Mixed feeding – when to feed a baby?

Mixed feeding – when to feed an infant with modified milk?

Although breastfeeding mother’s milk is the best way to nourish a baby, sometimes it is necessary to supplement a newborn with modified milk. In this case, as with the transition to mixed breastfeeding, parents often wonder how much a newborn or a bottle-fed infant or infant should eat. Learn how to find out if your baby is high and learn how to switch to mixed feeding.

Feeding babies – breast, bottle or breast and bottle?

For many years, experts have emphasized the huge role of breastfeeding for the health and proper development of infants and children. It has been proven that breast milk has a beneficial effect on the development of a toddler’s digestive, nervous and immune systems. Currently, it is recommended that infants be exclusively breastfed for the first 6 months of life. Mum’s milk feeding should be continued until the age of 2 or more, according to the needs of mum and baby.

At the same time, it is emphasized that shorter or partial breastfeeding also brings great benefits to the baby. However, if the mother plans to completely wean the baby from the breast, instead of her milk, she should introduce the next milk to the baby’s diet, which will be appropriate for his age and will cover his needs for important nutrients and energy. This is also necessary when the mother gives up some feedings with her food in favor of giving the baby milk from the bottle. Combining breastfeeding with subsequent milk feeding is called mixed feeding.

When do mothers decide to use mixed feeding?

Mixed feeding is most often used for two reasons: during the gradual weaning and transition to the next milk, and to feed a newborn or infant if recommended by a midwife, doctor or certified lactation advisor.

Moms also report other reasons for choosing mixed feeding:

1. uncertainty about eating only mother’s milk,
2. shame and discomfort when breastfeeding in a public place,
3. returning to work and wanting to maintain at least partial breastfeeding,
4. in the case of feeding mainly with modified milk: the desire to better nourish the child by giving him or her mother’s milk,
5. hope for a longer night’s sleep of the child (feeding with modified milk for the night),
6. problems with lactation after cesarean section.

Switching from breastfeeding to breastfeeding – the benefits of mixed feeding

Using mixed feeding as you slowly switch from breast to milk has a number of advantages for both mum and baby:

1. the toddler gradually gets used to bottle feeding and to the taste of the next milk,
2. gently weaning the baby from the breast,
3. reducing the risk of breast overflow, food stagnation and mum’s feeling of discomfort,
4. the possibility of observing the child’s reaction to the given next milk.

The transition from breast to milk marked with the number 2 should be slow and gradual, so that both mother and baby have time to get used to the new reality. It is best to plan, think carefully and determine how much the baby should eat at each meal of the next milk.

In the beginning, it is usual to replace one meal with the breast with a bottle of milk for the next. It is worth starting with the feeding with which it is easiest for the baby to “part”. After administering the modified milk, the child’s reaction should be checked for any alarming symptoms (e.g. rash, diarrhea, vomiting). If the toddler tolerates a given product well, after a few days we replace 2 meals with it, and then 3, 4, etc. At the end, the most pleasant feedings are usually left for the baby, e.g. in the evening. The mixed breastfeeding and bottle feeding is continued until the baby is completely weaned and switched to the next milk.

Remember that in the first year of life, it is worth maintaining nightfeeding – if the baby still wakes up hungry at night, it should be given milk, according to the assumed mixed feeding scheme.

Formula milk feeding – when is it necessary?

Sometimes there are situations when mother wants to breastfeed very much, but for various reasons her milk is insufficient for the baby. Then mixed feeding is not a choice but a necessity. Feeding with modified milk may be temporary, e.g. until lactation problems are resolved, or permanent. Even if it is only a temporary solution, parents should learn all the rules and scheme of feeding with modified milk (how often to feed, how to prepare and store milk, and the optimal position of the baby during feeding).

Feeding a newborn baby with modified milk is most often necessary if:

1. the newborn has a drop in glucose level and the toddler does not want to suckle the breast,
2. mom has to take medications prohibited during breastfeeding,
3. mom has badly cut and sore nipples,
4. the toddler does not have the strength to suck breasts,
5. the child is not gaining enough weight,
6. there is a real shortage of food in the mother,
7. in sick children, premature babies, twins.

In order to maintain lactation, it is important that infant formula feeding is as short as possible and only for medical reasons, especially if the mother plans to switch to exclusive breastfeeding as soon as possible. For the same reasons, it is recommended to start feeding with the breast and then with the milk bottle.

Is my baby high – how much should a newborn and infant eat in the first months of life?

This question is certainly asked by many mothers, especially when having their first child. If you are exclusively breastfeeding and want to know how much your newborn is eating, our answer may not be satisfactory for you – this amount is simply beyond control. Your baby should be fed on demand, when you notice hunger symptoms and when you feel that your breasts are getting full. In addition, it is worth watching the so-called indicators of successful breastfeeding:

1. the baby latches on and sucks properly, and you hear the sounds of swallowing,
2. the toddler eats at least eight times a day, and is calm and content after the meal,
3. you feel your breasts loosen up after feeding,
4. weight loss does not exceed 10 percent. birth weight, and after 2 weeks from birth, the toddler regains the lost grams,
5. the child is gaining weight properly, and from the 6th day of life he or she wets a minimum of six diapers a day.

If your toddler does not meet any of the above criteria, you should consult your midwife or lactation consultant and develop an action plan, including a formula for feeding your baby infant formula (if absolutely necessary).

It is much easier for parents to control how much milk a newborn is drinking when fed with a bottle of formula milk. Thanks to this, you can check whether the toddler has eaten the amount of food appropriate for his age. The volume, frequency and number of milk meals during the day will depend on the age of the child, but also on his appetite.

Check how often and how much should a newborn and infant eat.

Remember that any recommendations and tables indicating how much an infant should eat and how often to feed a newborn baby are indicative, and the exact amount of milk consumed by a baby and its rate of weight gain should be consulted with a doctor or midwife.

Mixed feeding regimen – how much next milk for a breastfed baby?

The exact pattern of mixed feeding will depend on the reason why mum decided to introduce it – when returning to work, you will have to replace milk with the next meals during which mum is away from home. Then the toddler should receive a whole “portion” of milk in a bottle for his age for each meal for which his mother cannot give him the breast. If, on the other hand, you want your baby to wake up less often at night, you can give him a breast at the beginning of the evening feed, and then another milk immediately.

In fact, there may be as many rules for mixed feeding as mother-baby pairs, so it is not worth being influenced by strict rules and tables. Remember that if necessary, you can consult a midwife who certainly has a lot of experience working with babies fed a mixed system.

Mixed feeding – which milk should you choose next?

One of the most important decisions when switching to mixed feeding is choosing the right next milk for your baby. The composition of a good product should be as close as possible to mother’s milk, which is always tailored to the child’s needs at every stage of development.

This is the kind of milk inspired by nature, that is, mother’s milk HiPP 2 BIO COMBIOTIK®, the recipe of which is based on the results of many years of research on breast milk and its unique composition. It contains ingredients similar to those found in human milk:

1. Metafolin®, which is a natural, biologically active form of folatesimilar to the folates present in mother’s milk,
2. unique combination of PRAEBIOTIK® + PROBIOTIK®, i.e. a complex of galacto-oligasaccharides from organic lactose found in breast milk and beneficial lactic acid bacteria originally obtained from breast milk.

HiPP 2 BIO COMBIOTIK® milk has an ecological certificate and the HiPP BIO mark, which guarantees the highest ecological quality. In order to best support the development of the baby after the 6th month, its composition also includes:

1. vitamins A, C and D supporting the functioning and development of the child’s immunity,
2. DHA important for the development of the baby’s visual organ,
3. ALA supports the proper development of nerve cells and the brain.

Explore nature-inspired and scientifically compiled next milk HiPP 2 BIO COMBIOTIK®.

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