How to introduce a new formula

According to the World Health Organization, the best food for a newborn is breast milk. But some women, for various reasons, have to switch their baby to artificial nutrition.

Sometimes it seems easier to give a baby a bottle of formula than to go through all the hardships of breastfeeding. But it isn’t. There are many nuances. And one of these, the most common, is when the formula is not right for the baby. Then we have to change to a new formula. But it must be done wisely!

Why babies are switched to a new formula?

There are several reasons why parents decide to replace the old formula:

1. The formula does not suit the baby.This manifests itself in the form of allergies, stool disorders, anemia, copious regurgitation, bloating, lactase deficiency. In this case, you need to consult a pediatrician to find the best formula.

2. Age.So, the unit is suitable for babies under six months, 2 – from six months, 3 – from one year. A suitable formula must be used for each age period, otherwise there will be problems with satiety, gastrointestinal strain, lack of vitamins and micronutrients.

3. Budget. It is possible that at some point the mother will decide to replace the used formula with a cheaper or more expensive one.

In any case, the replacement of the formula has to be justified. Just because of one wish of the mother, it is not recommended to change the baby’s food.

General rules for switching your baby to a new formula

The most popular pediatrician of our time, Dr. Komarovsky believes that the transfer of the child to another formula is worth it only in the most extreme cases. For example, your baby has a rash on his body or his stool has changed. It does not justify a food change just because a mom wants or to save money. A pediatrician reflects on this in her program.

Evgeny Komarovsky teaches that different formulas should not be combined in any case, even if they are the same company, as the composition is in any case different. In the same bottle, without first washing, you can not give the formula either.

Gastroenterology doctors agree with this opinion. The fact that baby food is a strictly balanced combination of many elements. For the proper functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, all the components must interact properly with each other. It is not for nothing that the preparation method is written in such detail on each box. You should not arbitrarily put your child at risk.

Doctor Komarovsky says that the new formula should be given in the first half of the day, so you can track the baby’s reaction to the meal change. And first mom should feed with the new formula, and only then finish feeding with the old one. Sometimes babies flat out refuse unfamiliar flavors after eating familiar formula, even if they’re not full.

How to switch to a new formula: a chart

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Pediatricians have detailed guidelines on how to transition your baby to a new formula.

For starters, here is a chart, which is a transition from one formula to another. This approach is supported by many distinguished pediatricians, including Olga Lukoyanova, a researcher at the Department of Nutrition of Healthy and Sick Children of the Scientific Center for Children’s Health of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences.

Breakdown of how to switch your baby to a new formula

The simple chart above can be a real lifesaver for moms of formula feeders.

So, on the first day in the morning dilute to your child in a separate bottle 10 ml of new formula (according to the instructions) and the required amount of complementary food from the old mixture. For all other meals give only the familiar formula, and watch how your baby reacts.

If there is no reaction from the baby’s body, then on the second day offer the same amount of new formula, but already in the first and third feedings.

On the third day the amount of new formula per feeding doubles and should be offered three times a day. And then – according to the scheme, until you completely replace the old food with the new one.

This period usually takes 6-7 days. Slower is not dangerous, but it makes no sense, but the rapid transition to a new food is fraught with complications and malfunctions in the child’s body.

If the baby has a reaction to the formula from the very first day, or after a day or two, replace it with another one, following the same pattern from the very first day.

It is important to! But if a child is found to have an allergic reaction to protein of animal origin, then the baby is immediately and completely transferred to hypoallergenic or therapeutic food. This is an urgent and necessary measure which does not obey the “laws” of the above chart.

What is the right way to change formula at six months of age??

At 6 months, your baby needs to change to an age-appropriate formula. Usually number 2.

The child is growing, developing, changing, respectively, and the food used should be different, with more nutrients. In addition, the digestive organs mature, begin to produce the necessary enzymes in sufficient quantities to digest food qualitatively.

By the way, at this age your baby is less prone to allergies, because harmful substances and allergens penetrate less through the walls of the intestine, which at this age is already populated with microflora.

Olesya Butuzova, pediatrician, author of books and articles on children’s health, teaches young mothers that an IVF baby should first be switched to an age-appropriate formula, and only then introduce the first complementary food. Still, formula is the main food for a baby under 1 year of age, and complementary foods are.

What you need to know when switching to a new formula?

Keep the following important points in mind when transitioning from one food to another:

1. It is not necessary to combine switching to another formula with new events, which change the habitual way of life of a baby. For example, due to traveling or moving to another apartment, vaccinations, etc.d.

2. If the baby, when trying the new formula, expresses displeasure, squirms, spits out the food, it is not a reaction of the body, but simply the baby’s whims. This does not mean it is not suitable. Wait a while until your baby gets used to the new taste.

3. Thicker stools with an unfamiliar shade are a normal reaction of the body to a change of food.

4. If the new formula you tried to introduce into the baby’s diet is not suitable for some reason, wait a couple of weeks before introducing another one.

5. The timing of the transition to a new formula by age may come before or a little after six months. Watch your baby: if he is not nourished, if he is naughty and asks for food before it is due, it is time to introduce a new food.

Do not forget that to prepare the formula use clean utensils and boiled (not bottled or filtered) water. A fresh portion is prepared for each feeding. Uneaten formula can safely be thrown away.

How to know if the selected formula is right for your baby?

There are a few telltale signs that make it easy for a mother to know if a new formula is right for her baby:

1. Normal stools and normal urination;

2. are kept at intervals of 3 hours between meals;

3. There is weight gain according to age;

4. Good mood and restful sleep;

5. Showing interest in the world and in people.

If you consult your pediatrician about the choice of formula, telling him about your baby’s characteristics in advance and not sparing money for a good option, the food is likely to be suitable for your baby and he will not be uncomfortable.

Remember, no formula, even the most expensive and well-balanced formula can replace breast milk. But if there is no way out, and the situation occurred when the mother can not breastfeed, then responsibly approach the choice of milk formula for your baby. And, of course, learn how to properly introduce a new food into your baby’s diet.