastfeeding with canteen feeds. As y'all do this, pump to reduce uncomfortable engorgement. Engorgement is when your breasts overfill with milk and other fluids and get painful, swollen, warm, or hard. This can lead to problems with plugged ducts (when the ducts won't bleed well or at all) or a chest condition chosen mastitis.
When you reduce the number of nursing sessions, your milk supply will subtract. Your body will adapt to produce just enough milk to fit your new feeding schedule.
How Might a Diet With Formula Affect My Infant?
Starting your breastfed infant on formula tin crusade some modify in the frequency, color, and consistency of your baby's poop. Be sure to talk your doctor, though, if your baby has trouble pooping.
If your infant refuses formula alone, you can endeavor mixing some of your pumped breast milk with it to help the babe get used to the new taste.
Is information technology OK for Me to Give My Infant the First Bottle?
If possible, have someone else give the first bottle. This is because babies can scent their mothers and they're used to receiving breast milk from mom, not a bottle. Then endeavour to have someone else — like a caregiver or partner — give the beginning canteen.
Too consider being out of the house or out of sight when your baby takes that first bottle, since your petty one will wonder why you're not doing the feeding as usual. Depending on how your baby takes to the bottle, you lot might demand to keep doing this until your baby gets used to canteen feeding.
If your baby has a hard time adjusting to this new class of feeding, be patient and keep trying. Talk to your doctor if y'all have questions.
Does My Breastfed Baby Need Supplements?
Breast milk contains many vitamins and minerals. But it'southward a good idea to requite a daily supplement for some nutrients that may be defective. It all depends on your babe's age.
Here are some guidelines:
- Vitamin D. Breastfed babies need to take a daily vitamin D supplement. Vitamin D is added to babe formulas. Vitamin D is made by the body when the skin is exposed to sunlight, but information technology is not safe for infants under 6 months to exist in straight sunlight. (After six months, use sunscreen when in the sun to protect your baby's sensitive skin).
- Iron. Iron is a mineral found in breastmilk during the first iv months of life. Later that, babies demand an iron supplement until they begin eating enough iron-rich foods (such equally cereals or meats) when they're around 6 months quondam. If your babe gets a mix of breast milk and iron-fortified formula, talk to your doctor about whether your little one needs a supplement. Subsequently they start on solids, some babies still need iron supplements if they don't consume enough iron-rich foods. You doctor can tell you if your baby is getting enough fe.
- Fluoride. Babies younger than 6 months do not need a fluoride supplement. After your babe is six months former, you can beginning supplementing with fluoride if your water supply lacks fluoride. Well water, bottled water, tap water in some communities, and ready-to-feed formulas do not have fluoride.
Information technology's important to notice out if your water supply has fluoride in it. You can enquire your doctor, dentist, or local water utility agency if the h2o in your customs is fluoridated. Giving a child too much fluoride tin cause white marks on the teeth, then there is no need to give a fluoride supplement if your child gets enough fluoride from water.
When Should I Introduce Solid Foods?
The all-time fourth dimension to innovate solid foods is when your infant has the skills needed to eat, unremarkably between 4 and 6 months of age. This is when your baby:
- has good head and neck control
- tin sit up
- has lost the tongue-thrust reflex (which causes babies to push button food out of the mouth)
- has the motor skills needed to transfer nutrient to the back of the oral cavity to swallow
- shows an interest in food (by watching others eat, reaching for food, or opening the oral cavity as food approaches)
By this historic period, babies usually weigh twice their birth weight, or shut to it.
Look until your baby is at least iv months old and shows these signs of readiness earlier starting solids. Many babies exclusively breastfeed until 6 months of historic period, which is perfectly salubrious.
Babies who start solid foods before iv months are at a higher risk for obesity and other problems later on. They likewise aren't coordinated plenty to safely swallow solid foods and may choke on the food or inhale information technology into their lungs.
How Should I Start Solids?
When the fourth dimension is right, beginning with a unmarried-grain, fe-fortified baby cereal. Rice cereal has traditionally been the get-go food for babies, but you lot can outset with any you prefer. Start with 1 or ii tablespoons of cereal mixed with breast milk, formula, or water. Never add cereal to a baby'southward bottle unless your medico recommends information technology.
Another good first choice is an fe-rich puréed meat. Feed your baby with a small baby spoon.
At this stage, solids should exist fed after a nursing session, non earlier. That way, your baby fills up on breast milk, which should be your babe's main source of diet until age ane.
When your baby gets the hang of eating the first nutrient, introduce others, such every bit puréed fruits, vegetables, beans, lentils, or yogurt. Wait a few days between introducing new foods to brand certain your baby doesn't accept an allergic reaction.
Experts recommend introducing common nutrient allergens to babies when they're iv–half-dozen months sometime. This includes babies with a family history of nutrient allergies. In the past, they thought that babies should not get such foods (similar eggs, peanuts, and fish) until after the commencement birthday. But recent studies advise that waiting that long could make a baby more likely to develop food allergies.
Offer these foods to your babe as soon as your trivial 1 starts eating solids. Make sure they're served in forms that your babe can easily swallow. You can endeavour a pocket-size amount of peanut butter mixed into fruit purée or yogurt, for case, or soft scrambled eggs.
When Can I Give My Infant Water?
In their kickoff few months, babies commonly don't need actress h2o. Chest milk and formula supply all the fluids that your infant needs. On very hot days, most babies do well with actress feedings.
When your baby starts eating solid foods, you lot can offer a few ounces of water between feedings, but don't forcefulness it.
What About Juice?
Fruit juices are non recommended for babies. Juice offers no health benefits, even to older children. Juice can fill them upwards (leaving little room for more nutritious foods), promote obesity, crusade diarrhea, and fifty-fifty put a infant at risk for cavities when teeth offset coming in.
What to Feed Baby After Taking Away Formula and Pureed Baby Foods
Source: https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/breastfeed-solids.html