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How to feed a newborn with a little one. Rules for breastfeeding a newborn. Pose "sickness standing"

They say that motherhood begins with the attachment of a child to the breast ...
Almost every mother knows that breastfeeding is one of the important moments in the life and development of a newborn child, but not all mothers know how to properly feed a baby in the first days and minutes of life.
In this article, we will talk about the main and most important points of such a seemingly easy process as feeding a newborn with mother's milk. In fact, for many young mothers, the issue of breastfeeding is almost the most difficult moment in caring for a baby. And often women, at the first unsuccessful attempts, refuse breastfeeding making a big mistake. After all, no matter what marketers and baby food manufacturers say, worthy alternative mother's milk does not yet exist.

Why is breastfeeding so important

The health of the newborn during breastfeeding depends on the ability of the baby to eat the required amount breast milk, as well as the ability to digest and assimilate it.
When attached to the breast immediately after birth, the baby sucks out colostrum, which even in minimum quantity able to protect it from various microbes and bacteria attacking the baby's body. This happens due to high level secretory immunoglobulin A (slgA), an anti-infective component that coats the intestinal mucosa of an infant and blocks various microorganisms. Thanks to colostrum, beneficial intestinal bacteria fill the intestines of a newborn faster, which is a natural prevention of dysbacteriosis. It has laxative properties and promotes quick exit meconium from the intestines of the child, which accumulated in the body of the infant for almost the entire pregnancy.
Feeding the baby in the early days also helps the female uterus to contract and bounce back faster. Thus, the possibility of complications at the end of childbirth is significantly reduced for a woman in labor.

How to start breastfeeding

Feeding frequency is the key to good lactation. Breast milk is produced when a newborn suckles at the breast. Therefore, it is important to understand that if you breastfeed constantly, it will never be empty. During lactation, milk female breast produced continuously. If the baby is rarely breastfed, milk will be produced more slowly. Keep in mind that frequent postponing of feedings leads to a reduction in milk production. And in the end, as they say in everyday life, it "burns out."
In the first month of a newborn, it is very important to breastfeed as often as possible. Frequent application the baby to the breast will provide enough milk for many months to come.

How to breastfeed your baby

If the newborn is sleeping and you think it's time for him to eat, put him on the chest and he will reflexively begin to suck on the breast.
Make sure that the lower jaw of the newborn can move freely during attachment to the breast. Do not be afraid that the child will suffocate while breastfeeding. If the newborn finds it difficult to breathe, he will let go of the chest himself to produce a breath. With proper feeding, the child captures with his mouth not only the nipple, but also most of the areola. Then the milk will flow uninterruptedly to the baby, and the mother will not be hurt. If the newborn is only latching on to the nipple, try putting some pressure on the breast, flattening it, as if you were flattening a huge burger to fit it in your mouth. So the baby will take the nipple along with the areola. If, nevertheless, the child grabbed only the nipple, and the nurse had pain, it is better to interrupt the feeding and try again after a while. You can interrupt the feeding of a newborn by putting your little finger in the corner of your mouth and gently turning it. At the same time, the child will open the gums and release the chest. Another effective way is to press on the baby's chin.

Poses for feeding a baby

The success of breastfeeding also depends on the position in which you feed your baby.
There are many positions in which you can breastfeed your baby. If the newborn takes the breast well on his own, then the position in which you feed does not matter. Clear recommendations for feeding in one position or another are needed when the baby, for some reason, cannot attach himself to the breast or does it ineptly.
most popular and comfortable posture for feeding - "cradle". To feed in this position, you need to take the baby in your arms, pressing it to your stomach. The baby's head should rest on the wrist or forearm, but not on the crook of the elbow. At the same time, the baby's breast is pressed against the mother's breast, the nose is next to the nipple. If the baby does not understand what to do and does not apply himself, then change the direction of the nipple so that it is next to the nose, not the mouth. When the newborn opens his mouth, you need to slightly press him closer to you.
The next position in which it is convenient to feed very young children is the “cross cradle”. The newborn is taken with the hand opposite to the breast that the mother will feed. That is, when feeding with the left breast, the newborn is placed on the right hand. So, the baby lies under the breast, his thigh is near your thigh. hugging a child right hand towards you, support him by the neck. The baby's breast is pressed against your chest. The second hand holds the chest if necessary. Also point the nipple to the baby's nose, or touch the nipple to the newborn's cheek. When the child opens his mouth, press him closer to you.
After caesarean section the position “from under the arm” is very convenient, since in this case the baby does not press on the stomach. In this position, the baby lies on the side, legs behind your back, you support him by the neck and shoulders. If the breasts are small, then the body of the baby can be slightly raised.
Lying on your side is convenient to feed the baby at night. To do this, you need both to lie facing each other on their sides. The nose or eyes of the child at the level of the nipple. It is quite acceptable if the back of the newborn is arched.
If the nurse's breasts are very large, you can sit in Turkish, put the baby on your knees and feed in that position.
Some babies love to be fed standing up, or even shifting from foot to foot. Then you need to confidently hold the child in your arms so that the baby has a feeling of support, "soil" under his feet. So he will surely relax and take the breast.

How to increase lactation

If there are problems with the establishment of lactation, especially if the baby does not take the breast well, you can try to put the naked baby on your bare skin more often. The warmth of the mother will make it easier for the baby to relax and take the breast. If you are worried that the baby may be so cold, cover yourself with a blanket.
Also, often young mothers face a problem when it is difficult for their child to suck on undeveloped breasts. He may not be strong enough to suck his mother's milk. If you feel like you're in this situation, try taking warm shower, slightly rubbing the breasts with a washcloth under jets of warm water. The shower can be replaced by rubbing the chest with a warm towel. Usually, after such procedures, milk begins to flow on its own. There is another old folk way to increase the production of breast milk - to drink green tea with milk (or Kalmyk tea). According to our grandmothers, this is one of the most effective ways increase the production of breast milk.

Feeding regimens for a newborn

There are several options for breastfeeding a newborn.


Feeding on demand
This is a feeding option in which attachment to the breast occurs every time the newborn asks. When feeding on demand, they do not use feeding bottles and pacifiers, since it is very important that the baby is not only full, but also has constant physical contact with the mother, with her warm skin. So the child is more likely to calm down if he is excited or something is bothering him.
Understanding that a newborn is hungry is easy. He moves lower jaw as if suckling at the breast, or turning her head in search of food, clenching her fists. Over time, the mother will be able to determine by the look of her child when he is hungry. The child begins to cry, as a rule, if, after the manifestation of the above signs of hunger, he is not applied to the chest.
Scheduled feeding
When choosing the option of feeding "by the clock", the newborn is applied every 3 hours with a mandatory night break of 6 - 6.5 hours. This method feeding is considered obsolete, but it has its advantages: after the child adapts to the regimen, he will sleep at night without interruption much longer than the baby, and the mother always knows when the child needs to be fed and will be able to plan her day.
The scheduled feeding option is more suitable for mothers who feed their baby with an adapted milk formula.

How much time to feed a baby

Some babies breastfeed for 40-50 minutes before feeling full, for some, 5 minutes is enough. However, neontologists and pediatricians believe that it is not worth leaving the baby at the breast for more than 15 minutes. Longer latching is possible with proper latch on of the nipple by the baby. Over time, the child will fill up faster. After feeding, a newborn baby should be laid on its side, propping up the back with a roller from a thick diaper or blanket.

baby after feeding

Feeding newborns isn't just about the number of nappies or counting wet diapers. You should also pay attention to the appearance of the newborn. The skin of a healthy baby is soft and elastic. You can determine this by gently squeezing the skin of the child and releasing it. The skin will straighten out immediately. Cry healthy child sounds loud. When awake, the baby should appear active.
The following are signs that may indicate a violation of the process of feeding an infant. In case of detection of such symptoms, do not delay the examination and evaluation of the breastfeeding process and the newborn by specialists.
Warning symptoms include:

  • the baby empties the intestines less than twice a day,
  • baby does not fill with urine 5 - 6 disposable diapers per day,
  • when feeding, it is not audible that the child swallows,
  • progressive jaundice,
  • high fever (dehydration),
  • mum's deformed and cracked nipples,
  • the newborn almost does not suck and sleeps more, falls asleep soundly at the beginning of sucking,
  • weight loss of the child after the establishment of lactation.

Feeding the baby should begin when in 10-14 days the newborn has not recovered to the weight with which he was born, or when the weight increases by no more than 115 grams per week.

Supplementation of a newborn is mandatory if:

  • decline body weight the newborn continues into the second week of life,
  • after the first two weeks, the baby could not increase the weight with which he was born,
  • head circumference does not increase or increases slightly,
  • the child has signs of dehydration: the skin is gray, the fontanel has become sunken,
  • no fat under skin newborn, drowsiness, Strong smell and bright color urine,
  • absence or decreased frequency of urination,
  • the bowels are not emptied or the number of bowel movements is too small.

Setting up artificial feeding

If for some reason breastfeeding is not possible, the child is transferred to feeding with an adapted milk formula. It should be chosen with a pediatrician. Only a specialist will be able to individually select a milk formula for your baby, taking into account the content of proteins, carbohydrates, fats and trace elements.
For example, there are milk formulas with high content fluoride, which may be suitable for those who live in an area with a deficiency of fluoride in drinking water. There are also formulas with a high iron content, or formulas for newborns who are allergic to milk protein or suffer from metabolic disorders. Mixtures with probiotics and fermented milk mixtures, which, according to manufacturers, help fight constipation and colic.

How to prepare infant formula

Check the expiration date before preparing formula. Never give formula that is past its expiration date, or formula that has been dented or damaged in containers (jars).
It is necessary to follow exactly the method of preparing the mixture indicated by the manufacturer on the package. Sterilization of bottles is necessary within the time prescribed by the pediatrician. As a rule, these are the first 2-3 months. After washing the bottles with hot soapy water is sufficient. Maintain personal hygiene and always wash your hands before mixing.
If necessary, you can warm the bottle under the stream hot water. The temperature of the drink can be checked by dropping the mixture on the outside of the wrist: the mixture should be at body temperature. Use only freshly prepared formula for feeding. Never give your baby old, warmed formula, as bacteria can grow in formula that has stood for a while. Do not heat the mixture microwave oven. So you run the risk of burning the mucous membrane of the mouth and throat of the child, because the liquid in the microwave heats up unevenly and continues to heat up for another 15-20 seconds after the microwave is turned off.
It is necessary to give the mixture for testing to a newborn very carefully. Pay close attention to your baby's reaction. If the mixture is suitable and there are no allergic reactions (as well as bloating, colic or other symptoms that cause discomfort and anxiety in the baby), then within 5-7 days you can increase the consumption of the milk formula to age norm baby.

Formula feeding regimen for a newborn

The specificity of artificial feeding is feeding the child strictly by the hour. This is due to the fact that for processing and assimilation adapted mixture the body of a newborn takes a lot of time. Therefore, feeding on demand this case, unacceptably.
The ideal option is to feed the newborn with a mixture of 6-7 times a day every 3-3.5 hours. At the same time, a break of 6 - 6.5 hours is needed at night. In case of poor appetite in a baby, you can relax and eat at the same time 1 or 2 times a day, and the rest of the time try to feed the baby at your own discretion. After all, the most important thing is that the child gain weight, grow and develop, be cheerful and contented.
Also, according to most pediatricians, newborns who are on artificial feeding must be supplemented with water. Water is offered after the meal is over.
Some rules for bottle feeding will help to establish artificial feeding and bring joy and pleasure to both mother and baby.
Before feeding, you can warn the newborn by touching his cheek. warm hand or the tip of a pacifier. The child will have an innate reflex and he will turn towards the bottle. Then it is necessary to place the nipple between the lips of the newborn. Tilt the bottle so that there is only mixture in the nipple, no air. If in the early days the baby consumes very little, do not worry, because at the very beginning the baby does not need much milk to become full.
It is necessary to check the uniformity of the supply of food through the nipple. You can do this by turning the bottle upside down and shaking it 2-3 times. First, a thin stream should flow, and then drops drip. If the mixture is poured out in a stream, then the food is supplied quickly, and the child may choke. If one or two drops fall in one shaking, then the mixture flows out very slowly. Then the child will be tired faster than full. You can adjust the flow of the mixture by changing the tightness with which the bottle cap was screwed or by replacing a nipple with an inappropriate cut.

Norm of feeding a newborn baby

Breastfeeding a newborn, like artificial feeding, has its own norms. So, the rate of consumption of milk or mixture per day depends on the weight and age of the child. How to find out how much a newborn should eat per feeding?
In the first and second months of life, the volume per day is normally 1/5 of the child's weight. At 2 - 4 months, the volume will already be 1/6 of the weight, at 4 - 6 months, food intake will be 1/7 of the child's weight, after six months 1/9. That is, at a child's age of two weeks and a weight of 3900 grams, the daily volume of breast milk or formula for a newborn will be 780 ml (3900/5). If a child eats 6 times a day, then at one time he should eat approximately 130 ml.

Newborn feeding chart

Single feeding scheme: Diagram of daily milk intake
1-4 days: 25-60 ml 1-4 days: 250-300 gr.
1 week: 55-80 ml 1 week: 400 gr.
2 weeks: 65-90 ml 2 weeks: 20% of body weight
1 month: 110-115 ml 1 month: 600 gr.
2 month: 125-150 ml 2 months: 800 gr.
3 month: 155-180 ml 3 months: 1/6 of body weight
4 month: 185-210 ml 4 months: 1/6 of body weight
5-6 month: 215-240 ml 5-6 months: 1/7 of body weight
7-12 months: 215-240 ml 7-12 months: 1/9 of body weight

After the child has eaten, it is necessary to hold him in a column so that the baby can burp the air that has entered the stomach. You can often notice regurgitation in a newborn after feeding. What is spitting up food, and why does a newborn spit up after feeding? Regurgitation after feeding in a child is a consequence of pushing a small amount of milk out of the stomach. Then the air that the baby swallowed leaves the stomach. In fact, regurgitation is physiological norm and signals good work digestive system newborn.

hiccups after feeding

Hiccups in newborns after feeding are quite common.
As a rule, the causes of hiccups after eating are air trapped in the stomach, overeating, or bloating. To determine why a newborn hiccups after feeding, you need to watch how he eats. When breastfeeding, make sure that the baby tightly grasps the nipple and excess air does not enter with milk. With artificial feeding, hiccups are more likely to indicate that the nipple has an oversized hole.

Nursing mother's breast care

For many women, breastfeeding causes discomfort. side effects and discomfort like cracked nipples. This phenomenon causes not only pain in a woman, but also bleeding from the nipples, which leads to blood entering the baby's stomach, which is highly undesirable. Sometimes pain the mother's are so strong that she stops breastfeeding the baby and at that moment begins to feed the baby with a mixture. But according to breastfeeding experts, this most often happens when the nipple is not properly latched on the first or second feeding. Therefore, it is very important to learn how to immediately properly breastfeed a newborn. Try to "harden" the nipples by leaving them uncovered for 15-20 minutes, after wiping dry.

But if this has already happened, then you need to immediately begin the treatment of cracked nipples so that this does not become a reason for refusing to breastfeed the child. With a lack of milk, it is still better to offer the baby a breast first so that he eats as much milk as he can. And then feed him with the mixture. Do not stop breastfeeding, because even a small amount breast milk provides the baby with immunity. In the case when there is too much milk, the mother should follow the feeding regimen and not drink a lot of water.

Mom is the main expert in the care and feeding of her child. From latching to latching, trust and intimacy between you and your baby grows, an understanding and affection that will stay with you forever, even after you stop feeding. Change positions, change breasts, do everything to make you feel comfortable while your baby is breastfeeding. After all, the main thing in breastfeeding is a positive attitude and good mood mothers.

Undoubtedly, breastfeeding is the gold standard of nutrition for children. But what to do when a mother cannot breastfeed? Let's say she is sick, she has no or little milk, or there are other reasons. Artificial feeding with milk mixtures is called for help. In order for it to be beneficial, it is important to know all the nuances - how often to feed a newborn with a mixture, how much formula can be given, which one is better to choose, etc.

What is artificial feeding

This is a replacement (full or partial - 2/3 of the diet) of mother's milk with artificial dairy products.

BTW: Ideal for twins, triplets, etc.

Selection rules

It must be done for the benefit quality product. This is not only about the date of manufacture, the duration of storage after opening the package. First of all, it must be correct recommendations pediatrician based on:

  • food composition,
  • baby age,
  • his weight
  • body features,
  • reactions to food.
  • his weight
  • body features,
  • reactions to food.

Reasons for replacement

Diarrhea or constipation, drowsiness, increased gas formation? Perhaps the dairy product is not suitable. Feeding takes place in the mode of tears and spitting? Something went wrong, didn’t like the taste or something else. So, you need to consult a doctor for advice and advice. Because there are more serious reasons, forcing the pediatric specialist to replace one formula for artificial feeding with another:

  1. Allergy to the composition (severe rashes).
  2. Requires another, suitable for age.
  3. due to illness (required) special compound with medicinal properties).
  4. Stopping weight gain.

BTW: You can not use several different mixtures, give food intended for a different age, or feed a child against his will.

How often can artificial mixtures be changed

No, it is not recommended to do this often and, moreover, arbitrarily without talking with the pediatrician. It is difficult for a child's body to rebuild quickly or, worse, to do it all the time. Try to closely observe the assimilation of the new food by the child:

  1. The rash may go away the next day.
  2. The unfavorable stool improved by evening.
  3. The tummy does not hurt the next morning.
  4. No spitting up or anything like that.

ATTENTION: If something is wrong, pay a visit to the children's clinic. Ask what types of dairy products are ideal.

Mixtures for artificial feeding - types and varieties

Manufacturers manufacture products for artificial feeding of newborns, which are based on milk (goat or cow). She happens:

  • dry, liquid,
  • fresh and sour-milk substitutes women's milk,
  • ordinary (the composition is a bit like mother's milk) and adapted (as similar as possible).

Varieties of mixtures for artificial feeding of newborns

  1. The most adapted: with the greatest degree of similarity with mother's milk.
  2. Highly adapted: due to the presence of tauric acid, nutrition is ideal for premature babies.
  3. With less adaptation: from dry cow's milk, without milk whey, but with other adaptation parameters.
  4. With partial adaptation: without whey, with incomplete adaptation of carbohydrates and fats, starch and sucrose; unacceptable for newborns.
  5. Special: for special occasions when required special food(babies with a weakened immune system, premature).
  6. Therapeutic (lactose-free, soy, semi-elementary, with thickeners - for allergies, malabsorption of food in the intestines, low weight, disorders of the intestinal flora, etc.).

ATTENTION: Medicinal and special mixtures are prescribed by a doctor according to indications!

How often to feed a newborn formula - feeding schedule

Is it possible to feed the baby at will and demand? No, it's better not to.

Firstly, this is not mother's milk, which comes in proportion to what he sucked in the previous feeding.

Secondly, the baby's body needs time to digest artificial food. Otherwise, if the break is not observed, nothing good will come from adding fresh food to undigested food.

When a baby is bottle-fed, he must consume the prescribed amount of food, and strictly by the hour.

How to enter the mixture correctly - cooking rules

If this is the first introduction to the diet of dairy products (or new), then carry out the process for 5-7 days. Initially, a small volume is offered (no more than one third of the prescribed portion). If everything went well, the amount of food increases during the week.

Rules for the preparation of milk formula and feeding

The first thing to do is to carefully read the cooking instructions. dairy product and stick to it. A larger or smaller amount of the contents of a pack or jar is fraught with belching, regurgitation, unstable stools and other consequences that are dangerous for the liver, kidneys, pancreas and other organs. When preparing a mass that a tiny artificial man must certainly like, keep in mind:

It is prepared exclusively before feeding and in no case - not for the future.

Water (boiled) and the product are quickly mixed in the right proportion until completely dissolved. The bottle is then shaken.

It is necessary to cook only in well-sterilized dishes.

For breeding, specialized water without harmful substances is used.

The feeding nipple must be suitable for the baby.

REMEMBER: The temperature of the cooked food should be 36-37° (by dropping a drop on your wrist, check - the liquid should not be felt).

How to calculate the required amount of formula for feeding

The norm is calculated based on the age of the crumbs, weight and appetite. In principle, the so-called. " volumetric method". For example, per day the main food should be:

  • in the first two months of life - 1/5 of body weight,
  • in 2-4 months - 1/6,
  • at 4-6 months - 1/7,
  • after six months - 1/8-1/9.

Example. The weight of an infant aged 3.5 months is 5700. Give him 950 ml of an adapted formula per day. But the approximate amount of food, as well as how many hours to feed, is specified in each case separately with the doctor, and not “by eye”.

REMEMBER: Your little "artificial" at a time can eat different amount food. The determining factor may be well-being, appetite and other factors.

How much food is needed in one feeding?

To do this, the daily volume is divided by the number of receptions. Those. from the formula 950:6 = 158 we see that at a time through the required period of time (with six feedings) the little one should be given about 160 g.

BTW: The volume of the artificial product does not include juice, water, decoctions of fruits and vegetables. If the menu includes complementary foods ( vegetable puree, yolk, cottage cheese), the fact should be taken into account when determining the desired volume of the mixture.

How to properly formula feed your baby

  1. Before feeding with powder or liquid products mixed with baby water, the temperature of the resulting mass is checked (should not be higher than 36.6-37 degrees).
  2. It is important to observe that the baby does not swallow air while sucking.
  3. Unused mixture should not be given again.
  4. The child should be in a semi-vertical position.
  5. After eating, the dishes and the nipple must be sterilized with high quality.

NEED TO KNOW: Is there anything left in the bottle? Pour it out, because you can’t leave a drop next time!

How many times to feed - feeding schedule

How to find out after what time, how many times to feed the "artificial"? Their feeding schedule is usually traditional. So, in the first month of life, it is necessary to give food 6-7 times, i.e. a break is maintained somewhere in 3-3.5 hours. (At night, the interval can be about 6 hours). After the interval increases.

ATTENTION: If you notice that the “artificial” baby is not enough, he does not eat up, consult a doctor about increasing the number of feedings.

In a word, everything is determined, and then, if necessary, the doctor will correct it. For example, the baby will not cope with the recommended volume at a time. So, feed more often, but in smaller portions.

One way or another, it is advisable to closely monitor the behavior of the little one. He should not be lethargic and inactive. Should be gaining weight well. Otherwise, at the reception, at the clinic!

BTW: Include water in your formula-fed diet! But do not take it into account when calculating the total volume daily allowance children's meal.

  1. When preparing food, take the mixture with a clean measuring spoon.
  2. In the first days, prepare the desired volume by adding 10-20 ml. When the “artificial” baby’s diet improves, it will be easier to select the amount.
  3. Yes, milk during artificial feeding is longer in the stomach, and therefore the regimen is established. But if the baby becomes very worried about 15-20 minutes before feeding, do not torment - feed.
  4. The nipple should be with a normal, not a large hole - the milk does not flow in streams, but drips.
  5. Hold the bottle in such a way that the milk fills the neck. Otherwise, swallowing air with milk, the baby will burp.
  6. Do not leave him alone with the horn - burping, he may choke.
  7. Don't feed while you sleep.
  8. Go to the clinic if you notice frequent regurgitation, insufficient weight gain and height, frequent (more than three times a day) stools with undigested lumps, any anxiety before or after meals.

Advantages of artificial feeding

So, there is no breast milk or others have appeared good reasons stop breastfeeding? Do not rush to get upset! Yes, the artificial nutrition recommended to you does not contain such unique elements of human milk. But still, this feeding system has its advantages.

  1. You can entrust feeding to your husband or someone from your family, and go away on business.
  2. By feeding the child in this way, the mother knows how much food he needs. Therefore, you will immediately notice health problems.
  3. You can, unlike breastfeeding moms, continue to eat as before.
  4. You are not threatened with mastitis and other problems that arise during breastfeeding.
  5. Due to the longer digestion of the mixture, the number of meals is reduced. So, you can devote much more time to yourself, your family and your favorite business!

Whether you decide to breastfeed or bottle feed your baby, you will soon realize that the time allotted for feeding is not just for feeding your baby. It will give you the opportunity to know and love each other.

HOW TO START BREASTFEEDING
All breastfeeding mothers you have seen have done it so easily and carelessly, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. When you yourself brought the baby to your chest for the first time, it didn’t seem to you at all that everything here was so simple and natural. Even with all your concentration and purposeful efforts, there was no way you could get the baby to latch onto the nipple, let alone start suckling. The child became nervous, you fell into despair, soon you were both in tears.

No need to get upset. You didn't fail the motherhood exam - you're just getting started. Feeding, like most motherhood, is an acquired skill, not an innate one. Give yourself and your baby some time and you'll be fine too.

Early start
If the baby is not taken to the nursery immediately after birth, try to start feeding right in the maternity ward. But don't persist if you don't succeed, because you're both tired after difficult childbirth. The opportunity to hold a child at the breast in the first moments of his life will bring as much satisfaction as complete feeding. If you are unable to start feeding right in the maternity ward, ask to bring the baby to your feeding room as soon as all necessary procedures. However, remember that although early start ideal for breastfeeding, it does not guarantee immediate success. It will take time to build rapport with your child.

Try to break the routine
The rules established in the maternity hospital usually have the goal of bringing maximum benefit, however, these aspirations do not always coincide with the needs of a nursing mother and her child. To ensure that your desire to breastfeed does not run into a lack of sensitivity, understanding, or rigid rules, ask your doctor to communicate your wishes to the staff in advance (exclusively breastfeeding, no bottles and nipples) or yourself in a friendly tone explain your position to the nurses. Attracting a breast sister to your side will in the best possible way to achieve success.

stick together
It is not possible to breastfeed if you and your baby are away from each other. Therefore, the general ward is ideal condition for a nursing mother, because in this case she is not dependent on the personnel who bring her baby to feed, and can be sure that no one will slip the baby a bottle of sweetened water instead of her breast. If you are very tired after a difficult birth or do not feel enough strength and confidence in yourself to be with your child 24 hours a day, then let the child be with you only during the day and spend the night in the nursery. With such a system, during the day you will be able to feed your baby when he asks, and at night - according to the schedule established in the children's schedule.

If it is impossible to arrange so that the child in daytime was with you (in some hospitals this is only allowed in separate rooms or when both patients sharing a common room agree that the children be next to them during the day), or you yourself do not want this, then you can ask that the child be brought to you immediately same as soon as he wakes up hungry, and not when it is convenient for the nurses. Since such a request is considered an unreasonable whim in most hospitals, your doctor should arrange everything in advance. If things don't work out for you, you may need to consider leaving early so you can be at home with your baby. If this is not possible, then you will have to feed the baby according to the hospital schedule until you receive your discharge papers. But don't let the baby sleep when they bring it to you. If you were given a sleeping baby, wake him up and breastfeed for at least a few minutes.

Practice, practice and more practice
Until the milk has arrived, consider breastfeeding a "dry cut" and don't worry about your baby not getting enough food. The amount of milk you produce is in accordance with the needs of the baby. AT this moment these needs are minimal - a newborn's stomach is simply not able to cope with a large amount of food - and the small amount of colostrum that your breasts produce is just what he needs now. In the first feedings, think more about how to improve your technique than how to fill the baby's stomach, and don't worry that your baby is hungry - you're just both learning.

Be persistent
Feeding on demand when the baby is hungry is always better for the newborn. However, this may only be possible if you are together or if the nursery in the maternity hospital is sufficiently staffed so that the sisters can bring the babies to their mothers whenever they are hungry. If neither condition is possible, you should use every opportunity to breastfeed and not allow a sleepy baby to just lie there and sleep.

Ban the bottle
Look at feeding your baby with glucose-sweetened water, a common practice in neonatal care in some clinics, as a sabotage of your breastfeeding efforts. Even a few drops of sugar water can satisfy a newborn's modest appetite and sucking need, and when the baby is brought to you, he will be more sleepy than hungry. You may also find that your child is unwilling to take a nipple after being introduced to artificial pacifier requiring much less effort. If your baby doesn't latch on or starts to suckle half-heartedly, your breasts won't get the stimulation they need to produce milk, and your efforts to breastfeed will almost certainly come to naught.

You may be told that the baby needs extra fluids, which he gets from the bottle (because all the mother gives him is a few teaspoons of colostrum), but this statement is only valid if there is dehydration or hypoglycemia (low blood glucose), which is very rare. This practice only helps to make life easier for the ever-hurrying staff: it is much easier for a nurse to put a bottle in a screaming child's mouth than to bring it to his mother.

Give yourself time
Normal breastfeeding cannot be established overnight. If you are doing this for the first time, then you, like a baby, have no experience. You both have a lot to learn and you need to be patient as you learn. It is necessary to go through many trials and make many mistakes before there is complete consistency in your actions.

Remember that the task will become more difficult if one or both of you experienced serious difficulties during labor and delivery, or if you were given anesthesia; get a good night's sleep (and let your child do the same) before you seriously take on the task ahead of you.

Don't do it alone
A hundred years ago, mothers and children taking their first steps in breastfeeding had comprehensive help and support. Mothers, aunts and grandmothers, as a rule, were always there to pass on their experience; nurses were also at hand, ready to help. But if your baby was born in a hospital rather than a canopy bed, and your mother and aunts probably don't live nearby, you shouldn't be left alone and unsupported at all. Some hospitals have courses for breastfeeding mothers or provide individual instruction and literature. If no one offers you postpartum care, ask your nurse, your doctor, or a lactation consultant at the hospital for help. Making an early visit (1-2 weeks postpartum) to your pediatrician and talking to them about your breastfeeding progress will surely make you feel more confident. Connecting with other mothers who are breastfeeding their babies can also help build confidence.

Keep calm
This is not at all easy if you are a young inexperienced mother, but staying calm is essential if you want to succeed in breastfeeding. nervous tension can worsen the outflow of milk, and even if your milk is in enough, it will not go until you relax. If you feel anxious, ask visitors to leave 15 minutes before you are due to feed your baby, or if you are feeding on demand, tell guests to leave as soon as the baby shows the first signs of hunger. Use relaxation exercises if you feel they can help you, pick up a book or magazine, turn on the TV, or just close your eyes and listen to soothing music for a few minutes. Before an evening meal, you can try a glass of fizzy cider to help you relax. Since recent research suggests that even a glass of wine a day, regularly drunk by a nursing mother, can slow down the development of a child's motor skills, take daily alcoholic drinks Not recommended.

BASICS OF BREASTFEEDING

A glass of milk, juice, or water before a meal will provide you with the extra fluid you need to produce milk. Stronger drinks (which contain alcohol) are only recommended on rare occasions and not to increase fluid levels in the body.
Get comfortable. At first, it is most convenient for many to feed lying on their side. After a while, start feeding in a sitting position, sitting in a chair or on a bed. But don't lean forward to put the nipple in your baby's mouth; instead, put a pillow on your knees, rest the hand holding the baby on it, and bring his face to your chest. Experiment until you find the most comfortable position in which you can sit enough for a long time without feeling stressed or tired.
Grab your chest with your thumb and forefinger free hand (thumb above) next to areola. Holding the breast in this way, bring the nipple close to the baby's lips and tickle them by moving the nipple up and down. This should encourage him to open his mouth. But don't tickle or pinch your cheeks to force the mouth open, as the baby doesn't know which way to turn. Once the mouth opens, carefully place the nipple in the center so that the baby can latch onto it. Repeat this if necessary until the baby is squeezing the nipple with his lips. Don't use force. If the child is not rushed, sooner or later he will understand everything.
Make sure that the baby's lips are not only on the nipple, but also on the areola, otherwise the mammary gland that secretes milk will not shrink. Also make sure that the baby does not miss the target and does not start sucking on another part of the breast. Newborns are ready to suckle even when milk is not flowing, and are capable of leaving painful bruises on sensitive breast tissue.
Make sure the baby is not sucking on their own tongue or lip. You can test this by gently pulling back on your bottom lip while feeding. If your baby seems to be tongue sucking, stop feeding with your index finger, move the nipple, and make sure the tongue is down before feeding again. If it is a lip, gently release it while the baby suckles.
After the baby has firmly grasped the nipple, make sure that his nose is not blocked by the breast. If this is the case, press your finger on the chest to give the baby enough room to breathe.
Strong, rhythmic movements of the baby's cheeks are a sign that the process is underway. Later, when there is more milk, you will begin to hear swallowing sounds (sometimes even gurgling), confirming that the efforts of the child are not in vain. If the milk comes in so quickly that it fills up the baby's mouth, causing him to cough, stop feeding and express some milk to reduce the flow.
Feed for 5 minutes on each breast on the first day, 10 minutes on the second, and 15 minutes or more on the third. (Some doctors believe that feeding "can go on for as long as the baby wants.) After the milk arrives, feed 10 minutes from one breast and until the baby is full from the second, and if the baby still shows signs of hunger, again give him the first.If the baby fell asleep before you had time to change breasts, then burping can cause him to continue suckling.
Start each feeding on a different breast. As a reminder, you can attach a safety pin to the bra on the same side you started the previous feeding, or special gasket in a bra cup. Prokchadka is also useful for soaking up milk flowing from breasts that you have not fed.
When the baby has finished suckling, dry the nipples; then, if possible, leave them uncovered for 10-15 minutes. This will help to harden them, and when feeding becomes a familiar procedure, the need for this will disappear.
After the milk arrives, feed frequently - at least 8-10 times a day - giving the baby both breasts and completely emptying one of them. If at any feeding the baby did not suckle too vigorously or not long enough and left it not completely empty, you should express the remaining milk, especially if you do not have too much milk. Expressed milk can be stored in the refrigerator or freezer and use with supplementary feeding.

HOW TO START BOTTLE FEEDING
Surprisingly, bottle feeding starts out more naturally and easier than breastfeeding. Newborns experience less difficulty learning to suckle from a nipple, and it is much easier for a mother to give her baby a bottle than a breast. Preparing the formula and sterilizing the bottle is somewhat difficult, but these skills can be mastered without much effort.

MIX SELECTION
With the help of a pediatrician, choose a mixture that is closest in composition to mother's milk - the type and content of proteins, fats, sugar, sodium and other components should match to the maximum extent the type and content of the components that make up the basis of breast milk. A mixture containing fluorine may be good choice unless you live in an area with fluoridated water. The presence of iron in the mixture is also very important if you do not use bait containing iron. For children who are allergic to milk or suffer from metabolic disorders such as phenylketonuria, there are special formulas. Artificial mixtures go on sale in various forms.

Ready to use
Ready-made mixtures are sold in disposable bottles and can be given to the child immediately after the sterilized nipple is in place.

Ready for bottling
Available in jars of various sizes containing a liquid mixture that only needs to be poured into a sterilized bottle and is ready to use.

Ready for breeding
Less expensive but more time consuming - concentrated liquid or powder that needs to be diluted boiled water. Sold in cans or cartons.

Don't mix home cooking! Formula made from powdered or fresh milk with the addition of sugar and water has nothing to do with either breast milk or branded formula. Do not use artificial mixtures without obtaining the approval of a pediatrician. There is a known case where a company offered for sale a soy drink, which, according to them, was equivalent replacement mother's milk, but later it was found that this is far from the case.

SAFE BOTTLE FEEDING
At one time, bottle-feeding a baby was a risky business. Because of poor sanitation and inadequate formulas, formula-fed babies were often malnourished, ill, or even died from infectious diseases. Artificial formulas currently being produced mimic breast milk as closely as possible with modern development science, and absolutely safe for the child. But in order to be completely sure that the health of your child is completely safe, you must follow certain rules for sterilizing dishes and diluting mixtures:

always check the expiration date of artificial mixtures; do not buy formula with an overdue sales date, as well as wrinkled, leaking or damaged cans and packaging;
wash your hands thoroughly before preparing formula;
before opening the jar, wash the top of the jar detergent and hot water; rinse well and dry. Shake if required;
use only sharp and clean can openers, preferably those designed exclusively for opening cans of artificial dry mix (a knife with a revolving handle works best); wash can-opener after each use and check for food residue or rust stains before using again. Using a clean punch-type knife when opening a can of liquid mixture, make two holes - one large, the other small - on the opposite side of the can, so that the mixture pours out more easily;
When preparing bottles of formula, also have one or two bottles of boiled water on hand if you are going to give your baby water between feeds. When your baby is over a month old pediatrician may allow him to give him unboiled water (if you are not sure about the quality of your tap water, use boiled, but not distilled water to dilute the mixture and drink (distillation removes valuable minerals from water) water);
everything that was used to feed the baby, wash in a clean basin designed exclusively for this purpose, clean the bottle with a brush, rinse with detergent and hot water. (New accessories should be boiled before first use.) soapy water through the opening of the nipple, then run hot water through the nipple several times. If the Hole is clogged, clean it with a diaper pin. (Transparent silicone nipples are easier to clean.) Rinse all accessories under hot running water;
follow the manufacturer's instructions exactly when you prepare the mixture. If they differ from the instructions you received from the nurses at the maternity hospital or from your doctor, find out the reason for the discrepancy before you start formula; perhaps the instructions you received were for a different mixture.
Always check the label on the jar to see if formula needs to be diluted: diluting formula that does not require it, or conversely, using undiluted formula can be dangerous for your baby. Continue to sterilize the bottle for as long as your doctor tells you to. Most doctors suggest doing this for 2~3 months, although some find it sufficient to wash the bottle in hot, soapy water;
if necessary, warm the formula bottle under running hot water before use. (However, many babies are more than happy to eat the formula unheated.) Check the temperature at short intervals by squeezing a few drops of the mixture onto the outside of your wrist: it will be ready for the baby if you stop feeling cold - the mixture should not be warm, just enough temperature body. After heating the mixture, you should immediately use it, because in warm conditions bacteria begin to multiply many times faster. Do not heat the formula in the microwave - the liquid may heat up unevenly or the bottle will remain cold and the mixture will be so hot that it will burn the baby's mouth and throat;
do not use a mixture that is redundant. Whatever is left in the bottle from the previous feeding must be poured out, as the milk mixture is a breeding ground for bacteria;
Rinse the bottle and nipple immediately after use to make cleaning easier afterwards.
opened jars or bottles of liquid formula should be tightly closed and refrigerated for no longer than the expiration date indicated on the label. Jars and packages with a dry mix should also be closed, stored in a dry and cool place and used within a month;
do not store the liquid mixture, whether it has been opened or not, at temperatures below 0°C or above 35°C, Ideal Temperature for storage + 7-32 ° C. Do not use a mixture that has been frozen (soy products freeze faster), and one in which white particles and streaks are noticeable even after shaking;
Keep bottles of formula in the refrigerator until it's time to use them. If you're traveling, bring bottles of ready-to-use formula or bags of dry formula and bottles of boiled water, or place bottles of pre-mixed formula in a heat-insulated container, plastic box with a small ice pack, or a dozen ice cubes(mixture will stay fresh until most of the ice has melted); or pack the bottles with a can of frozen juice (when you want to snack, the juice will have thawed and the mixture will still be fresh). Do not use the mixture if it does not feel cold to the touch.

FORTUNE FEEDING WITH LOVE
No matter how clumsily an inexperienced mother may act, mastering the wisdom of breastfeeding, her baby is unlikely to experience a lack of maternal warmth - a natural feature of breastfeeding. However, it often happens that a bottle-fed baby is deprived of the opportunity to feel direct contact with the mother, many loving, but always in a hurry mothers sacrifice minutes of intimacy with the child, minimizing the time allotted for feeding. So mothers who start bottle feeding need to make more efforts to stay in contact with their baby during feeding. The following tips will help you make bottle feeding the same joyful experience for participants as breastfeeding.

Do not secure the bottle
At small child, who feels the same strong need for emotional satisfaction from the opportunity to cuddle up to his mother's breast, the fixed bottle leaves a feeling of deep dissatisfaction. The mother must be there. And besides emotional similar practice has a clean physical handicaps. The risk that a child may choke increases significantly if he eats lying on his back - a serious danger when the mother is not around. Babies who eat in this position are also more prone to ear problems, and because they can fall asleep with a pacifier in their mouth, they are more likely to have dental problems after their first teeth erupt.

Feed your baby for the first time
Your baby is just getting used to the rubber nipple. Since each adult picks up, holds and talks to the baby in their own way, a large number of people (mother, father, grandmother, grandfather, caregiver, older children) offering a bottle to the child can interfere with the establishment of normal feeding and strengthening of bonds between the child and mother. At first, try to feed only yourself, if necessary, using the help of one person. Later, when the child becomes more skilled, you can allow the rest of the family to enjoy feeding the child.

Try to make contact
There is something special about having a baby's cheek pressed against the mother's breast. Even with bottle-feeding, you can experience this feeling if you unbutton your blouse and hold your baby to your chest when you give him a bottle. Of course, such a gesture is not entirely appropriate in front of outsiders, but it works great in an intimate setting.

Change hands
Give your baby the opportunity to see the world from different perspectives by changing hands during feeding. It will also allow you to release the tension that can come from staying in one position for a long time.

Let your child decide when he or she is full
If you see that the child has eaten half ordinary norm, you may have a desire to make him finish eating everything. Do not do that. Healthy child knows when to stop. And it is precisely because of this coercion that children who are formula-fed are much more likely to have excess weight than their breastfed peers.

How to prolong the pleasure of bottle feeding
A breastfed baby may continue to suckle for a long time after it is empty, just for comfort and for her own pleasure. Your baby won't do the same with an empty bottle, but there are ways you can give him the same satisfaction. If your baby seems to want to continue sucking after a feed, use a nipple with a smaller opening, which will force him to work harder and longer for the same amount of food, or offer him a bottle of water or a pacifier for a while. If the baby continues to be naughty after feeding, then perhaps he is malnourished. With the permission of the doctor, increase the serving by 30-50 g to make sure that the child is showing anxiety due to hunger and not for any other reason.

Feel no regrets about bottle feeding
If you really wanted to breastfeed, but for some reason could not, do not worry about it and fall into despair. Can you provide a child good nutrition, and also let him feel his love and maternal warmth even with artificial feeding.

BOTTLE FEEDING
If you have had to deal with bottle feeding before (feeding your oldest child, a friend's child, or gaining experience working part-time as a babysitter), the correct feeding technique will return to you as soon as you take the child in your arms. In doing so, you need to remember a few basic rules.

Let your baby know that "food is near" by stroking her cheek with a finger or the tip of a pacifier. This will cause the child to turn towards the stimulus. Then carefully place the pacifier between the baby's lips.
Tilt the bottle so that the mixture is always full. The stu closed the nipple and air did not get there. However, this precaution is not necessary if you are using disposable bottle liners, which automatically eliminate air bubbles.
Do not worry if it seems to you that the baby eats too little in the early days: the need for food in the newborn is very small at first. A breastfed baby at this time consumes only a few teaspoons of colostrum at each feeding. A baby who falls asleep after eating only 15-20 grams of food is already full. But if the baby, after taking a small amount of food, begins to behave restlessly, spits out the pacifier and refuses to take it back, then he may have swallowed air. If, after spitting up, he still rejects the nipple, then the feeding is over.
The amount of formula a baby consumes during feeding will increase as he gains weight, from 60g to a full 230g bottle, or approximately 900g a day when he is 12 weeks old. Ignore if your baby eats a different amount of formula at each feed or every day as long as he continues to gain weight normally.
Make sure the mixture flows through the nipple evenly. You can test this by turning the bottle upside down and shaking it a few times. If the mixture pours out in a trickle, then it flows too quickly, but if only a drop or two has fallen, it is too slow. If at first a thin stream flowed out, and then a few drops fell, then the rate of flow of the mixture is approximately the same as it should be. You can also find out the answer by watching your baby suckle. If you see that the baby is tired when sucking, often stops to rest, or releases the nipple and starts to complain, then the formula is too slow. But if you hear a gurgle and a trickle of milk, a mixture, constantly flows from the corners of your mouth, it comes too quickly.
Even power delivery may depend on how you screw the cap on. A very tight cap reduces flow by creating a partial vacuum; if you loosen the lid, the mixture will flow more easily. If adjusting the lid does not affect the flow of the mixture, then it may be the size of the nipple opening, it is too large. Boiling the pacifier for a few minutes can narrow the hole a little, and if that doesn't work, put it aside until the baby is older and put in another one with a smaller hole. If the current is too weak, you need to enlarge the hole with a diaper pin, a needle heated on fire, or stick a wooden toothpick into the hole and boil the nipple for 5 minutes.
Night feedings can be made less of an ordeal by purchasing a special bottle holder that is placed next to the baby's crib. The bottle is kept refrigerated in it until it is time to feed, and then quickly warms up to room temperature. You can store the bottle in the children's room in an ice bucket, and warm it up under running hot water before feeding.

STERILIZATION TECHNIQUE

Final heating method
(for concentrated liquid and dry mixture). Dilute the mixture according to package label directions in a clean measuring cup, then pour into clean bottles. Close the bottles loosely with nipples, caps and clamps. Put them in a sterilizer or large saucepan on a wire rack or folded towel and pour 7-8 cm of water in. Heat to a boil, then cover and simmer for 25 minutes. Remove from fire. When the bottles are cool, screw the caps on tightly and store in the refrigerator until needed. (Putting the bottles in the refrigerator before they are cold can cause sediment to clog the opening of the nipple during feeding.) Use within 48 hours.

aseptic method
(for concentrated liquid and dry mixture). Place clean bottles, nipples, clamps, caps, stirrer, can opener, measuring jug, measuring cup, and tongs (make sure these items can be boiled) in a sterilizer or large pot on a wire rack or folded towel. Fill completely with water, cover and boil for 5 minutes. Pour just enough water into another saucepan to dilute the mixture. Cover, bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and, without lifting the lids, let both containers cool to room temperature. Measure out the desired amount of the mixture in a sterilized measuring cup and add it to the boiled water in the second saucepan. Pour the diluted mixture into sterilized bottles and replace the nipples, clamp-. ki, caps, using sterilized tongs, so as not to take them with your hands. Store in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours. Shake before use.

Single bottle method
(for concentrated liquid and dry mixture). Pour the required amount of water into each bottle, then loosely seal them with teats and caps. Place in a sterilizer or large pot on a wire rack or folded towel. Add water up to the water level in the bottles. Bring to a boil, cover with a lid and simmer for 25 minutes. Remove from fire. When the bottles are cool enough to handle with your hands, remove them, screw on the caps and store at room temperature. Use within 48 hours. Before feeding, remove the cap and nipple from one bottle, add the desired amount of concentrated liquid or powder to it, screw the cap back on and shake well to mix the mixture. (Dry formula dissolves best in warm water, so you can warm the bottle a bit before you mix it in.)

Method for ready-to-use mix
Ready-to-use mixtures do not require dilution. If you bought formula already poured into disposable bottles, you only need to boil teats, caps, clamps, as well as tongs, a teat case and a cap for 5 minutes on a wire rack or a folded towel in a sterilizer or a large closed saucepan. Remove from fire. When cool, use tongs to place the nipples in a sterilized case or clean plastic box. Keep them closed until it's time to put them on the bottle. If the mixture has been stored at room temperature, shake the bottle thoroughly and use immediately after opening.

Ready-to-use formulas sold in 230-gram jars require sterilized bottles. Sterilize using the aseptic method outlined above. When the bottles are cool, wrap the clamps and store them in a clean place. Pour the formula into a bottle before feeding, or prepare a day's supply of bottles and store them in the refrigerator. Shake before use.

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The need for feeding may occur immediately after birth or some time after birth. In the first days, colostrum is formed in the woman's breast. After three days, the colostrum in the breast of the woman who has given birth is replaced by milk. It rushes to the mammary glands, the woman’s breast begins to “burst” from the milk that has arrived.

If you do not express, then after a few feedings, its amount will return to normal, and will meet the needs of the child.

During the period of a rush of milk, a woman experiences pain, so I want to give the baby a breast more often in order to release the engorged breast. Since the newborn sleeps a lot, the question arises how to wake the newborn for feeding.

Here are some tips on how you can do this:

  • Breastfeed a sleeping baby. If an hour and a half has passed after feeding, then the baby can begin to suck without waking up.
  • You can massage the palms and feet of the baby. Massaging touches stimulate brain activity, increase blood flow and lead to awakening.
  • Turn on the music- at first quietly and then begin to amplify its sounds. You can not turn on the background music abruptly. This will frighten the baby and cause a sharp cry. The volume of sounds should increase gradually.
  • Unwrap the baby contact with cool air will cause it to wake up.

How much milk does a baby eat at a time

How much a newborn should eat per feeding is determined by his age (1 or 4 weeks). You can measure its amount by weighing the baby before and after feeding. From the difference in the results obtained, the increase that the baby ate is obtained.

In medicine, the following norms are used, which determine how much a newborn eats in one feeding:

  • 1st day- 10 g per feeding, for only 10-12 feedings 100-120 ml per day.
  • 2nd day- single dose - 20 g, daily - 200-240 ml.
  • 3rd day- for one feeding - 30 g, per day - 300-320 ml.

So by the 10th day of life, the feeding dose increases to 100 g at a time and up to 600 ml of milk per day. Such norms remain up to 1.5 months. The total amount of milk eaten is 1/5 of the baby's weight. At 2 months, the baby eats 120-150 g at a time and up to 800 ml per day (1/6 of his weight).

Frequent feedings are normal

Free feeding of the baby suggests that he himself can choose the time intervals between feedings, their duration and the amount of milk eaten. These factors depend on the nature and characteristics of the child.

There are children who eat quickly and a lot, while in a hurry, often choke on milk, after feeding they burp. There are other babies who suckle slowly, often breaking away from the breast and looking thoughtfully at their surroundings. All people are different, as well as different children and their manner of eating.

How often to breastfeed a newborn

The recommendations of pediatricians twenty years ago on how to feed a newborn spoke of the obligatory observance of the regime - to feed the baby no more than every 3-4 hours. Do not keep near the breast for more than 10-15 minutes and be sure to express the remaining milk. It is good that these recommendations have gone down in history. They caused too many nutritional disorders in children and mastitis in mothers.

Modern pediatricians do not set strict limits on how much time should elapse between feedings. The frequency of feeding is determined by the needs of the child and cannot be standard for all occasions.

If the baby was active, moved his arms and legs a lot, swam in the bathroom, he spent a lot of energy. When feeding, he will suck out more milk. If the time between feedings passed quietly, the baby slept or lay in bed, did not actively communicate with the outside world - most likely, his appetite will be modest, since the need for food has not reached its maximum.

How to feed a newborn: poses of mother and child

When feeding a baby, you can sit, stand, lie down, settle down in any positions convenient for mother and child. The feeding position should be comfortable, as the time for this is quite long - from 20 to 50 minutes a day.

  1. Lying on your side- Mom and baby are facing each other. In this position, it is convenient to feed with the breast that is located below. If necessary, the mother can lean forward a little and give the baby that breast that is higher.
  2. lying on the jack- mother and baby can be located on the sofa (bed) with their heads to each other (feet - in opposite directions). How to feed a newborn lying down - next to or on the jack - depends on the time of day. At night, it is more convenient to lie next to the baby. During the day, both poses can be used.
  3. In a reclining chair- baby on top In this position, it is recommended to feed those mothers who produce too much milk. Positioning the baby slightly on top reduces the flow of milk and allows the baby to suck out as much as needed.
  4. sitting- Mom sits, the baby lies on her knees and takes the breast as if "from below". Mom holds the baby with her hand, bending it at the elbow. In order for the baby to be taller and reach the chest, a pillow is placed on the mother's knees.
  5. Sitting out of hand- for such feeding you need a sofa and a large pillow. The baby is placed on the pillow so that it is at the level of the mother's chest. The mother sits down on the sofa and takes the baby as if "under the arm."
  6. standing- this feeding option is also possible, especially if you are walking outside in a sling.

It's important to know: when feeding, that lobule of the mammary gland is emptied most of all, towards which the baby's chin is directed. Therefore, for the full suction of milk from the gland, it is necessary to position the baby in various ways at each feeding.

How to apply the newborn for feeding

The health of the mammary gland of the mother depends on the correct attachment of the baby. To prevent injury to the nipple, it is necessary to put the entire areola into the mouth. How to breastfeed a newborn?

  • The baby's mouth should be wide open (as when yawning). The mouth opens wider if you raise your face up (do this experiment with yourself - lower your face and open your mouth, and then - raise it and also open your mouth). Therefore, for proper feeding position the baby so that he slightly raises his face to your chest.
  • When properly grasped, the nipple should touch the baby's palate. This attachment is called asymmetric. The nipple is directed not to the center of the mouth, but to the upper palate.
  • The asymmetry of the attachment is visible from the outside - that part of the alveolus that is under lower lip- completely inside the mouth. That part of the alveolus, which is located behind the upper lip, may not be taken completely.
  • At correct sucking the baby's tongue "hugs" the nipple and alveolus from below. In this position, he does not compress the chest and does not create pain. The tongue protrudes from the mouth further than it is located in regular time(without feeding). The tongue does not protrude well with a shortened frenulum (skin membrane under the tongue). Therefore, if feeding a baby is painful for you, take the baby to the doctor. When too short bridle perform a surgical incision.
  • It is necessary to take away the breast from the baby when he releases it himself. If he is no longer suckling, but simply lies and holds the nipple in his mouth, give him the opportunity to rest. Pulling out the nipple by force is not worth it. If you really want to get up, you can easily press the baby's chin with your finger or insert your little finger into the corner of the mouth. The baby will open his mouth, and you can take the breast without pain.

When feeding, the baby's head should not be fixed rigidly. He should be able to come off the nipple and let his mother know that he is full.

Spitting up after feeding: causes and concerns

Regurgitation accompanies almost every feeding of an infant under the age of 3 months. Sometimes regurgitation is so strong that milk comes out of the stomach not only through the mouth, but also through the nose. Normally, regurgitation in an infant should not exceed 10-15 ml (this is 2-3 tablespoons).

Why does a newborn spit up after feeding? The reason is the swallowing of air and its subsequent exit from the child's esophagus. In order for the baby to burp immediately after feeding, you need to hold him upright. Otherwise, the burp will take place in the supine position, along with the air from the stomach of the child, milk will be thrown out.

Some children swallow too much air, then belching occurs right during feeding. Such crumbs must be torn off from food in the middle of sucking and kept upright for several minutes.

We list the causes of regurgitation in newborns after feeding:

  • During sucking, the baby rested his nose on the chest, breathed through his mouth and therefore swallowed air.
  • For formula-fed babies, the hole in the nipple is too big.
  • Too much large volume milk or insufficient small volume of the stomach. The baby overeats and returns part of the milk back (the part that he cannot digest).
  • Digestive problems: lack of bacteria in the stomach and intestines, colic, as a result of which gas formation increases.
  • lactose intolerance.
  • CNS disorders, birth trauma.

In order not to stimulate regurgitation, after feeding the baby, you do not need to slow down. It is necessary to put it on a side or back and let it lie quietly for 15-20 minutes. The best option- feed the baby before falling asleep.

Spitting up in newborns after feeding should not cause concern if:

  • The child is steadily gaining weight.
  • The baby does not have capriciousness, irritability or lethargy.
  • After spitting up, the baby does not cry.
  • Milk from regurgitation has a white color without a sharp unpleasant odor.

If a baby spit up yellow milk with bad smell- it requires medical consultation and treatment.

Hiccups after feeding: why it occurs and what to do

Hiccups after feeding in newborns is not a pathology. It occurs as a result of contractions of the diaphragm - the muscle located between the digestive organs and the lungs. Why does a newborn hiccup after feeding?

Do you want something interesting?

Muscle contractions occur due to the pressure on them of the walls of the stomach. When gas is formed or air is swallowed, the stomach bursts.

Therefore, hiccups often occur before regurgitation. If the baby burps, the hiccups go away.

We list the factors that contribute to hiccups:

  • A newborn hiccups after feeding if he ate too hastily and at the same time swallowed a lot of air.
  • Newborns hiccup when overfeeding. If too much food is eaten, the stomach presses on the diaphragm and causes it to contract.
  • The baby hiccups if he has frequent intestinal colic. They are accompanied by the formation of gases that accumulate in the intestines and stomach. When feeding, gaziki stretch the walls of the stomach and put pressure on the diaphragm.

What to do if a newborn has hiccups after feeding:

  • Do not worry. Almost never hiccups are a sign of illness or other pathology. As a rule, it passes with age, when the baby's stomach becomes more capacious.
  • Next time- do not feed so much, feed calmly and let lie on the stomach before feeding (to prevent flatulence).

Artificial feeding: what mixtures to feed

Artificial feeding of infants should be avoided. Breast milk is incomparably healthier, more nutritious, it is better absorbed and rarely causes allergies. Most right choice- Feed your newborn baby with breast milk.

Switching to artificial mixtures is justified only when the mother is ill, which does not allow her to breastfeed the child. The question of which mixture is better to feed a newborn is decided after analyzing its composition (it is written on the package).

The basis of the mixture is whey, which has undergone hydrolysis (decomposition), demineralization and is easily absorbed in the baby's esophagus. Such a mixture is called adapted, it is hypoallergenic.

Worse for a newborn - a mixture based on casein. This component is absorbed more slowly in children's body. Casein-based formulas are more suitable for artificial nutrition children after six months. They are classified as partially adapted.

It is also good if the mixture contains bifidobacteria. Such mixtures include Similak, Nestozhen, Impress, Enfamil.

For children with lactose intolerance, mixtures based on soy milk (Nutria-soy, Bona-soy) are used.

What should be a feeding bottle

Are there requirements for feeding bottles for newborns? What are the best baby feeding bottles?

We list what to look for when choosing a bottle:

  • The hole in the nipple should be small, the baby should "work hard" to pull the milk out of the bottle.
  • When feeding, the nipple should always be filled with milk.
  • A glass bottle is better for feeding than a plastic one. Glass is an inert material, while plastic is made from food-grade polycarbonate. It may contain a number of components that are not entirely useful for the baby.
  • It is necessary to change the nipples every 2-3 weeks. The hole in them stretches and becomes too large. Preferably the shape of the nipple with an anti-vacuum skirt. The latex teat is softer and should not be boiled. Silicone - more rigid, better imitates the chest and easily tolerates boiling.
  • The simple shape of the bottle makes it easy to clean.
  • The special anti-colic shape of the bottle is curved and prevents air ingestion (by special valves). They do not let air bubbles from the bottle into the stomach.

How to bottle feed your newborn:

  1. Take the baby in your arms so that body contact occurs.
  2. Hold the bottle with your hands, and do not prop it up with pillows (so that the baby does not choke).
  3. The nipple should be directed towards the baby's palate.

Sucking from a bottle is easier than drawing milk from the mother's breast (the mouth does not open as wide, no need to pull hard, suck out). At artificial feeding it is necessary to imitate the mother's breast: pick up a hard nipple, make a small hole in it.

So here he is. The same long-awaited guest, for whose arrival everyone was preparing with such eager impatience. Toys and other necessities are bought, the apartment is cleaned and neutralized, the room is prepared. But now that he is here, you need to think about what you can feed the newborn. Much, including immunity and general development depends on nutrition in the first years of life. It is not surprising that young parents are so worried when thinking about what to feed a newborn.

What can you feed a baby in the first 3 months

For the first three months of life, the baby will receive all the useful nutrients from breast milk or from formula. But, as the child grows, his appetite and habits will change. As more days pass, he will consume more milk, reducing the number of feeds per day and increasing the hours of sleep. You can be sure that your child is eating well enough if:

  • he is active, curious and alert
  • steadily gaining weight, growing and developing
  • eats about 6-8 times a day
  • regularly goes big and small

Clear signs that a baby is not eating well are constant irritability, frequent crying and dissatisfaction even after feeding. During this period, the baby receives everything necessary substances through mother's milk, so it is important how a nursing mother eats.

What to feed a baby at 4-7 months

Most children at this age begin to slowly become familiar with solid foods. Experts recommend gradually adding solid foods around 6 months, depending on the child's readiness. How to know if a child is ready:

  • He shows interest in food
  • He lost the habit of pushing food out of his mouth
  • He can move food around in his mouth
  • Makes chewing movements
  • He can lift and hold his head
  • Gained significant weight

It is best to start your child's acquaintance with a new diet by offering him mashed potatoes from various vegetables, fruits and meat products. Start introducing new products one at a time. Before offering anything else, let the child get used to the new taste for at least a couple of days.

What to feed a baby at 8-12 months

By 8 months, many babies are quite comfortable with purees and other baby-friendly foods. Now milk is not the only part of their diet and they can finally explore the whole world magical tastes, previously available only to their parents. As you introduce your child to new foods, monitor him closely to prevent development. allergic reaction. Do not give your baby honey and cow's milk until at least the first year of birth. Try baby food with different flavors, let your child small quantities food that the rest of the family enjoys only after being chopped or crushed into small pieces. It is advisable to get acquainted with the family history of allergies, in case you need to categorically exclude some foods. By 9 months, the child is already slowly beginning to show independence, grabbing food with his fingers and learning to use a spoon little by little.