Supplementary feeding with fermented milk mixture during guards. Supplementary feeding during breastfeeding

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For a child, mother's milk is the best product. It contains all the vitamins and nutrients necessary for the baby's development. Sometimes the mother does not have enough milk, then the pediatrician advises switching to mixed feeding of newborns. There are certain rules for how and when it is necessary to introduce supplementary feeding with formula.

When should you supplement your baby?

A woman often begins to introduce supplementary feeding unnecessarily. For example, a mother mistakes soft breasts for a lack of milk, but in reality this may be a sign of mature lactation - milk begins to be produced the moment the baby is applied to the breast. In addition, if the baby turns away from the breast, this does not mean that there is no milk there. The baby may just be overexcited or upset.

Supplemental formula feeding during breastfeeding should be prescribed by a pediatrician.

Typically, if a child does not urinate enough per day, the doctor may prescribe additional food. Mixed feeding is prescribed in the following cases:

• the need to switch to nutrition with medicinal mixtures;
• maternal illness, which is accompanied by taking medications;
• lack of lactation due to stress;
• if the child was born premature;
• lack of nutrients in breast milk due to anemia (anemia) in the mother;
• when a woman experiences significant blood loss during childbirth;
• multiple pregnancy;
• significant weight loss in the baby;
• if the baby has diseases associated with the absorption of breast milk;
• long separation of a child from his mother.

Supplementary feeding methods

There are two types of mixed feeding:

1. Sequential, in which the baby suckles at the breast until the milk runs out. After this, if there are visible signs of anxiety, the baby is given formula so that he does not feel hungry.
2. One at a time. At one feeding the mother gives the baby the breast, and at the next or subsequent feedings she adds formula.

There are several ways to supplement:

Way	Description	pros	Minuses
Using a spoon (a tea spoon, dessert spoon, or any small non-metal spoon will do).	You need to scoop the mixture into a spoon and pour it behind the child’s cheek. After he swallows one portion, you can offer the next one.	The baby does not refuse the breast and does not get used to the nipple.	Requires patience and a certain skill from the mother.
From a bottle with a nipple.	The baby should be placed on his knees, holding him with his hand and raising his upper body. The bottle should be held horizontally and the nipple should be placed in the baby's open mouth.	The easiest way to feed your baby. Convenient while walking.	May lead to complete cessation of breastfeeding. Promotes pacifier habituation
Using a syringe or pipette.	A pipette or syringe with the contents must be placed in the corner of the child’s mouth and poured inside.	Can be used once. Inexpensive.	The volume is not enough for children, so supplementary feeding takes a lot of time. There is a danger of weaning from the breast.
From a special cup.	The edge of the cup should be placed on the child's lower lip. Tilt so that the baby starts drinking milk himself. The liquid level should remain the same; to do this, you need to gradually tilt the cup.	Feeding takes less time than bottle feeding. The jaws and tongue learn to work correctly.	Cannot be used in newborns with a weak swallowing reflex.

Which formula is best to supplement a newborn's diet?

The composition of formulas is important for the healthy nutrition of children. Such food is subject to strict controls. As a rule, infant formula contains prebiotics, nucleotides, probiotics, lutein, and polyunsaturated fatty acids. Their quantity is calculated according to the age group indicated on the packaging. Artificial nutrition should be selected by a pediatrician based on the individual characteristics, body weight and age of the child:

• For infants under 6 months, fully adapted formulas should be chosen. They are marked with the number “1” on the packaging.
• Babies from 6 to 12 months are prescribed a formula that is as similar as possible to mother's milk (partially adapted). It is marked on the box with the number “2”.
• For children over one year old, mixtures with the number “3” are suitable.
• If a child develops a skin rash, it means that the selected product contains substances to which the child is allergic. In this case, the doctor will select another supplement for breastfeeding, as a rule, soy mixtures.
• If an allergy to cow's milk has been identified, medicinal formulations with hydrolyzed protein will be required.
• Often, a baby who is on mixed feeding develops digestive problems. Your doctor may recommend feeding a probiotic formula.

Mixed feeding rules

If the mother has at least a little milk, lactation can be established. Breastfeeding should definitely be given to the baby; it should be a priority. The mixture is given only after the baby has sucked for 20 minutes. As a rule, saturation should occur during this time.

After breastfeeding, you can already offer a little formula.

Basic rules of mixed feeding:

• It is important to choose a nipple for the bottle. The liquid should flow from it in droplets. The baby will slowly suck out the mixture.
• You need to prepare a bottle for each feeding (sterilize the dishes after each meal).
• The mixture must be diluted correctly. It is important to use only boiled clean water at a temperature of 50 degrees.
• It is better to start supplementary feeding in the morning. As a rule, each package contains detailed instructions on how to dilute the product and in what volume.
• After completing each supplementary feeding, children again need to be given breastfeeding, which will calm the child and allow him to fall asleep.
• The mixture must be stored in a cool, dry place. Opened packaging should be used within 2 weeks.
• A child on a mixed diet must be given water to drink.
• After starting complementary feeding, you need to monitor your stool in the first days. It may become sparse or change color - this is normal.
• It is not advisable to supplement feeding at night. If the baby wakes up, you can give him the breast.
• The daily amount of nutrition is 1/5 of the baby’s body weight.
• You cannot force feed your child; you should offer formula only when the baby opens his mouth and does not turn away from food.

How to determine the amount of mixture

Correctly determining the volume of the mixture is the main difficulty in mixed nutrition. Doctors suggest calculating it based on the results of control weighing before and after breastfeeding. The pediatrician compares the data obtained with the norm and makes up for the deficiency with supplementary feeding. This method has a disadvantage, because... The baby can drink different amounts of milk: less in the morning, and more after a few hours.

Another method that may help is counting wet diapers. As a rule, there should be 12 of them.

If the number of urinations is less, supplementary feeding should be offered appropriately. The following scheme will help with this: volume of mixture = K x n, where K is the missing number of wet diapers, and n is the mixture in ml per month of the child’s life. According to the age:

• for a one-month-old baby n – 10 ml;
• 2 months of life – 20 ml;
• 3 months – 30 ml;
• 4 – 40 ml, etc.

For example, if a baby peed 9 times at 3 months, then he needs to be given an additional 90 ml of formula, because... to 12 there are not enough 3 urinations, so 3 should be multiplied by n for 3 months, i.e. for 30 ml. This simple formula will help parents correctly calculate the additional amount of supplementary feeding. But it should be borne in mind that this method is not suitable if the child uses diapers.

Video

Good day to all visitors to our blog!

Today we bring to your attention the topic of supplementary feeding with formula during breastfeeding (BF), which is very controversial and covered in myths and prejudices. To begin with, it should be clarified that supplementary feeding is the transfer of an infant (from 0 to 6 months) to mixed feeding, when formula is added to breast milk.

Adherents of “pure” natural feeding consider supplementary feeding with formula during breastfeeding to be a departure from the norm and convince young mothers to give their infants only their own milk. However, there are situations when it is simply impossible to do without supplementary feeding, and it is the only way out of a difficult situation. In what cases do children really need additional food, how to administer it correctly and what volume is needed at a certain age - you will learn from this article.

After the birth of a baby, a woman’s mammary glands actively function, producing a special fluid to nourish him. Breast milk contains all the vitamins, minerals and other useful and nutritious substances the baby needs. In the first three days after birth, a small amount of thick, viscous liquid (colostrum) is released from the nipples, which can satisfy all the food needs of the infant’s body.

However, there are situations when, for medical reasons, a mother cannot put her newborn to the breast for a certain time, or there is too little colostrum, or the milk does not come in on time. In such cases, the medical staff of the maternity ward is forced to resort to the first supplementary feeding and give the baby a bottle with a small amount of additional nutrition.

Other reasons determining the need for complementary feeding

Young and inexperienced mothers are simply shocked by the lack of breast milk. They don’t understand why, why, why, and they can get nervous and depressed. To protect them from such a state, let’s put everything on the shelves.

Prematurity

Premature birth is not a sentence to the impossibility of breastfeeding. At first, the baby really needs to be supplemented with baby food, as he is too weak to breastfeed well. But after he is strong enough to produce the required amount of milk for himself, you can leave exclusively the breast for nutrition.

Neurology

Newborn babies may have neurological abnormalities, and as a result, cannot latch and suckle correctly. The diagnosis and the first use of artificial nutrition take place in the maternity hospital under the guidance of specialists, and upon discharge home, the mother is given the necessary recommendations.

Hypolactation

You shouldn’t make such a diagnosis yourself: it’s better to call a lactologist for help. A lack of breast milk is extremely rare, and this phenomenon quickly passes. In a situation of hypolactation, it is better to practice supplementary feeding in small quantities after main meals. Putting the baby to the breast as often as possible will normalize lactation.

Often, supplementing a newborn with formula during breastfeeding is only required for a while. It is good if the mother makes every effort to maintain lactation, and does not decide to completely abandon breastfeeding and switch to artificial nutrition.

To maintain lactation, frequent communication with the baby, tactile contact, joint night (and sometimes daytime) sleep, and breastfeeding on demand are important.

How to properly supplement with formula while breastfeeding

Symptoms of a lack of mother's milk are lethargy and nervousness of the baby: he lies practically motionless, constantly cries and screams, does not calm down at the breast, pulls at the nipple and constantly twitches instead of calmly sucking.

Also, a baby who does not eat enough will not gain weight, and regular monitoring of the grams eaten will show an insignificant amount of milk absorbed. Having noticed such manifestations, the mother should call a pediatrician and a lactologist to her home, who will help her make the right decision.

The most common and familiar method of supplementary feeding - a bottle - may not be suitable for all children. Also, after a bottle, many children refuse to breastfeed, not wanting to try hard to get milk. Therefore, when choosing this method, it is important to choose the right pacifier: it should not be wide and have a very small hole.

Each mother can choose a method that will be convenient for her and the baby will like:

1. A silicone spoon is filled halfway and the mixture is carefully poured into the cheek.
2. A spoon-bottle is a very convenient modern device: food is poured into the bottle, which through a special hole enters a spoon attached to the place where the pacifier is usually located.
3. Pipette - will be convenient only when the volume of complementary foods is small.
4. An injection syringe (without a needle) or a dispenser syringe (from packages of antipyretic drugs) - the contents are also poured into the cheek.
5. Cup - before pouring food, you need to sterilize a small beaker (it is better to purchase a special one rather than using medicine dispensers). Tilt the cup towards the baby's lower lip, moisten it with porridge and wait for the baby to swallow it.
6. The SNS system is a modern way of supplementary feeding: a special silicone bottle is filled with nutrition and placed on the mother’s neck. A thin tube coming out of the nipple is attached to the mother's nipple. Attached to the breast, the newborn grasps both the nipple and the tube at the same time.

The most important rule of supplementary feeding is to offer baby food only after he has fed from the breast. It is best to clarify the rules of how to introduce formula supplementation during breastfeeding from specialists and strictly follow their instructions.

Selecting a mixture and calculating the volume for proper supplementary feeding

Breastfeeding specialists advise that if additional feeding is necessary, organize it using the formula that was given to the baby in the maternity hospital. If this was not the case, then a pediatrician and your personal observations of the baby will help you choose a formula on the modern baby food market.

Requirements for infant formula:

• maximum adaptability to breast milk, boxes should be marked “from 0 to 6”;
• lack of individual intolerance (rash, redness, increased regurgitation and colic, bloating and constipation);
• expiration date and compliance with storage conditions in the store.

Body weight tracking

At the age of less than 10 days from birth, an amount of complementary feeding equal to 2% of body weight in grams is given. Children from 10 days to 2 months are offered a fifth of the total weight.

Milk norm table

Having studied from the table how much you should eat per day or at one time, you can calculate the amount of additional food. To do this, you need to weigh the baby before and after eating and determine how much he has not eaten - this is how much he should be fed.

You can offer your baby a bottle of complementary foods according to one of two schemes, which will be most convenient for the mother.

Scheme one. By the hour.

Additional feeding is carried out 5 times in the period from 6 to 24 hours, after the same number of hours. The first time - at 6 o'clock, then at 10 and so on until night. Thus, the last feeding with supplementary feeding will be at 22:00. Avoid supplementing with formula at night, as feeding at night will help increase milk production throughout the day.

Scheme two. Before and after sleep

The older the child gets, the more the duration and number of daytime sleeps decrease. In order to supplement feeding according to this scheme, you need to divide the total amount of food the baby needs by the number of his sleeps per day. You should offer porridge to your baby before he falls asleep and after waking up.

For supplementary feeding, but against artificial feeding

It is clear that mixed feeding is much better than artificial feeding. When a baby is completely switched to formula, he does not receive enough necessary vitamins and minerals. Mother's milk, like no other product, contains many substances necessary for the formation of all systems and organs. It allows the baby’s gastrointestinal tract to gradually adapt to a new life and forms the correct absorption of foods.

Also, supplementary feeding is an additional concern for the mother, who, with the arrival of a new family member, is burdened with many responsibilities and tasks. It is important to choose the right baby food and change it in case of negative manifestations on the part of the child’s body. You also need to choose the appropriate method of supplementary feeding and calculate the required amount. Therefore, before introducing it, the mother should think carefully about whether it is worth doing.

And under no circumstances should you give up and give up on breastfeeding: you need to fight for it, because this wonderful and most convenient opportunity is inherent in a woman by nature itself!

Conclusion

Irina Ferganova
Pediatrician

Artificial feeding is a kind of metabolic stress for the child’s body, therefore, if the mother has at least a small amount of milk, it is necessary to continue breastfeeding (and other means of stimulating lactation, in particular, pumping). P A transition from artificial or mixed feeding to breastfeeding is possible. Record the amount of supplementary feeding and expressed milk. You can start reducing supplementary feeding if you have 14 or more wet diapers per day.

When breastfeeding (before introducing complementary foods), it is not necessary to additionally supplement the baby with boiled water, while with artificial and mixed feeding this is permissible, and the volume of water is not taken into account in the total volume of food. The baby can additionally receive liquid (100-200 ml): boiled or children's bottled water, industrially produced children's teas. The baby should be given water on demand, in between feedings.

The introduction of an adapted milk formula 1 into the diet of a child in the first year of life in addition to mother's milk (if there is a shortage of the latter) is called supplementary feeding. If the mixture takes up no more than half of the baby’s total nutrition, such feeding is called mixed feeding. It is preferable to artificial milk, since in this case the baby still partially receives valuable breast milk, containing the amount of fats, microelements, vitamins (in an optimal state for absorption), and biologically active substances (enzymes, hormones, immunoglobulins, leukocytes) necessary for a particular child. These components are very difficult or even impossible to introduce into artificial mixtures. The importance of breastfeeding is undeniable for maintaining the psychological comfort of mother and baby, forming their mutual understanding from the first days of life.

Supplementary feeding should be given only after the baby is attached to both breasts. If the amount of supplementary feeding is small, then it is more advisable to give it from a spoon (or pipette) so that the child does not completely refuse the breast. With a large volume of supplementary feeding, you can use a bottle with an elastic nipple and small holes in it, so that the baby, when feeding from a bottle, makes efforts similar to those when breastfeeding. In addition, if a filled bottle with a nipple is turned upside down, liquid should not flow out or drip from the hole of the “correct” nipple.

The diet during mixed feeding remains free (as with natural feeding). It is necessary to periodically check the amount of breast milk using control weighing (weighing the baby before and after feeding), and compensate for the missing volume with formula.

How to choose a mixture?

1. Pay attention to the degree of adaptation of the formula: a newborn baby needs an adapted formula; In no case should a child under 6 months be prescribed formulas designed for the second half of life (the number 2 on the jar) or unadapted fermented milk formulas.
2. Take into account the individual characteristics of the child’s body and health. If the baby has gastrointestinal disorders (frequent regurgitation, constipation) or any other disorders, specialists prescribe medicinal mixtures.

How to administer the mixture?

Formula milk is introduced into the child’s diet gradually, over 5-7 days. On the first day, the baby is offered a small amount of formula - no more than 1/3 of the recommended amount of feeding for age. Within a week, subject to good tolerance (the skin is not changed, the stomach is not bloated, gases are released, the stool is not liquid or there is no constipation), increase the volume of the new mixture until full feeding.

What is the feeding volume? In the first 2 months of life, the child should receive a mixture per day in the amount of 1/5 of body weight, from 2 to 4 months - 1/6 of body weight, 4-6 months - 1/7 of body weight, after 6 months - 1/8-1/9 of body weight. Juices and water are not included in the main meal.

Approximate number of feedings during the day: first week of life - 7-10; 1 week-2 months - 7-8 feedings; 2-4 months - 6-7 feedings; 4-9 months - 5-6 feedings; 9-12 months - 4-5.

The volume of one feeding is calculated as follows: what is obtained (according to the data above) is divided by the number of feedings. For example, a 2-month-old child weighs 4.5 kg, which means he should receive 900 ml of formula per day (1/5 of his body weight). Dividing 900 ml by 7 - we get 130 ml for 1 feeding.

How to prepare the mixture?

Prepare the mixture immediately before use, in a heat-treated container (it is convenient to use a bottle sterilizer). When diluting the mixture, you should strictly follow the instructions written on the package. Using a measuring spoon, measure out the required amount of mixture (be sure to remove any excess). Too much powder leads to oversaturation of the mixture with nutrients, which can lead to regurgitation, unstable stools, and excessive weight gain. If there is not enough powder, then the mixture will turn out to be low-calorie: the baby, while remaining hungry, will be capricious, sleep worse, and gain less weight. To dilute the mixture, it is better to use specialized water for baby food or boiled water. The powder is poured into water and quickly stirred until completely dissolved. You can prepare the mixture directly in the bottle. Next, you need to turn the bottle down without shaking (the mixture should flow in a thin stream and then pass through the nipple at a speed of approximately 1 drop per second). A few drops of the mixture should be placed on your wrist - the contents should be close to body temperature, that is, practically not felt. If the temperature of the mixture exceeds the desired temperature, you can cool the bottle in cold water. Unused formula should not be re-offered to a baby. After feeding, all baby dishes should be immediately rinsed under running warm water, removing any remaining mixture with a brush. After this, the dishes are sterilized (boiled for 10-15 minutes or using an electric sterilizer). Next, all feeding accessories are cooled to room temperature and placed on a clean towel.

How to feed?

In order to make it comfortable not only for the baby, who should be in a semi-upright position, but also for the mother during feeding, you can use additional pillows by placing them under the back. The position of the mother’s legs can be different: cross her legs; place a low bench under your feet; You can also feed your baby while lying down. To reduce air swallowing, tilt the bottle so that the milk fills the nipple and the air rises to the bottom of the bottle. After feeding, you need to hold the baby in an upright position for several minutes to allow the air to escape.

Continue breastfeeding and do not rush to give your baby formula without serious reasons!

1 Adapted milk formulas are formulas that are closest (unlike other formulas) in composition to human milk. They are prepared on the basis of cow (goat) milk, subjected to special processing. They are divided into dry and liquid, fresh and fermented milk.

Products such as sterilized cow's milk, baby kefir, biokefir are not adapted and can only be used as complementary food for children in the second half of life.

The introduction of infant formula is sometimes considered a necessary measure for mothers who have a lack of milk to fully feed the baby. This is also a way to transfer a child to special baby food.

Some mothers, especially first-time mothers, experience fear and uncertainty that their milk will be enough while breastfeeding their baby. This makes them think about how to supplement with formula while breastfeeding. They try to find a way out, but do not completely give up giving them their mother’s breast. Doubts can also overtake experienced mothers when they notice that the first child was rapidly gaining weight, and the second only a few hundred grams. Postpartum suspiciousness is a completely natural thing and often depends on the psychological environment of the mother. But if stressful situations are not uncommon in the family, then due to nerves, milk may indeed be produced significantly less than necessary. In such cases, supplementary feeding of the newborn with formula becomes necessary. But how to do it right?

Mixed feeding is a feeding system in which supplementary feeding formulas are used together with standard breastfeeding without a predetermined regimen (when the child requires it). At the same time, the volumes of mixtures take up no more than half of the entire infant’s diet.

This method is used for a number of reasons:

• prematurity of the newborn;
• the child is not gaining weight well;
• illness in the mother and her taking medications that cannot be compatible with breastfeeding;
• forced factors: the mother goes to work earlier than her maternity period ends.

There are many reasons why a mother might start feeding her baby formula alongside breast milk.

Can mixed feeding always turn into artificial feeding?

You should not be afraid that as a result of mixed feeding, breastfeeding will fade into the background, or even stop altogether. In this situation, everything directly depends on the mood of the nursing mother. If a woman wants to continue feeding her baby with breast milk, then she will do everything in her power to stimulate lactation, and the formula diet will not exceed 30-50% of the daily nutrition. Following all recommendations, as well as restoring the psychological atmosphere within the family, is the key to restoring breastfeeding. In such situations, the baby returns to breastfeeding again by 6 months.

Important! To increase the volume of milk in the breast, you can resort to drinking special teas and drugs for lactation after consulting with your doctor.

How to feed mixed?

To correctly switch to mixed feeding, you need to calculate the missing amount of nutrition per day in grams. The resulting amount is divided into doses per day, and the mother can safely supplement her baby. In order not to make mistakes in the calculations, you can ask for help from a specialist or breastfeeding consultant. If in the future the mother does not plan to switch completely to formula, then it is advisable to start increasing lactation.

To do this you need:

1. Night and morning breastfeeding.
2. During formula feeding, it is better to hold the baby near the breast so that there is contact with the mother's skin.
3. Pump regularly.
4. Feed the baby formula without using a bottle, but using a spoon or spitz.
5. Do not offer pacifiers to your baby.

Because of the bottles, milk flows very easily, and the newborn does not need to make any effort to feed, and they quickly begin to get used to this. After using bottles, they find it difficult to regain proper breathing during breastfeeding, which makes them nervous and anxious.

If a mother is forced to go to work, then to preserve milk she needs to breastfeed the baby at least 3 times a day (especially in the morning and evening). It is advisable to include the formula in the feeding process after the mother offers both breasts to the baby. After time, the amount of artificial nutrition in the diet should be minimized, but the number of applications should not be less than 4 times a day.

Existing types of mixed feeding

Often during the period of mixed feeding, women use the two most common methods:

1. The first method is that at the end of breastfeeding, if the child shows obvious signs of anxiety and a desire to eat more (reaches back to the mother’s breast, begins to smack his lips), then he is given the necessary dose of the mixture. This option allows you to switch back to full breastfeeding faster over time and stimulates increased milk production.
2. In the second type, breastfeeding and formula feeding occurs in an alternating order, where for the first meal the baby is given exclusively breastfeeding, and for the second the feeding baby eats up with formula.

The selection of the appropriate method directly depends on the volume of milk produced by the mother. There is a specific method for each of them.

Diet according to the first method

This option is used if the mother has a slight lack of breast milk. The regimen is almost the same as in the process of natural feeding - as soon as the baby requires it. The only difference is that the child is given formula milk after breastfeeding. But is it possible to calculate the correct amount of baby food, because due to an erroneous dosage, there is a risk of overfeeding or, conversely, underfeeding the baby.

This issue can be resolved by weighing the baby after each breastfeeding during the day. This way you can find out how much milk he consumes during one feeding procedure. The table below will help you find out how much food he is missing.

Subtracting from the daily nutritional intake the approximate volume of milk in ml that the baby sucks, dividing by the number of feedings per day, you get the required volume. It needs to be replaced with a mixture.

Important! When calculating the missing amount of food for the baby, other liquids (drinking water, juices, etc.) are not taken into account.

Feeding regimen according to the second method

Alternate feeding with formula and breast milk is used when there is a significant decrease in the level of lactation in women. During such a diet, it should be taken into account that in the morning the volume of breast milk always prevails during the day. Approximate regimen for the second method of mixed feeding:

• morning (08:00-09:00) – baby food;
• daytime (12:00-13:00) - GW;
• (15:00-16:00) – mixture;
• evening (20:00-21:00) - GV;
• night period (00:00-01:00) – baby food;
• (04:00-05:00) – GW.

The final regimen directly depends on the condition of the mother's breast and the appetite of her child, but it is advisable to adhere to specific feeding tactics. It is advised to maintain a pause between feedings of not 3 hours (as happens with breastfeeding), but 4:30 minutes, since the baby’s stomach needs more time to digest the mixture.

Rules to consider

When mixed feeding, it is necessary to take into account a number of recommendations that will help mothers not make mistakes:

Unfortunately, the question of whether it is possible to start mixed feeding and how to properly organize it is becoming popular for various reasons. But due to the lack of information on this topic and the lack of necessary literature, when the first problems with lactation arise, you should not hesitate to visit a doctor. After receiving the consultation, young mothers will be able to learn how to properly transfer their baby to mixed feeding, as well as preserve and increase the volume of breast milk. After all, nothing can fully replace healthy mother’s milk for a child.

Maternal instinct is one of the basic female instincts. Every mother feels constant excitement and concern for her child, worrying about whether the baby is cold or whether he is fed? What if he doesn't get enough breast milk?

Most often, her fears are unfounded, but sometimes the baby really feels hungry and lacks breast milk. In such cases, supplementary feeding is required during breastfeeding.

Supplementary feeding and complementary feeding - what is the difference?

Often mothers confuse two concepts - supplementary feeding and complementary feeding. Let's figure out what they mean and how to distinguish them.

Supplementary feeding during breastfeeding means the introduction of special adapted milk formulas into the baby’s diet when there are objective reasons for this: mother’s illness, unsteady lactation, the need for an urgent trip due to separation from the baby, etc.

Complementary feeding is a gradual transition of a child to “adult” food, enriching his diet with new food products.

In what cases is supplementary feeding required during breastfeeding?

1. The mother does not have enough milk, the baby does not get enough to eat.
   This statement must have a basis: the child’s behavior, his weight. If, at an appointment with the pediatrician, he notices that the baby is not gaining enough weight, he will advise supplementary feeding.
   Statistics show that only five percent of breastfeeding mothers actually have insufficient milk.


2. Mother's illness.
   Maternal health situations may require a pause in breastfeeding, replacing breast milk with formula for a while. This is usually required by potent medications that are incompatible with breastfeeding.


3. Mother's urgent return to work.
   Feeding during working hours is difficult to organize, so mixed feeding is used as an alternative, alternating breast milk with an adapted formula.


4. Child's refusal to breastfeed.
   Sometimes a child, for no apparent reason, refuses his mother’s breast; it is necessary to transfer him to feeding with artificial formulas.


5. Other cases.
   Mother and child have Rh conflict; in case of multiple pregnancy, the born babies do not have enough milk; difficulties resulting from childbirth, resulting in a general weakening of the mother’s body.

Breastfeeding mothers for whom supplementary feeding is an urgent problem need to know some rules:

• A child up to three months of age should receive supplementary feeding in the form of artificial formula mixtures and breast milk.
• For a child up to six months old, an adapted milk formula is selected that is as similar in composition to breast milk as possible.
• For allergic reactions to lactose, mixtures with a soy base are used, and for babies who have digestive problems, mixtures containing probiotics are used.
• A trial period is carried out for at least three days, after which a conclusion can be made whether this mixture is suitable for the baby or not.

What should you consider when choosing supplementary feeding during breastfeeding?

• Dry powder mixtures have a longer shelf life.
• The mixture should include carnitine, taurine, whey, and unsaturated omega fats.
• It is unacceptable to include palm oil in baby food, as it reduces the absorption of calcium by the child's body.
• The probiotics contained in its composition can help the mixture be more easily absorbed.
• Lutein in the mixture has a good effect on vision.
• Nucleids, also contained in the mixture, develop the child’s immune system.

Before purchasing any formula, check with other mothers who use formula to see if they are happy with the brand they choose. This way you can exclude a truly low-quality product.

The formula for feeding a child should be as close in composition to breast milk as possible, this is especially necessary until the baby is six months old. It is important, with the help of a pediatrician, to choose a formula that is suitable for your baby so that it does not cause digestive difficulties or allergic manifestations.

How to supplement your baby to maintain breastfeeding?

If you disrupt the feeding regime by introducing the formula incorrectly, then with a high probability the child will refuse the breast. In this regard, if you are determined to breastfeed for a long time, follow the conditions below:

• Supplement your baby with a spoon, as drinking formula from a bottle does not require as much effort as when suckling at the breast.
• If you are unable to feed your baby, express at a certain time. It is convenient to use a breast pump for this.
• Even if you think that there is no milk in the breast, still give the baby the breast, and then supplement it.
• Frequent breastfeeding will help increase lactation.
• Proper nutrition is very important for good milk production. You can take special lactation teas purchased at the pharmacy.
• A young mother needs not to worry unnecessarily and believe that she will certainly be able to feed her baby with her milk.

What are the norms for supplementary feeding during breastfeeding?

The pediatrician can tell you the amount of formula your child needs. Typically, up to 2 months, the volume of the formula drunk should be one fifth of the child’s weight - from 700 to 900 g. From two to 4 months - one sixth of the child’s weight. From 4 to six months - one seventh, from six months to one year - one eighth or one ninth of the baby’s body weight.

Is additional soldering required?

Experts believe that if a child is fed both mother's milk and an adapted formula, then he does not require supplemental feeding. The exception is hot summer days or the baby is sick, then you can supplement the baby with boiled or special children's drinking water.