In addition, it often happens that a baby who is fully breastfed may not “dirty” the diaper for several days in a row - and this should not be regarded as constipation in the child! On the contrary, this situation rather suggests that the baby perfectly assimilates mother’s milk, digesting it without residue. The same cannot be said about children who are fed formula milk - these babies are simply “obliged” to have bowel movements every day.
Feeding: on demand or by the hour?
In Soviet times, it was recommended to feed a newborn on any type of feeding strictly according to the clock. There was no talk of any shared wards with the baby.
Times have changed, and today doctors are unanimous on this issue: it is more advisable to feed a baby “on the chest” on demand and apply it at the slightest request. But what are the norms for feeding an artificial child? Is it right to give the baby formula “on demand” or is a feeding regime still needed in this case?
Doctors recommend adhering to a certain regimen when feeding a child with artificial formula. Feeding a newborn “on demand” using artificial feeding is almost impossible, because, firstly, it is not always convenient to quickly prepare the formula at the child’s first request.
And secondly, when feeding on demand, it is difficult to track the amount of nutrition the baby receives. And if it’s impossible to overfeed with breastfeeding, then formula is fine. Modern artificial formulas, although they contain a lot of nutrients, but, whatever one may say, breast milk is absorbed more easily and easily. This is why the regimen is so important when feeding with formula. Doctors insist: feeding a newborn with formula should not be done at the baby’s request, but strictly according to time.
Feeding with formula by the hour is also important because with this type of nutrition the issue of hygiene is acute. Bottles and nipples must be perfectly clean, and the mixture must be freshly prepared.
You also need to remember that a bottle-fed baby should have bowel movements every day. Due to the fact that the formula takes longer to absorb and digest, the frequency of meals should be lower than when breastfeeding. Otherwise, there is a risk of overfeeding the child, and there are problems with the gastrointestinal tract and obesity. There is also a possibility of underfeeding, which is why order in the matter of nutrition is so important.
Bottle feeding
If necessary, a bottle is acceptable from the first weeks of life. Modern manufacturers make sure that the child does not notice the difference between the breast and the structure of the nipple.
The opinion of experts is that it is better to abandon this idea until the sixth month of life, then you can introduce bottle feeding if there is insufficient milk production.
When studying the topic - breastfeeding, feeding regimen, you need to remember something important - psycho-emotional stress negatively affects lactation and in this situation, no regimen will help.
If you are sure that there is not enough milk and this is not related to stress, increase your fluid intake, try special tea that increases lactation and be sure to feed at night. Stimulate milk production between feedings with a breast pump.
Artificial feeding: how to feed correctly
There is no single and clear schedule according to which an artificial newborn should be fed. It is necessary to focus on a specific baby and adjust the nutrition plan to him. The optimal intervals between feedings and the volume of mixture eaten must be selected individually. Parents should be patient and gradually accustom their child to a regime that suits him.
It is recommended to take notes while observing the child’s behavior and well-being. This way you can adjust the daily routine, making it most comfortable for the baby. At the same time, small deviations from the regime, half an hour or an hour, are quite acceptable.
Artificial babies in the first month of life are fed approximately six to seven times a day, the interval between feedings is about three and a half hours. At night, it is advisable to go six hours without feeding. Unsystematic or more frequent meals can cause indigestion, as well as increased gas formation, colic and frequent regurgitation in the baby.
With age, the hours of feeding a newborn with formula change: the intervals between meals increase. A six-month-old child is given the mixture about five times a day. From 7 months, the baby is fed with formula approximately every 5 hours, taking into account the fact that at this age the baby actively eats complementary foods.
“Children in the first year of life, especially the first six months, grow and develop very actively, and this requires a regular supply of nutrients. Formula-fed newborns are usually fed once every 2-3 hours.
It is very important to calculate the child’s daily energy needs. For full-term healthy babies up to 6 months, this is 115 kcal per kilogram of weight. But there are also very large children. There is an upper limit to the daily volume of the mixture: for three months it is 850 ml, for 5 months and above - no more than 1000 milliliters of the mixture per day.
Unlike breastfeeding, the daily volume of formula needs to be controlled, because obesity and overfeeding with artificial feeding are more dangerous.
Children with a good appetite, for whom the maximum daily volume is no longer enough, after 4 months can be introduced to complementary foods, but do not increase the formula.
Formula-fed water can be offered to children, but this is not necessary, at the child’s request. Again, the daily volume of water is important - no more than the volume of one feeding.
I will also add that feeding on demand is not recommended when formula-fed, since formulas, even the highest quality ones, do not have such good digestibility as human milk. And the risk of overfeeding is high,” says pediatrician Anna Ganina .
Pay attention to the stool of a bottle-fed newborn. The appearance of mucus in it, severe dilution of the stool, or, conversely, constipation can warn that the formula is not suitable for the baby.
However, it is important to remember that you should not change baby food too often and unreasonably. It is better if the child eats one, high-quality and healthy mixture that suits him.
If you follow all feeding rules, the growth and development of a bottle-fed baby will proceed in accordance with the norms.
Convergence style – back to nature
The complete opposite of a strict regime is the now fashionable natural style of education, which arose in opposition to official pediatrics. The origins of this style lie in nature itself, which was studied and described by ethologists. Child-parent relationships were viewed through the prism of animal communities, in particular, monkey communities. Scientists have noted that the relationship between parent and child is quite complex, and in many ways it resembles human relationships. For example, the innate mechanisms of mother-child attachment are very similar to similar instincts in monkeys.
How does a mother monkey care for her baby? The baby hangs on his mother all the time and sucks her whenever he has such a need.
The approach proposed for raising children is very similar to this lifestyle. This style turns out to be very attractive because it is as close as possible to nature, and nature, as we know, is wise and fair. A similar style existed in many tribes that were at a low level of civilization (and therefore closest to nature). Here is how, for example, the upbringing of children in the mountain Arapesh tribe from New Guinea is described: “The mother takes the child on her lap, allows him to suckle at the breast as much as he wants, run, take the breast again, play with it; does everything to restore his sense of confidence. All this gives the same pleasure to the mother as to the child.”
Kabrita gentle nutrition based on goat milk
Kabrita infant formula based on goat's milk has an adapted protein composition. Goat's milk is closer in composition to breast milk than cow's milk; it is digested faster and easier than cow's milk, so feeding a newborn with a formula based on goat's milk is preferable. Such food is digested faster, absorbed better and reduces discomfort when switching from breastfeeding to artificial or mixed feeding.
Kabrita baby food is the most modern formula based on natural Dutch goat milk.
Kabrita formulas contain a unique fat complex, Digest X, which replicates the fat profile of breast milk. The mixtures are enriched with goat milk whey, which is rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids. Goat milk whey is perfectly absorbed and digested. All this helps to avoid constipation, increases energy metabolism and promotes better absorption of calcium in the child’s body. Goat's milk is ideal for natural, easy digestion.
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Experts: Anna Ganina
William and Martha Sears
Perhaps the most famous apologists of this style in modern culture were pediatrician William Sears and his wife, nurse Martha, parents of eight children. At the heart of the “approach style is common sense, which we would all listen to if we relied on our natural instincts.” The Serzes formulate five rules for this style:
- Establish contact with your child as early as possible.
- Recognize and respond to your baby's signals.
- Breastfeed your baby.
- Carry your baby with you.
- Sleep with your baby.
Fans of the natural parenting style try to carry the child in their arms as much as possible, prefer a kangaroo or sling to a stroller, and feed the baby at his first squeak. Such parents advocate long-term (up to two to three years) breastfeeding and later introduction of complementary foods.
At first glance, this style seems just perfect. And apparently, it really is best suited for the very beginning of life. It is wonderful when a mother listens to her child and tries to satisfy his needs, which he desperately communicates to her.
But day after day passes, the baby gradually grows, and now little by little he can adapt to the world and society in which he lives, correlate his needs with a certain sequence of events.
The baby's cry, at first so piercing and desperate, takes on different features. When a baby calls his mother, he first screams and then waits for an answer: will the almighty mother come or not? Then he screams louder and waits again. In this way, the child gives his “interlocutor” the opportunity to join in the first dialogue.
In psychology there is the concept of frustration - this is a state that arises in a situation of disappointment, failure to achieve any goal or need that is significant for a person. It manifests itself in oppressive tension, anxiety, and a feeling of hopelessness. Just imagine, frustration is also familiar to an infant. Of course, when it happens too often, the child feels deeply unhappy, useless to anyone in this cruel world. However, frustration is necessary in minimal “doses”. If a mother rushes to feed the child at the first squeak, demolishing all the obstacles in her path and breaking furniture (by the way, it is not a fact that every time he squeaks, he needs the breast!), then the child is deprived of the experience of waiting.
It is better that the baby gradually gets used to some preparations (the mother takes him out of the crib, finds a diaper, sits comfortably in a chair or on the sofa, etc.). Preparation is accompanied by calm comments: “Now you and I will prepare everything, and then you will eat.” Of course, at first the demanding cry will stop only after the mother’s breast is in the baby’s mouth. But gradually the baby will develop a certain stereotype, and the crying will subside during your preparations. Here is one such example.
My baby is now 2 months old. She has already learned to understand that she will soon be fed. I spread a diaper on the sofa and put a book behind it (it turned out to be very convenient to read while feeding). And when I lie down next to my daughter and lift my T-shirt, the girl becomes silent, although she is full of impatience - she is all in anticipation of delicious milk. She and I have a great time together. At first she sucks, looking at me gratefully (and I whisper tender words to her at this time, stroke her head, kiss her tiny fingers), and then her eyes become misty, she falls asleep, continuing to suck. At this time you can relax and read a book.
Mothers who are accustomed to feeding their child according to his first squeak, often, when the baby grows up, also instantly strive to guess and fulfill his other desires, regardless of either their needs or the needs of those around them.
Katya is six years old. She is the center of the family, the most important person for parents and grandparents. Recently she was given a kitten. What the poor animal had to endure! Katya either threw him off the table or squeezed him to the point of insanity. Parents professing a democratic style of education believed that they had no right to interfere - after all, this is Katya’s kitten, which means she can do whatever she wants with him.
When guests arrive, Katya chooses tea or juice for everyone, and it doesn’t even occur to her to correlate her choice with the desires of other people. And when she herself comes to visit, she categorically declares: “I will eat this and that.”
The point is not only that such behavior of a child is not very comfortable for others. The main thing is that problems are created for the child himself. The girl sincerely does not understand why the kitten dies, why other children do not play with her, when she does not want to share her toys, why, in the end, other adults are unhappy. Until the problem is recognized, there are no ways to solve it.
