Feeding the child healthily and comfortably during his/her first year of life is crucial to the extent that it determines the course of the baby’s later development and wellbeing. This first year is a period when the child’s growth is the most rapid – most infants gain three times as much bodyweight as they had right after birth.
Feeding your baby with breast milk during the first few months is one of the best pieces of advice given by experts as this product contains all the necessary nutrients specifically for your baby. Some are comfortable continuing this feeding practice later, while others quit, and here is where uncertainty can confuse you. With the rising need to find a worthy replacement for breast milk, you start searching for good feeding formulas. But with hundreds of options, it’s challenging to make a choice. This article will discuss the proven ways to make baby feeding healthy and share a few tips on choosing formulas.
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Key Questions to Ask: How Often and How Much to Feed?
We assume it is nice to start this advice section with several official recommendations given by StanfordChildrens.org. Here is what they view as logical to do during the first 4 months.
- Giving preferences to breastfeeding
This will promote healthy weight gain, better night sleep, and steady physical development.
- Not giving the baby any solid foods until he/she is 4 months old or older
Plus, you shouldn’t volunteer until your pediatrician sees it’s time to.
Now, if you’re a fresh parent, you might have heard the recommendations above. But what about the frequency and amounts of breastfeeding? How much is actually enough?
First of all, it depends on how old the baby is. Stanford researchers measured it in ounces a day (24 hours), and it makes:
- 2-4 ounces 6 to 8 times a day during the first month of life
- 5-6 ounces 5 to 6 times a day during the next month
- 6-7 ounces 5 to 6 times a day from third to the fifth month
Hence, for one day, a one-month baby should get around 24 ounces of breast milk, while during the second through the fifth month, the number should reach nearly 32 ounces.
Getting to Pick Feeding Formulas for Your Infant
After the season of breastfeeding is over, you are offered a large variety of baby formulas by dozens of different brands claiming that one is better than another.
We want you to be guided, firstly, by reliable sources approving or disapproving formulas and, secondly, by the forms you are more comfortable using.
Baby formulas come in a few forms, which include liquid concentrates, powdered formulas, and ready-made solutions. Two first options need to be mixed with water in specific proportions, while ready formulas can be used right as they are and just need to be poured into a kid’s bottle.
The content is, however, the most important factor for making the choice. Content should be well-balanced and contain vital minerals, vitamins, amino- and fatty acids, etc. Here is our top of carefully filtered USDA-certified formulas based on some of Healthline’s picks.
Hipp Anti-Reflux
This formula is responsibly sourced. It contains valuable prebiotics and no extra additives. Hipp boasts organic ingredients and is picky at selecting recipes for its formulas. Some debates were led around palm oil, but today, there is no sufficient evidence against it.
For more options of Hipp formula, visit the mentioned link.
Lebenswert Stage (1) Organic
This formula is known as a very mild one, especially when you’re trying to switch from breast milk to a formula. Ingredients are also organically grown, and skim milk, by the way, is number one on the list.
Hipp Combiotic Organic Baby Formula
Being tolerated better than the standard Hipp, this one is very gentle for babies with indigestion or high individual sensitivity for certain components. This formula is rich in fibre, has good casein concentration, contains Omegas and tummy-friendly bacteria cultures that protect the kid from stomach irritation.
Earth’s Best Organic Dairy
A very popular formula to use, also available in no-lactose or zero-lactose variations. It contains the DHA, which is vital for infants, especially in the phase of rapid growth. Organic formulas with iron, from dairy or soy milk, as well as formulas for different ages, are also good options.
Here are some simple yet significant things to keep in mind when actually using such formulas.
- Always check the expiration date and the wholeness of the formula’s container.
This is recommended by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention that also says that registered brands are a better choice since you can be sure the formula was stored and transported under proper conditions.
- Start to feed by 1 or 2 ounces every 2-3 hours.
CDC advises this if your baby doesn’t get breast milk. However, each child is different, and, if you notice the signs of hunger in your infant, you are free to give some more.
- Reduce the amount of baby formula when starting solid foods.
This happens when the baby is 6 to 12 months old. It’s natural for a baby to also lose interest in the formula when introduced to solids.
To wrap it up, baby feeding is a challenging but not impossible task to complete. With a proven word of advice and plenty of baby formula brands, you are equipped with everything needed to make feeding successful and effortless. Greater confidence will come with experience, and you will be able to recognize when the baby is full and when he/she is still hungry, read the kid’s behavior, and pick the formulas that would give the infant the most benefit.
Rely on proven information, check the contents of baby formulas, and pick the best ones for your child’s healthy growth and development.
