How to Choose the Right Baby Formula for the First Time?
Expecting a baby is a tremendous responsibility, especially for the first time when you have no experience and it’s so easy to make a mistake. After birth, the baby’s body needs special attention. Ideally, a kid should be fully breastfed for at least 6 months. But for various reasons, it’s not always possible to breastfeed an infant. In this case, you should consult with a pediatrician to get a recommendation on how to elect baby formula. And only after that, you can dive into the process of selecting the best feeding for your little one.
Types of Baby Formula
Lots of baby food is made from cow milk, which undergoes special processing. The processing technology depends on the age requirements. Hence the division of the formula into adapted, unadapted, and partially adapted.
The best formula for newborns is adapted one in which the cow milk whey is completely free of minerals and other impurities. It is additionally rich in vitamins, trace elements, nucleotides, and polyunsaturated fatty acids. Adapted feeding is the most digestible, and nutritious because it is most similar to breast milk.
For six-month-old babies, it is allowed to use partially adapted formulas. When buying, pay attention to the content because the manufacturer usually adds the same valuable substances as in the adapted ones and sometimes not. Some partially adapted baby food may lack taurine (needed for vision) or fatty acids.
Hypoallergenic formulas labeled HA e.g. HiPP HA and are suitable for those children who are prone to allergic reactions. They contain milk protein already broken down by enzymes. Baby feeding with lactic acid bacteria is suitable for those older than 7 months with digestive problems and it is marked as AR. It also helps fight dysbacteriosis after taking antibiotics. For example, in HiPP Anti Reflux, there are lacto- and bifidobacteria, and gum is used as a thickener. If there is a lack of iron (anemia) then a kid requires iron-containing formula which will help to saturate the blood with oxygen.
Age-appropriate Formula
While a kid grows its digestive tract develops and strengthens so the need for nutrients increases. That’s why it’s extremely important to pick up the formula that suits the age needs. The number 0 on the package usually means that it is intended for feeding premature or low-weight infants. The package with marking 1 is intended for healthy babies from birth. The number 2 is for kids from 6 months and onward. For example, e.g. Hipp Stage is made for kids from 12 months. You do not get confused, because after the number is always indicated in parentheses the baby’s age.
The Signs that Formula isn’t Suitable
Each baby has its peculiarities of development, so if you buy the infant milk for the first time, you do not need to take several packages at once, it may turn out that the food will cause a negative reaction or a child will not like it. How to define the formula that doesn’t fit your little one?
- an infant gains weight and height poorly
- during or after feeding a baby is spitting up
- the issues with stool stools
- a baby behaves restlessly
- skin rashes, allergy
When choosing infant milk for a baby, make sure that it is corresponding to the kid’s age. Do not give a two-month-old infant formula intended for an eight-month-old kid because it may cause digestive disorders. Furthermore, it is necessary to look at the expiration date. Among infant milk present on the market, there is baby food that has certain additional benefits.
For example, formula with beneficial probiotic bacteria helps to strengthen the baby’s immune system. For babies prone to allergic reactions, there is hypoallergenic baby food made from partially broken down protein thus reducing the allergenicity. If a child is prone to anemia, you need to choose the feeding with the highest iron content e.g. the label should say not 5 g per liter, but 7, 8, sometimes even 12 m. But you cannot select such formulas on your own, only after the doctor’s prescription.
Once you have chosen the right feeding for your little one, watch its reaction. At the first signs of allergies, lethargy, bloating, irritability, sleep disorders, or diarrhea immediately change the formula. However, you do not have to change it if there are no reasons for that. Check the packaging for dents before purchasing. Read the instructions which should answer all your questions and if something is unclear, choose another brand.
