What was fed to infants before formula? Supplementary feeding from a Medela soft spoon video

Supplementary feeding for a breastfed baby can be introduced for various reasons. Newborns are fed with expressed breast milk or donor milk, but more often, of course, they use it.

In which case supplementary feeding should be introduced and in which not, only a pediatrician can decide; an individual approach and weighing of all "behind" And "against".

Supplementary feeding, what is it?

Supplementary feeding- This is additional nutrition for the child, which is introduced to compensate for the lack of breast milk. Do not confuse supplementary feeding and complementary feeding; supplementary feeding is prescribed if necessary according to indications, more often due to the absence or shortage of breast milk, and complementary feeding is additional nutrition that is administered to all children from a certain age, when the mother has enough milk, but it no longer can meet the child's nutritional needs.

Supplementary feeding of newborns in the maternity hospital

In the first few days after birth, the mother secretes colostrum; its volume is only a few milliliters, but this small amount is enough to provide the newborn baby with the necessary nutrients; colostrum is quite high in calories and contains vitamins and antibodies valuable for the newborn. Due to the small volume of food, the baby does not have difficulty eating from the mother's breast, and his swallowing, sucking and breathing skills develop. On the third or fourth day, when milk appears, the child is able to eat fully. But every young mother periodically wonders whether the baby has enough milk or should resort to supplementary feeding. I will give the most common fears in which supplementary feeding is not required.

• A child losing 5-7% of his birth weight in the first days, which worries the mother, is the norm and does not happen because the child is not getting enough to eat, it’s just that the little body gets used to the new “living conditions”, very soon the little one will again begin to intensively gain weight. weight And by the time he leaves the maternity hospital, his weight will be the same as at birth, this is one of the conditions for discharge.
• The newborn sleeps a lot. This is also absolutely normal; the baby gets as tired as the mother during childbirth, so she sleeps a lot. If the mother still thinks that the baby is sleeping for too long, then it is better to try to wake him up and feed him, otherwise he will become very hungry, and the mother may not have enough milk. In the worst case scenario, you will have to supplement with formula while breastfeeding. And for the development of lactation it is much better to take it as often as possible.
• The child is restless. The baby does not always cry when he is hungry; later the mother will understand that there are many reasons for crying - (wet diaper, the baby is cold, hot, etc.)
• The baby cries and turns away from the breast; this fact does not necessarily indicate that the mother does not have milk; more often, the baby simply does not yet know how to eat milk from the breast. The mother needs to be patient and teach him, she needs to put the baby to the breast for a short time, the more often the better.
• The baby attaches to the breast too often. In fact, if a child is upset or sick, he can put himself to the breast up to 40 times a day, and this does not mean at all that he is hungry every time and it is necessary to introduce supplementary feeding while breastfeeding. This is simply a physiological need for a baby to be close to his mother, to feel her warmth and love.

Of course, a tired mother sometimes wants to feed her baby with formula and rest, but there is no need to do this. There are indications for introducing supplementary feeding; they can be symbolically divided into unconditional and conditional.

Unconditional indications for the introduction of supplementary feeding:

• For some reason, the mother cannot be near the child;
• The baby has intolerance to mother's milk;
• The mother is taking medications that may harm the baby.

Conditional indications for the introduction of supplementary feeding

Indications from the child:

• Low blood glucose levels in the newborn that do not rise even after breastfeeding;
• Severe dehydration with weight loss greater than 10% and elevated sodium levels, regardless of breastfeeding;
• Weight loss in a child due to lack of breast milk from the mother;
• Retention of stool in a newborn;
• Milk is not digested enough, despite the mother’s normal amount;
• There is a need for additional administration of vitamins and other nutrients.

Indications from the mother:

• Lack of milk that remains even five days after removal of the placenta;
• Lack of milk due to Sheehan syndrome, which can occur due to severe blood loss during childbirth;
• Underdevelopment of the mammary glands or disruption of their function as a result of surgery or pathology;
• Unbearable pain during feeding, which doctors cannot relieve despite all attempts.

How to determine lack of breast milk

If everything is clear with unconditional indications for the introduction of supplementary feeding, then with conditional indications the question arises of how to determine that the child really does not have enough milk and that supplementary feeding is necessary for a breastfed child. For this purpose, pediatricians, together with young mothers, usually use the following methods:

• Calculation of urine volume.
• Counting the number of urinations.
• Expected weight gain method.
• Measuring the baby's weight before and after feeding.
• Intuitive method.

How much milk a child should eat is calculated based on his age, weight and health status of the baby. The most general calculation method is the dependence of the volume of nutrition on the child’s body weight. At the age of up to 2.5 months, the child should eat 1/5 of his body weight, from 2.5 to 4 months - 1/6 and 1/7 from 4 to 6 months.

The amount of formula supplementation when breastfeeding will depend on the difference between the amount of milk the baby eats and the amount he should consume.

Introduction of supplementary feeding in case of lack of breast milk

The decision to immediately introduce supplementary feeding if there is a shortage of breast milk depends on what percentage of the daily ration the child is not receiving. If the deficiency is no more than 50%, then doctors first take all necessary measures to stimulate lactation and introduce supplemental feeding of children with formula no earlier than a week later, only if the situation does not change. A deficiency of more than 75% forces doctors to immediately decide to introduce supplementary feeding, but at the same time, the mother should not leave the attempt. If the amount of mother's milk increases, the amount of supplementary feeding decreases.

Choice of supplementary food

Here all doctors give a clear answer - breast milk. Theoretically, if possible, then it is necessary to use the mother’s expressed milk; if not, then feed the baby with donor milk. But in practice, in maternity hospitals they often use supplementary feeding of children with formula. The most hypoallergenic are mixtures based on protein hydrolysates. They are well tolerated by almost all newborns. Upon returning home, the mother, under the supervision of a pediatrician, can change the formula or leave the one that was given to the child in the maternity hospital.

Supplementary feeding methods

There are many ways to supplement formula feeding while breastfeeding, each of them has its own pros and cons. I propose to consider each of the methods in more detail.

bottle


pros: One of the simplest methods, does not require special skills from both mother and child.

Minuses: If a breastfed baby is supplemented with a bottle, there is a risk of breast abandonment. The baby takes the bottle and the breast in various ways, the baby uses his tongue to feed from the breast, he presses the breast against his palate with it, the cheeks are mainly involved in feeding from the bottle, it is easier to eat from the bottle, and the baby subsequently chooses it.

To minimize this danger, several conditions must be met:

• Be sure to choose a bottle of the correct rectangular or oval shape, without narrowing in the center. The nipple should be small, not very hard and round in shape, as close as possible to the shape of a female nipple. There is no need to make large holes in the nipple; this interferes with the sucking reflex in the newborn. The milk should not flow too quickly, the child should make a little effort, the optimal bottle feeding process should be 15-20 minutes
• The correct feeding technique is that if the mother has milk, then you need to first feed the baby with milk from the breast, and then give a bottle. Bottle feeding should be done in the same position as breastfeeding.

Syringe without needle


pros: Cheap method, can be used as a disposable method

Minuses: The volume of the syringe is small, there is a risk of extinction of the sucking reflex when supplementing a breastfed baby.

For supplementary feeding, the largest syringes of 5-10 ml are used; the principle of feeding is similar to injections - milk flows out of the syringe when pressed.

Options for supplementary feeding with a syringe may be the following:

• The baby sucks on a syringe through which milk flows slowly
• Milk enters the baby's mouth through a tube at the end of the syringe
• The baby sucks the mother's finger or breast, and milk is introduced into the corner of the mouth through a tube. This option is most preferable when supplementing children with formula with partial breastfeeding.

Syringes with a tube can be bought at a pharmacy; dentists use these in their work; it is not difficult to build one yourself by putting a venous catheter on the end of the syringe. But here it is necessary to remember that the catheter must be changed after each feeding, because a mixture remains in the tube, which can deteriorate and harm the baby.

Tea spoon


pros: The method is simple and inexpensive; it can be used for a runny nose and in other cases when sucking is difficult. The spoon is easy to disinfect.

Minuses: At first, using a spoon when feeding children with formula is quite difficult, because the child will spit out most of the milk or formula. This method is least suitable for supplementing small children with formula while breastfeeding, as it does not develop the sucking reflex. It is best to use it when there is little time left to introduce complementary foods and accustom the child to an “adult” diet.

To help your child learn to eat from a spoon faster, you can try:

• Quickly pour the contents of the spoon into the middle of the tongue;
• Pour milk over the cheek;

The next portion of milk should be given only when the baby has swallowed the previous one. You can tell that your baby is full when he stops opening his mouth or starts spitting out the formula.

Soft spoon


pros: The material is more pleasant for the baby, plus the spoon is inserted into the bottle, there is no need to constantly scoop up a new portion with the danger of spilling.

Minuses: It costs more than the above devices.

It’s easy to use a soft spoon; milk pours out when you press on the protrusions located on the sides of the spoon; you don’t need to press too hard so that the mixture flows into the spoon in a small amount.

But here we cannot exclude the possibility that if a child does not eat from an ordinary spoon, then he may not eat from this one either.

Cup

pros: The cup is very easy to wash between feedings; the baby eats from a cup even faster than from a bottle. Cup feeding reduces the likelihood of air being swallowed, resulting in less regurgitation and colic.

Minuses: Cup feeding also requires some skill. Not suitable for children with a weak sucking reflex.

To supplement your children with formula, you can use any cup, but it is better to purchase a special one with thin walls and made of a material that can be easily sanitized. But doctors recommend supplementary feeding from a cup if the baby does not breastfeed at all. Supplementing babies with formula from a cup while breastfeeding can negatively affect their desire to feed from the breast. It is better to feed when the child is upright or half-sitting; you cannot pour milk into the child’s mouth; he must drink it himself. Premature babies mostly lap up the milk, while those born on time sip it. The cup must be carefully tilted at all times so that the child does not stop eating or swallow air.

pros: The form and method of feeding are as close as possible to breastfeeding, low risk of swallowing air.

Minuses: High price. Mainly used for feeding babies with genetic abnormalities, due to which the child does not have a sucking reflex.

Using a sippy cup is not difficult, the main thing is to pour the required portion of milk and release the air. The flow of milk can be adjusted by turning the cup.

Finger feeding

pros: One of the most physiological of all methods of formula supplementation during breastfeeding, during feeding there is always tactile contact between the baby and the mother.

Minuses: May cause breast refusal due to the fact that when using this method the child does not need to make any effort to "get" milk.

Milk is supplied through a syringe or probe into the baby's mouth while he sucks his finger; you can use a syringe with a straw.

Supplementary feeding at the breast

pros: The most natural method of supplementing a breastfed baby. The baby gets used to eating from the breast, which additionally stimulates milk production in the mother.

Minuses: Not suitable for babies who do not want to breastfeed. Difficulties with sterilizing tubes.

The system of use is not simple, and usually consists of a bottle and a tube attached to it, with the bottle slightly raised so that milk flows into the tube. The baby is placed to the breast and a tube is inserted into his mouth, the child simultaneously sucks the breast and milk from the tube. Sometimes the baby is first fed simply from the breast, then a probe is inserted into the corner of the mouth.

Such a system can be purchased in a store; there are several options from different manufacturers, or you can make it yourself by attaching a tube to a feeding bottle. The tube must be washed, boiled, or better yet, changed after each feeding. Many mothers use this particular system to introduce supplementary feeding, because physical contact with the newborn is important for them, and because the baby suckles, milk comes in. The strength of the milk flow in the system can be adjusted.

Pipette


Pros: Can be used when other means cannot be used, mainly for feeding premature or weak newborns

Minuses: very small volume, feeding even a very small child takes a long time.

For supplementary feeding, you need to use a pipette with a blunt tip; before feeding, you can give the baby a clean finger, and inject milk into the corner of the mouth.

Which supplementation method to choose?

If possible, doctors advise choosing a method of supplementary feeding at the breast; this guarantees the development of the baby's sucking reflex and gives a great chance of increasing the mother's breast milk production.

If the lack of breast milk is small, or only periodic supplementary feeding is required for a breastfed baby, then you can use a syringe or spoon. Periodic supplementary feeding may be required when "crises" lactation, which often occurs from 3 to 6 weeks, at 3,4,7,8 months of lactation, such periods do not last long, only 3-5 days.

Negative consequences of introducing supplementary feeding

The negative consequences of supplementary feeding mainly occur when breast milk is abandoned.

• Supplementing children with formula can cause a lack of antibodies and microflora beneficial for the newborn’s intestines.
• Poisoning or infectious diseases due to non-compliance with hygiene conditions.
• Reduced milk production when supplementing with formula during breastfeeding.
• An incorrectly selected formula can cause a significant loss of body weight in the child and an increase in bilirubin levels.
• Supplementing children with formula while breastfeeding may eliminate the possibility of returning to breastfeeding, since formula saturates the child for a longer period, and he is put to the breast less often, as a result, the mother has less milk.

Basic rules for supplementary feeding

Regardless of which supplementary feeding option you choose, you must follow the general rules.

• Breast before and after feeding. No matter how much milk the mother has, it is still the most valuable source of nutrition for the baby, so it is necessary to give the breast to the baby, even if there is little milk there.
• Don't force the child forcefully eat the whole mixture, let him decide when he is full. Next time make a little less mixture.
• Feed only a calm baby. If the newborn is upset, you should first calm him down and then offer him something to eat.
• And the most important thing that young mothers should remember is that even if you had to introduce supplementary feeding, there is still an opportunity to return to breastfeeding, often supplementary feeding with the mixture is introduced as a temporary measure and if you follow the pediatrician’s advice, you can return to full lactation within 7-10 days.

Health to you and your children!

The healthiest food for a baby is breast milk. But if for some reason it is not enough, they switch to mixed feeding. The baby will receive all the nutrients from mother’s milk, and the missing amount will be supplemented with formula. This type of feeding has its own characteristics that need to be known and taken into account.

The formula should not push breast milk into the background. It only solves the problem of lack of sufficient nutrition. No adapted formula can replace the set of nutrients contained in mother's milk.

Mixed feeding is continued temporarily. From 6 months, when the time comes for the first complementary foods, the lack of food is replaced with cereals, fruit or vegetable purees.

It is imperative to fight for high-quality lactation. This is facilitated by frequent breastfeeding, night feeding, and increasing the amount of fluid consumed. You should not replace your baby's search reflex with bottles or nipples. Very often, these measures are quite enough to stop mixed feeding after a few weeks.

Supplementary formula feeding is a long and difficult process. You need to prepare a bottle for each feeding, dilute the mixture, and it should be warm. Breast milk is always available and also contains antibodies that protect the baby from infections.

In what cases is additional feeding necessary?

Often a woman begins to feed her baby formula without having any real reason for it, mistaking her soft and empty breasts for problems with lactation. In fact, this may be a sign of mature lactation. Milk begins to be produced only at the moment when the baby is applied to the breast.

The amount of milk expressed is also not an indicator of nutritional deficiency. A baby can suck out a lot more. You can try expressing milk before feeding, pouring it into a bottle and checking how many grams came out. One more point should be taken into account. You need to add 20-30 grams to the resulting volume.

You can try weighing your baby before and after feeding. The resulting difference in weight will be equal to the volume of milk drunk.

The child’s behavior should not be regarded as an indicator that nutrition is insufficient. The baby may cry and turn away from the breast if he is too excited or upset. Poor health can lead to a similar reaction: abdominal cramps, teething, clogged nose.

It is very important to ensure that your baby latch onto the breast correctly. In this case, you can avoid swallowing excess air, the appearance of sores and cracks on the nipple, as well as problems with malnutrition.

Mixed feeding is started only if the baby does not gain weight and there is an insufficient number of urinations per day. A child should have about 12 urinations per day. You can calculate it if you put diapers instead of diapers.

For medical reasons, mixed feeding is prescribed in the following cases:

• decreased lactation;
• maternal illnesses that are accompanied by medication;
• lack of nutrients in milk due to anemia in a woman, malnutrition;
• the need to switch to nutrition with medicinal mixtures.

Mixed nutrition for a child can begin already in the maternity hospital. There may be several reasons for this: large blood loss during childbirth, multiple pregnancy, premature baby, Rh conflict.

Supplementary feeding technique

Each package of the mixture contains detailed instructions on the rules of dilution and the total amount that the baby should eat per day. Here you also need to take into account the age and developmental characteristics of the body. The entire recommended volume of the mixture should be divided into five feedings. It is better to start supplementary feeding in the morning. There is no need to give the mixture at night.

The best indicator of how many grams of formula should be diluted is to weigh the child before and after feeding. The data obtained are correlated with the norms, and the deficiency is compensated for by supplementary feeding. But there is one nuance here. Your baby may drink different amounts of breast milk at different times. In the morning he may drink little, and a few hours later he will be satisfied with another volume of milk.

We need to reconnect the wet diaper counting method. Normally there should be 12 of them. If the number of urinations is insufficient, additional nutrition must be offered correctly. The following diagram will help with this.

At the age of 3 months, the child is offered an additional 30 grams for each missing urination; in subsequent months, 10 grams are added. And already at the age of six months, the baby receives an additional 60 grams of complementary foods for each missing wet diaper.

For example, if a child aged 4 months urinated 9 times a day, you need to multiply 40 by 3. 120 grams of nutrition are missing, which must be divided into five servings per day.

If the mixture has to be diluted in small quantities, then do not rush to use the bottle. The baby quickly gets used to light sucking and may not latch onto the breast after a bottle.

It is recommended to feed using a spoon, syringe, or pipette. The spoon should not be made of metal. Take a little mixture and pour it behind the baby's cheek. After he swallows the portion, they offer the next one. The pipette with the contents should be placed in the corner of the mouth and poured inside.

If a lot of complementary feeding formula is used, then using such methods is inconvenient and time-consuming. Therefore, you need to choose the right nipple for your bottle. It should be tight and have a small hole.

For mixed feeding to take place correctly and successfully, you need to use the following scheme:

It is also necessary to take into account the fact that breast milk occurs more in the first half of the day. Therefore, you should try to feed more often at this time. If there is still milk in the breast, it is better to express it and give it to the baby later.

If all these tips are taken into account, the mother will simultaneously fight to establish lactation, and mixed feeding will not turn into artificial feeding.

Mothers are afraid that mixed feeding can lead to upset stool in the child and the appearance of gas in the tummy. If the mixture is diluted correctly, given in small quantities and not the entire volume at once, then there will be no problems.

Mixed feeding, just like completely natural feeding, provides the child’s body with the necessary immune bodies. There are no such antibodies in mixtures. Therefore, there is no need to switch to artificial nutrition at the slightest difficulty.

Complementary feeding of a baby is sometimes a necessary measure for mothers who do not have enough breast milk; in addition, this is one of the ways to transfer the baby to special food for children.

The state of health of a child is determined in particular by his nutrition, which ensures full growth and development, especially at a very early age. And it is very important that the child receives all the necessary microelements and vitamins.

Breast milk is a storehouse of vitamins for newborn babies; it is through it that for a very long period the baby not only receives all the vitamins necessary for development, but also literally adapts to the outside world.

It is important to know! It is worth thinking about supplementary feeding in such cases when the child gains little weight (less than five hundred grams per month), has poor breastfeeding, is premature, or due to some other medical indicators.

Supplemental feeding of a baby is most often prescribed in the first six months of the year, when it is not yet possible to introduce porridge and purees into the diet. There may not be enough milk at different periods of feeding, this can affect the child’s mood, frequent crying or lethargy. In addition to poor weight gain, rare urination is noticed (reduced to seven times a day). This trouble has its own name - a lactation crisis, which, in principle, can be easily overcome with the supervision of a specialist. Of course, it is best to complementary feed with breast milk, expressed from the mother or donor, but quite often you have to resort to special formulas.

So, we have already found out that supplementary feeding is necessary in completely different cases, from the specifics of the mother’s body to the point that, due to the characteristics of the intestines, the baby simply cannot digest breast milk. The issue of supplementary feeding of a baby while breastfeeding must be approached very seriously; it would be better to even seek a recommendation from pediatricians. You shouldn’t immediately panic and think that the baby is crying because he simply doesn’t have enough food, sometimes this is not the case at all, it’s just that even such a small child already has his own character and mood. First, you will need to calculate how much breast milk the baby receives during feeding (to do this, just weigh the baby before feeding and immediately after), you can get a standard schedule corresponding to height and weight at any children's clinic. The baby should be supplemented only after breastfeeding, by giving formula milk from a spoon.

Remember that if you start feeding your baby formula before feeding, you risk that he will stop latching altogether.

(you can read more about proper complementary feeding below). It is possible to feed your baby, and sometimes it is simply necessary. However, remember that it takes less effort for the baby to get formula from the bottle, which is why he can refuse breastfeeding, which is difficult for him, completely.

3. Mixed nutrition for infants

Mixed nutrition means that, in addition to mother's milk, the baby is periodically fed with milk formulas.

With mixed feeding, the level of formula should not exceed breast milk; usually a small volume of formula is spread out over the whole day and given exclusively during the daytime.

The chest shouldgive much more often so that the baby does not get lazy and completely refuse the breast, and also in this way it stimulates milk production in the mother. Here are some general recommendations that can help you when switching to a mixed diet:

• It is recommended to put the baby to the breast at the time of mixed feeding at least five times a day.

Feed your baby whenever he needs it, including at night;

It is worth supplementing feeding with a mixed diet only after the baby has eaten from the breast;

for small supplementary feeding, use a teaspoon, try to avoid supplementary feeding from a bottle;

The milk mixture must also be heated until warm.

During combined feeding, the regimen is usually individual and depends on the volume of milk in the mother, but very often the baby sets their own regimen and this is not at all bad; you can easily adhere to the “free” regimen.

If you want to feed your baby as if you were breastfeeding (that is, in the same mode), remember that formula milk is digested more slowly than breast milk. Usually there is more milk in the breast in the first half of the day than in the second, so try to feed your baby in the first half of the day, as well as express the remaining milk for further bottle feeding.

During combined feeding, you still need to try to adhere to the principle of the percentage predominance of breast milk. Replenish the missing amount according to age and height with a mixture.

Breastfeeding should continue as long as possible; the baby’s immunity largely depends on this.

If you need to introduce formula into your child’s diet, you should definitely consult with your pediatrician. Nowadays there is a huge variety of milk formulas and the main task is to choose the one closest to the “original” in its chemical composition, that is, to the composition of breast milk. The mixture should contain the required amount of components to help improve digestion. As a rule, all mixtures are similar in composition, but it happens that the child’s body did not accept the mixture, but absorbed a different type. It should be given gradually, over five to seven days, dividing portions into small amounts of thirty grams. If you feel that your baby’s mood or well-being has deteriorated, do not be alarmed and let the body get used to it a little, but do not increase the dose of formula feeding. But if the mixture still does not suit the child, begin to carefully introduce another mixture until your child is satisfied. Offer supplementary feeding to your child before bedtime and immediately after waking up.Don’t force him to eat everything you have prepared; he feels his limits very well, and if the baby is capricious, this does not mean at all that he is hungry.

There is a huge variety of infant formula in pharmacies and specialized children's stores, but each baby needs its own approach, so we did not dare to single out just one; in addition, each of them has a detailed composition and a “peculiar rating.” Just choose the formula based on how your child perceives it.

There are also mixtures from the category of medicinal products. Supplemental feeding with such mixtures should be carried out only after the recommendation of a pediatrician and the presence of significant instructions. Such mixtures may be needed for colic, constipation and other difficulties in the baby’s body. Under no circumstances should you feed your child kefir or goat milk. This should not be done for up to a year. Such feeding can cause a decrease in immunity, complications with the pancreas, and stress on the kidneys.

Finally, it is important to understand that the lack of milk must be compensated by physical contact with the mother.

Before you start feeding your baby, consult your doctor for special recommendations; usually it is the doctor who helps you choose the right formula for your baby. Try to take your child in your arms more often, do not leave him alone for a long time, sleep together, learn baby massage. The baby constantly needs the affection, attention and warmth of his mother!

If a child receives both mother's milk and formula at the same time, such feeding is called mixed. With this type of feeding, the share of formula in the baby’s diet ranges from 20% to 50%.

In the case of this type of feeding, feeding can be organized in two ways:

1. The breast is given first, and then supplemented with formula.
2. Completely replace any formula feeding.

Since there is nothing better than breast milk for a baby, choose a feeding method that will give him more of your milk.

Causes

• Most often, people switch to mixed feeding when there is insufficient breast milk production. Often, a lack of milk is a far-fetched problem caused either by a mother’s subconscious reluctance to breastfeed, or by a woman’s low awareness of the processes of lactation. However, there are also objective reasons for hypogalactia that force the mother to resort to supplementary feeding.
• The second reason for combining breast and bottle feeding when feeding a baby is when the mother goes to work or school. Often, a mother leaves expressed milk while she is away, but more often, while the mother is working, the baby is fed formula milk.
• The doctor recommends a mixed type of feeding when the baby is not gaining enough weight or was born premature. In this case, this type of feeding is a temporary measure - gradually feeding becomes completely breastfeeding.
• Mom can also start bottle-feeding the baby to free up some time for herself. In this case, you can leave the child with your husband or another adult for a short time without worrying that the baby will remain hungry.
• Another important reason for supplementing the baby with formula is the presence of compensated diseases in the mother.

Breastfeeding provides the opportunity for close contact with the baby and provides the substances it needs for development. Even if there is an acute shortage of milk, do not refuse partial breastfeeding

pros

• With this type of feeding, the mother can be temporarily replaced by another adult, but at the same time she will have the opportunity to maintain closeness with the baby during breastfeeding.
• The baby retains all the benefits of breastfeeding.
• The mother may be away from the child for some time.
• Mixed feeding can help dad establish a closer connection with the baby.

Minuses

First of all, due to skipping feedings, the mother may experience problems with the breasts (congestion, milk rushes, chest pain and even mastitis) and with lactation. Also, the mother may suffer psychologically from the fact that the time of breastfeeding has been reduced.

At the same time, it may be difficult for a child to adapt to two types of feeding at once:

• He may refuse bottle feeds and be capricious. This may decrease his appetite.
• Having started to easily receive formula from a bottle, the baby will not want to “work” getting milk from his mother’s breast. This happens with a very early transition to mixed feeding (in the first 6 weeks of the baby’s life).
• Often not receiving enough breast during the day, the baby begins to demand more breast milk in the evening and at night.

What is better: supplementing with formula or completely switching to it?

The baby's digestive system is tuned to breast milk, and when formula enters it, various unexpected reactions are possible. Therefore, you need to especially carefully monitor the baby’s reaction.

It is important to understand that formula, even if it is expensive and of the best quality, is not equal to breast milk. Therefore, there is no need to give up breastfeeding under any circumstances. Supplemental feeding with formula should not be taken lightly; you should not choose formula without consulting a doctor. Also, a mother’s decision to supplement the baby with goat’s milk or kefir can only harm the baby’s health.

Mixed feeding is much better than artificial feeding. If milk is not enough, try increasing lactation

Rules

• If formula and breast milk are given at the same feeding, then first the baby is applied to the breast (even if the mother has very little milk), and when the baby has completely emptied it, the formula is given. The reason for this approach is that the baby has a greater appetite at the beginning of feeding. If you give formula first, it will be difficult for the mother to calculate the required amount, and the baby will not want to suckle at the breast to get milk, since he has already satisfied his first hunger.
• In situations where the mother will be temporarily absent during the day, the child is transferred to a mixed feeding regimen in which the baby will receive only formula two or three times a day, and at other feedings only mother’s milk.
• If the amount of supplementary feeding is small, it is recommended to give the formula from a spoon, since due to the easier intake of the product from the nipple, there is a risk that the child will refuse to suckle at the breast. If a large volume of formula is being given, it is important to choose a nipple that is firm and has small holes so that the baby will have to exert effort to get the formula out of the bottle.
• The diet with this type of feeding can be free, but if the mother decides to feed the baby on a schedule, then the number of feedings can be reduced by one.
• It is important to carefully monitor the sterility of bottles and nipples.
• If the mother goes to work, the first attempts to bottle-feed the baby should not be put off until the last few days. In most cases, infants do not immediately accept bottle feeding. It is optimal to start feeding the baby with formula 2-3 weeks before the mother begins to leave home for a long time.
• With mixed feeding, you can start feeding a baby two to three weeks earlier than a baby who receives only breast milk.

When mixed feeding, it is necessary to follow many rules and monitor the baby’s reaction when introducing the formula.

Requirement calculation

If you have the opportunity to provide your baby with the required amount of milk at one feeding (while reducing the total amount), use this opportunity and give the formula only at one of the feedings. In this case, you can only calculate the amount of formula required for the current feeding of the baby with formula.

To determine the baby's needs for additional nutrition, you should take into account the age of the baby and the type of formula used.

First, calculate the baby’s total daily nutritional needs:

• for a baby under 10 days old weighing less than 3200 g, to calculate the required amount of nutrition, you should multiply 70 by age in days (if weighing over 3200, multiply 80 by age in days);
• a child under 2 months is given food in the amount of 20% of his body weight;
• children from two to four months require food in the amount of 1/6 of their weight;
• babies older than 4 months to 6 months of age need food in the amount of 1/7 of their body weight;
• Children aged six months to one year require a daily food intake of 1/8 to 1/9 of their body weight.

We divide the total volume by the number of feedings and find out the approximate amount of nutrition the baby needs in one feeding.

The amount of milk sucked can be measured by control weighing: weigh the baby before feeding and then after. After subtracting these values, you will know the amount of milk you drink. Now all that remains is to subtract the volume of breast milk the baby receives from the total volume - this way the mother will know how much formula the baby will need.

Through simple calculations you will find out how much formula you need to give your child.

To make sure that the baby has enough all nutrients for growth and full development, you need to calculate how much protein, carbohydrates and fats the child receives daily. The calculation is based on the intake rates of basic nutrients into the child’s body, as well as the approximate content of these substances in human milk.

First, they calculate how much the baby receives in total breast milk per day, and then how much protein, carbohydrates, and fats he receives with this food. Next, the nutrient content in the resulting volume of milk mixture is also calculated. Having calculated the baby's needs depending on age, it is determined whether the food received is enough for the baby.

It should be taken into account that the protein requirements of the baby increase when switching to mixed feeding. A baby under 4 months of age requires 3 grams of protein per kilogram of weight if supplementary feeding is carried out with an adapted formula, and 3.5 grams if the formula is not adapted. A child over 4 months of age needs 3.5-4 grams of protein.

What do they supplement with?

For supplementary feeding, the same mixtures are chosen that are recommended to be fed to bottle-fed infants. Preference is given to an adapted mixture.

The formula must be exclusively adapted and selected by the pediatrician based on the needs of your child

What can't you supplement with?

The baby should not be given a medicinal mixture unless it is recommended by the pediatrician. There are strict indications for the use of mixtures with a therapeutic effect, for example, soy mixture is given for allergies to milk protein, and lactose-free is used for babies with lactase deficiency. Kefir, cow's or goat's milk can significantly harm the baby's body.

If your baby doesn't like the bottle

Many babies are reluctant to switch from breastfeeding to bottle feeding. To make this transition more successful, mothers are advised to:

• Try putting different types of nipples on the bottle so that the baby can choose “his own.”
• At first, bottle-feed expressed breast milk.
• Bottle feed when your baby is hungry but not too hungry.
• Let someone else, not the mother, offer the baby a bottle of formula for the first time.
• When the baby is fed with formula, let the baby not be in the position in which he is accustomed to receiving his mother's breast.
• The liquid given to the baby should be warm, since the baby is accustomed to receiving warm milk from the mother’s breast.
• You should not expect your baby to immediately drink all the formula from the bottle.
• In extreme cases, the mother will have to not breastfeed the baby for a whole day so that the baby still agrees to try the formula from the bottle.
• If the baby persists and is already 6 months old, it makes sense to plan to feed the baby with complementary foods during the mother’s absence.

Experts say bottle feeding is harmful to breastfeeding. What other ways are there to feed your baby? And in what cases does a child need supplementary feeding?

How can you tell if your baby needs supplemental feeding?

Forced breaks

Breastfeeding is a very important process. However, there are times when a mother cannot fully feed her child - for example, she needs to take serious medications or needs to leave for a few days. During this period, the baby will have to be fed with expressed milk, donor milk or formula. If you pump during forced breaks, lactation will continue, and in the future you can easily return to normal breastfeeding.

Not enough milk

Many girls complain about a lack of milk. The reason for this may be stress, lack of sleep or incorrect feeding technique. Experts believe that true hypogalactia (lack of milk) due to hormonal disorders occurs only in 3-5% of women. All other problems arise because the mother cannot successfully establish the feeding process:

• the baby is unable to latch onto the breast correctly;
• the baby is not attached to the breast often enough or for not long enough;
• excluded .

The more milk the baby sucks, the more milk comes in, so the mother should definitely not be “greedy” in this matter. If it seems to you that there is not enough milk, do not rush to introduce supplementary feeding, try to put your baby to the breast more often. Perhaps you will be able to establish the feeding process and will not need additional feeding.

Expert opinion

Sergey Valentinovich Korzh , pediatrician, doctor of the highest category: “An interesting fact is that during the Great Patriotic War, nursing mothers of besieged Leningrad practically did not suffer from hypogalactia. They knew that if they lost milk, their child would die of starvation. This confirms the importance of the dominant lactation in a woman, that is, the mood for breastfeeding. It is also necessary to remember about lactation crises, which occur in many nursing mothers at 3-6 weeks, 3, 4, 7 and 8 months of lactation. Their duration is on average 3-4 days, and they do not pose a danger to the child’s health.”

The child is not gaining weight

The baby himself shows that he is not full by crying loudly. Parents should be alert to underweight, infrequent urination and bowel movements. However, before drawing any conclusions, it is necessary to exclude concomitant diseases.

The first sign that the baby is not getting enough mother's milk is that he is healthy, but gaining weight less than 400 grams per month. During the day, you can carry out control weighings - before and after feeding. There is a simple method for calculating nutrition depending on body weight: a child should receive approximately 1/5 of his weight in milk per day from 2 to 6 weeks, 1/6 from 6 weeks to 4 months, 1/7 from 4 to 6 months. The daily volume of food for children of the first year of life should not exceed 1000-1100 ml.

If, nevertheless, attempts to improve lactation are unsuccessful (the baby does not gain weight, the mother is temporarily unable to breastfeed), it is worth introducing supplementary feeding. In no case should you completely give up breastfeeding and switch to artificial!

Supplementary feeding and complementary feeding

Supplementary feeding is additional portions of formula or milk to what the baby receives from the mother's breast, usually given to children under six months.

Introduction of new products into the baby’s diet, starting from 4-6 months. Physiologically, until the age of 4 months, the child is not ready for the introduction of complementary foods. Additional food of animal or plant origin gradually reduces the consumption of breast milk and helps transfer the baby to the common table.

What to supplement with?

You can supplement with your own expressed milk, borrow it from a donor, or use special formulas. In each specific case, you need to choose what is right for your child.

Supplementary feeding methods

Have you noticed that many adults become angry and irritable when they are hungry? The baby will also be very upset if he is underfed. He will scream and cry, but the most undesirable thing is that he may weaken and lose the strength he needs to suck on his mother’s breast. Therefore, make sure that your baby finishes his food and is in a good mood.

Experts do not yet have a clear answer - to give supplementary feeding before the baby attaches to the mother's breast or after. Supplementary feeding can be divided into several parts and given on a schedule, while breastfeeding can be offered on demand. You can determine how much additional feeding you need experimentally. If lactation improves, you can gradually reduce portions of “extraneous” food.

Bottle with nipple

We are so accustomed to considering a bottle with a nipple as the only possible attribute of an additional method of feeding that we often, without thinking, buy this accessory even before the baby is born. Simply because everyone does it, it’s so common. But modern experts assure: bottle feeding is very harmful to breastfeeding.

The baby latch onto the pacifier and the mother's breast in completely different ways. When suckling at the breast, the baby's tongue is actively involved, he presses it on the mother's breast and presses it to the palate. When sucking a bottle, only the muscles of the cheeks tense, so it is much easier to extract milk from it. The baby understands that there is an easy way to get milk, so why should he work?

Another trouble is that a baby accustomed to a bottle begins to latch onto the breast in exactly the same way as a pacifier. Incorrect grip and the habit of sucking only with the muscles of the cheeks lead to the fact that the baby cannot fully extract milk from the breast. As a result, the child does not get enough to eat, and the mother’s milk disappears.

Sometimes it happens differently - the baby gets used to the breast and rejects the pacifier.

Even in ancient times, mothers gave their children pacifiers - archaeological finds testify to this. Ancient pacifiers came in various shapes and were made from all sorts of materials: clay, stone or animal skin. The first nipples made of hard rubber began to be produced by the David Atkin factory in 1939. Until this time, girls who could not breastfeed poured milk into a bottle, put a rolled-up cloth in the neck and let the babies suck on it.

Pros and cons of bottle feeding

Feeding with a bottle or choosing another method - only you can decide for yourself.

A syringe is not just for injections

Bottle feeding is not the only method. You can give supplementary food using a regular medical syringe, of course, without a needle. It is better to take a larger syringe, for example, 60 ml.

When feeding, the baby's head should be raised and the contents should be introduced into the corner of the mouth. If the supplement gets on the tongue, the baby will most likely spit it out.

Before feeding, you can open the baby's mouth slightly with your finger. Lightly touch the baby's palate with a pad, he will begin to suck his finger, then you can begin to introduce supplementary feeding.

Pros and cons of syringe supplementation

Supplementary feeding from a spoon

Any small spoon - tea or dessert - is suitable for supplementary feeding. The main thing is to choose a comfortable position so that the feeding process does not become torture for you.

The baby can be placed on the arm bent at the elbow, in the same position as you put him to the chest. The second hand remains free to scoop food from the container. We place the container in front of us. The child’s head is slightly raised, and with a spoon we lightly touch the baby’s lower lip. After the baby opens his mouth, pour the contents of the spoon into his cheek. We wait until he swallows the food, only after that we give him the next portion. You will know that your baby is full when he stops opening his mouth or starts spitting out food.

You can adapt the silicone spoon to a regular feeding bottle. Then you won't need to scoop out each new portion of milk.

Pros and cons of spoon feeding

Supplementary feeding using a cup

To feed your baby from a cup, position him almost vertically, supporting his back and neck with your hand. Touch the cup to your lower lip, tilt the container slightly so that the liquid touches the baby’s mouth. Wait until your baby begins to sip or lap the milk. Tilt the cup smoothly and slowly. Do not pour milk into a crying baby, calm the baby down and only then start feeding.

Pros and cons of cup supplementation

Breastfeeding system

There is a special device for supplementary feeding at the breast, which is a container for milk with a long tube coming out of it. Such devices are available for sale, they are convenient and useful, but you will have to spend money on them.

You can try to make such a system yourself. Use a regular bottle as a container, and instead of a tube, use a feeding tube for premature babies, which can be bought at a pharmacy or medical equipment stores.

Glue the tube to your breast with a plaster so that its end is at the level of the nipple. Place your baby on your breast so that he grasps the nipple and tube at the same time. Moreover, the tube should fall into the corner of his mouth, on top of his tongue. You can first give the baby the breast, and during the feeding process, carefully insert the tube into his mouth.

You need to make sure that the flow of milk is not too strong. The bottle with supplementary feeding should be located below chest level, then the baby will make an effort to get food.

With this method, you can feed your baby “skin to skin,” that is, with a minimum amount of clothing. It is believed that physical contact with the baby reduces the level of stress hormones, increases the level of the “love hormone” - prolactin, and normalizes the child’s breathing and heartbeat.

Pros and cons of such a supplementary feeding system

Supplementary feeding with mixture

When the baby does not have enough mother's milk for full growth and development, supplementary feeding with formula is prescribed. This usually occurs during the first six months of life.

To prevent supplementary feeding with formula during breastfeeding from causing the baby to refuse mother's milk, pediatricians traditionally recommend hydrolyzed formulas.

How to feed your baby formula: it is given on demand. But before supplementary feeding, it is necessary to feed the baby milk from both breasts.