There is nothing better than breast milk for a baby. However, it is not always possible to feed a baby 100% with this nature-approved product. Sometimes the mother does not have enough milk, and then there is a need for mixed feeding. Thus, the baby receives both breast milk and something else, so as not to stay hungry. Does such food harm the baby and how to organize it correctly, says the famous children's doctor Yevgeny Komarovsky.
Should you fight for breast milk
Insufficient lactation in a mother can be observed for completely different reasons - from hormonal disruption to a neuropsychological state. This second reason is usually the leading one. The mother does not have enough milk, she begins to blame herself for the fact that she cannot give the child the nutrition necessary for his health and development, and thus the vicious circle is closed. A woman is in constant stress, which, in turn, has a detrimental effect on the mechanisms of lactation.
Of course, breast milk is very important for a baby, but a normal, healthy and smiling mother is no less important for him, says Evgeny Komarovsky. And therefore, if milk is barely collected for one feeding out of five, then there is no special sense in maintaining mixed feeding, you can switch to artificial. After all, if the total volume of mother's milk in the baby's diet does not exceed one fifth, then it has almost no effect on health, and you can safely refuse it.
The second option is to change your attitude towards the problem.
If the mother stops punishing herself morally for a lack of milk, and begins to calmly express or breastfeed at least once a day, and carry out the rest of the feedings with mixtures, then you can leave everything as it is (if this suits all parties - both the child, and the mother, and dad).
Mixed feeding is optimal if the proportion of mother's milk exceeds the volume of one feeding. For example, if half of the daily ration or slightly less is breast milk. The volume of natural food in the amount of 30% of the daily diet can also be considered quite acceptable.
About the dangers of mixed feeding
Until recently, it was believed, and still some medical reference books indicate that the mixture of breast milk with another product when mixed feeding is harmful to the baby. Some doctors even interpret it as "an environmental disaster for the child's body." Yevgeny Komarovsky is in a hurry to reassure mothers who do not have enough milk of their own. The modern industry that makes formula and baby food, he says, has done everything to minimize this harm. And she succeeded.
Thus, the composition of the majority of infant formula available today (we are talking about adapted formula) is as close as possible to the composition of breast milk.
Yes, it is not the same thing, and the mixture is not able to replace mother's milk, but it is better than giving the child cow or goat milk, which are actually biologically alien products for him.
Kinds
Mixed feeding, despite its name, should not be chaotic. You also need to be able to organize it correctly.
There are two main types of mixed feeding: alternate and sequential.
With alternating one feeding, the mother will make it completely natural, and the other or several subsequent ones - artificial. With consistent feeding, the baby can suckle until the milk runs out, after which, if there are visible signs of anxiety (if the baby is crying, reaching for the breast, smacking and demanding the continuation of the "banquet"), he is given a certain amount of the formula so that he does not feel hunger. It is important not to overfeed the baby.
In order to know exactly how much formula he needs for supplementation, it is advisable to weigh the baby before and after feeding.
Mom can choose one or another type on her own. Much depends on the amount of milk - whether it is enough for a whole feeding, and on other circumstances, for example, how often a woman can express. It's no secret that mixed feeding is often chosen when the mother needs to go to work and she is absent during the day. The most optimal feeding is considered once - at 6 am with a mixture, at 9 am - with a breast, at 12.00 - with a mixture, and so on.
Rules
The milk formula satiates the baby faster and takes a little longer to digest, and therefore, with mixed feeding, you should not take long breaks between meals. A gap of 3-4 hours is enough. Even if you used to breastfeed on demand or every 2-2.5 hours before, then when switching to a mixed diet, feed correctly with longer breaks and according to the regimen.
If the circumstances are such that the child has to switch to mixed feeding, then certain rules should be followed that will help the baby stay healthy.
- For a baby up to 6 months choose completely adapted mixtures. They are marked with a “1” on the packaging.
- For babies from 6 to 12 months there are special mixtures - partially adapted. They are marked with a “2” on the box.
- Children from a year mixes with the number "3" on the package are suitable.
To prevent the baby from abandoning the breast, from which it is more difficult to suck than from a bottle, the hole in the nipple should not be too large.
The baby must also make an effort to get his own food. Choose nipples with the smallest holes.
Do not change the mixture to another spontaneously, without the advice of the attending physician and without good reason for such a replacement (allergic reaction to the mixture, poor absorption, etc.).
Be sure to give a child on a mixed diet to drink water. In the first days after starting complementary foods, watch out for stools. It may become more rare and change color and smell. There is nothing wrong with that.
If the mother plans to return to breastfeeding, the baby should be applied to the breast as often as possible, while using both breasts.
You will learn more about when to complement breastfeeding according to Dr. Komarovsky in the following video.
