For expectant mother 

How to prepare a formula for newborns. How to prepare a mixture to avoid major mistakes - tips for mom

In order for your baby to grow up healthy and feel good, it is important not only to choose the milk formula correctly, but also to use it correctly. In the first months of life, the child's body goes through a period of adaptation to extrauterine conditions, the entire first year the baby grows and develops intensively. Everything that surrounds the baby from birth should contribute to his development, be as useful and safe as possible. That is why, when preparing infant formula, it is necessary to strictly observe the rules of hygiene, recommendations for handling the product and take into account the storage conditions.

To prepare the mixture, use only boiled water - it must be boiled strongly for at least 5 minutes. Bottled water is not sterile and must be boiled before use. Do not heat water in a microwave oven.

Cool the boiled water to the temperature recommended by the manufacturer and dilute the mixture following the instructions. To measure the mixture, use only the measuring spoon that came with the package. If you dilute the mixture for more than one serving, it should be stored in the refrigerator at 2-4 ° C and used within 24 hours. Once feeding begins, a serving of formula should be used within an hour, as diluted infant formula is an excellent breeding ground for microorganisms. After an hour, the rest of the mixture should be poured out. Often a newborn baby may fall asleep right during feeding - do not worry if this happened to your baby. Just pat your baby lightly on the cheek or nose, and if he wakes up, continue feeding.
Note.
 Powdered infant formula after opening the package is not sterile. Use the product as directed and recommended by your doctor.
When opening a package with a dry infant formula containing healthy fats Omega-3, Omega-6, a slight fishy smell is possible - this is normal, because such fatty acids are also found in fish oil, the benefits of which we know from childhood. This smell disappears and is not felt in the diluted mixture.
Do not cook or reheat the mixture in the microwave. In microwave ovens, food is heated unevenly, so some of the mixture may be too hot for the baby.

What utensils do you need to prepare the mixture?

Bottle, teat, lid, measuring spoon, knife to remove excess mixture from the spoon. Two pots: in one you will boil the dishes, in the other - water to prepare the mixture. There are also convenient modern sterilizers and warmers that you can use when preparing the mixture.

Preparing a portion for one feeding

1. Wash your hands with soap and dry them with a clean towel. Thoroughly wash the bottle, teat, lid, measuring spoon, and all utensils that will be used to prepare the mixture. This is best done with the help of a special tool for children's dishes - it is more gentle. Be careful about washing children's dishes in the dishwasher: due to the narrow neck, the bottle often remains unwashed, despite the fact that bottles of most manufacturers are allowed to be washed in the dishwasher. For washing bottles, special brushes are provided, with which you can thoroughly rinse the bottle.

2. Rinse all dishes to remove the detergent and bring to a boil for 5 minutes.3. Prepare a clean surface to prepare the mixture.4. In a separate saucepan, bring the water to a boil for 5 minutes. If the instructions do not indicate otherwise, then the water should be cooled to at least 70 ° C, for this, the water should be left for no more than 30 minutes after boiling.5. Pour the required amount of warm, pre-boiled water into a sterilized bottle. Remember not to mix boiled and unboiled water to achieve the desired temperature.6. Fill the supplied measuring spoon with the mixture, then remove the excess mixture ("heap") with the blade of a clean knife.7. Add the mixture to a bottle of water. Usually, 1 scoop should be added for every 30 ml - however, check the instructions as there are different sizes of scoops. Add the dry mixture to the water bottle, not the other way around.

8. Stir until completely dissolved. For feeding, the mixture must have the temperature of the human body, that is, 35-37 ° C - check the temperature of the mixture and feed the baby. If the mixture is too hot, you can cool it quickly by placing the bottle in a container of cold water.9. Sit back, hug your baby, and stay in physical and eye contact with your baby while formula feeding. Prepare a napkin in advance in case of excess mixture, and after feeding, vilify the baby in a "column" so that he regurgitates the air that got into the stomach during feeding. Pour out the remains of the half-eaten child within an hour of the mixture remaining in the bottle.

How to reheat formula bottles correctly?

If you have prepared several servings of formula for feeding your baby in advance, and the bottle of formula is just out of the refrigerator, it is important not only to warm up the formula, but also to do it right. So, here's how to do it:

  • Remove the bottle of prepared formula from the refrigerator just before serving.
  • Preheat the mixture by placing the bottle with the mixture in a container of hot water so that the water level is below the edge of the bottle. To warm the mixture evenly, you should periodically shake or rotate the bottle, while the heating time should not exceed 15 minutes.
  • Check the temperature of the mixture by dripping a little on the inside of your wrist. The mixture should not be too hot, it must be cooled to the temperature of the human body - 35-37 ° C.

How to take pre-prepared infant formula with you on trips and walks?

The first step is to cool the prepared mixture. When traveling or walking, store it in a cool place to help prevent the growth of pathogenic bacteria.


  • Prepare the mixture as you usually do, cool it and refrigerate (at a temperature not exceeding 5 ° C, unless otherwise indicated in the instructions).
  • Remove the mixture from the refrigerator just before leaving the house and place it in a special cooler bag.
  • Once there, you can put the formula bottles back in the refrigerator or warm them up and use them for feeding.
  • Remember that the mixture must be used within 24 hours.
If your planned trip or walk is longer than two hours, you may not be able to keep the bottles with the formula cold - in this case, you must use freshly prepared formula for feeding. Plan ahead and take the required amount of dry mix with you in a clean, sterilized container. Prepare the mixture using boiled water - the water temperature should be at least 70 ° C (unless otherwise indicated in the instructions).

By observing the rules of hygiene and handling the formula for your baby, you will provide him with comfortable conditions for healthy growth and development!

In preparing the article, the following materials were used:

  1. How to properly prepare formula for bottle feeding at home. World Health Organization 2007
  2. Safe Preparation, Storage and Handling of Powdered Infant Formula - Guidelines. World Health Organization 2007

Milk formula, even the most adapted and hypoallergenic, is not a substitute for breast milk. Only breast milk provides the maximum amount of vitamins and useful elements that are necessary for the full development and growth of a newborn. Therefore, a nursing mother should try to preserve breast milk and breastfeed her baby for as long as possible.

Switching to supplementary feeding or artificial feeding is a forced step when others are not helping. In addition, feeding a newborn and an older baby with formula milk can be caused by a severe illness of the mother and taking medications that are dangerous to the health of the baby.

When artificial feeding is used, it is important to choose the right infant formula. Indeed, many children react negatively to the composition of such food. Some develop colic and stomach pains, others develop gas production, and still others develop a rash and other signs of food allergies. Read more on how to choose the right formula for your newborn. The rules for the preparation and storage of such food are of great importance for the health of the child.

How to properly dilute the mixture

To properly prepare milk mixture, the following factors are taken into account:

  • The dosage in which the infant formula should be diluted;
  • The recommended amount of prepared food for a specific age of the child;
  • Cooking temperature;
  • Shelf life of open mix.

You need to prepare the mixture just before feeding, so prepare sterile bottles in advance, let the ready-made container always be at hand. According to the instructions, determine how much mixture and water you need to prepare. Water is usually boiled. However, today they also produce special baby water, which is absolutely safe for a newborn. It is enough only to warm up such water, since it does not need to be boiled.

It is advisable to pour water into the bottle, already warmed up to the desired temperature. Indicators of 36-37 degrees are considered optimal for a newborn and an infant. Try not to reheat already diluted milk formula and do not use a microwave oven for this purpose! As a last resort, you can use a water bath or regular hot water.

Infant formula is poured into the water of the required temperature with a measuring spoon. Take only a dry spoon! Stir the powder, close the bottle and shake well so that there are no lumps left. After feeding, discard the leftovers, do not use them next time!

Follow the instructions strictly and do not increase the dosage of powdered milk powder! This can lead to impaired metabolism and deterioration of stool, increased colic and other problems in the stomach of the newborn.

How to calculate the amount of mixture

How to sterilize a bottle

The bottle and teat must be sterilized before every feeding! First, rinse the dishes well and completely remove the remaining milk formula. Use safe baby detergents to reduce the risk of newborn allergies. You can use regular salt to rinse out the latex teat. Pour salt inside and knead the products well, then rinse thoroughly under water. But this method cannot be used for silicone models!

Do not use cracked or scratched feeding bottles! This should be a sealed container, the cap of which fits snugly to the main vessel and does not leave any gaps. When choosing, keep in mind that plastic products are lightweight, do not break and do not take up much weight. Moreover, they are safe for babies. Choose dishes for a newborn only from high-quality food grade plastic!

The most common sterilization method is boiling. And put baby bottles in a separate saucepan, fill it with water and boil for several minutes. In addition, sterilization can be carried out in special steam sterilizers, using antiseptic tablets and even in a microwave oven.

How to store infant formula

Before use, carefully read the instructions on how and how much to store an open container with milk powder. Store the mixture only in a dry place, as the granules easily absorb liquid and quickly deteriorate.

As for the prepared food, it is recommended to eat the diluted mixture immediately. The longer it is stored, the more harmful bacteria appear in the composition. Diluted food is stored for no more than two hours! If the baby has already eaten, the leftovers must be poured out and not taken for the next feeding!

At first, the preparation of infant formula seems laborious: you need to take your time and carefully measure the amount of water and formula. However, after a few feedings it will become simple and familiar for you. In addition, you can purchase already diluted baby milk or formula packaged in separate bags designed for one feeding.

Preparing to dilute the mixture

Make sure all feeding supplies (bottles, caps, teats, and retainer rings) are in place. Wash and dry your hands.

Preparation of the mixture

Prepare a fresh mixture for each meal. If you are going to spend the day away from home, place the bottles of boiled water in a special thermos container so that you can quickly prepare baby food if necessary. It is very important to maintain the correct ratio of water to dry powder. If the mixture turns out to be too thin, then the child feels hungry and does not gain weight. Too thick mixture can make your toddler dehydrated and thirsty. The baby will start crying, and you will give him a bottle more often to calm him down, which will lead to even more severe dehydration of the baby's body or even illness.

The sequence of preparation of the mixture

  1. Fill the kettle with fresh water, bring it to a boil and let it cool slightly. The temperature of the dilution water must correspond to the mixture indicated on the manufacturer's packaging.
  2. Read on the package how much water and mixture you need to use.
  3. Pour the required amount of water into the bottle. The water must be poured before you add the powder, otherwise the water-to-powder ratio will be disturbed and the mixture will be too thick.
  4. Check the amount of water in the bottle. To do this, place it on a flat surface and lower it so that the divisions are at the level of your eyes. Make sure the water level matches the graduation you want on the bottle. If you look at the bottle from top to bottom, you may be wrong with the amount of water.
  5. Add the required amount of dry mix to the bottle. Use the measuring spoon that came with the package. Only with its help can the correct amount of powder be measured.
  6. Remove excess powder with the blunt side of a knife or a special spatula that comes with the package.
  7. Do not shake the measuring spoon to accommodate more powder. This may make the mixture too thick.
  8. Count the number of spoons added and do not add an extra spoon "just in case."
  9. Screw the nipple onto the bottle and close it tightly with the cap.
  10. Shake the bottle gently until the powder is completely dissolved. Check the temperature of the formula on the inside of your wrist before feeding. If necessary, cool the mixture under running cold water, tightly caping the bottle.

Storage of ready mix

You should not store ready-made milk formula, since the powder for its preparation is not sterile and there is a risk that microbes will begin to multiply in the prepared food. Store expressed breast milk bottles in the refrigerator itself, not in the door.
Never store ready-made food warm, as bacteria multiply at a tremendous rate in milk. After feeding your baby, pour out the rest of the mixture.

For a young mother, preparing a portion of baby formula can be quite difficult. The most basic points to be observed are hygiene requirements and compliance with instructions. Let's take a closer look at the peculiarities of its preparation.

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Formulas that you can purchase for a baby are divided into dry and liquid formulas.

Dry

Dry ones are presented in powder form, requiring stirring with liquid before feeding, while the latter simply need to be warmed up. They are cheaper and are represented by a wider assortment (if the baby needs a medical mixture, it will most often be dry). Opened packaging can stand in the cabinet for 1-3 weeks.


Dry mixes are the most common

Liquid

A liquid mixture is much more convenient as a food that you can take with you on the road. Thanks to the portioned packaging, when feeding it, dosage errors are excluded. However, such food is more expensive and cannot be stored outside the refrigerator for a long time.


If you're on a long trip, a liquid blend is a very convenient option.

Preparation

An adult should thoroughly wash his hands before preparing a portion and before feeding an infant. Bottles, teats, caps and other items used to feed the baby should be sterilized and dried after disinfection.

What do you need for cooking?

To prepare the mixture, you need to take:

  • Boiled water (its temperature should be about + 40 + 50 degrees).
  • Milk mixture.
  • Measuring spoon.
  • Sterile dry bottle (or several).
  • Knife (this will help remove excess mixture from the measuring spoon).

If you will be preparing a portion for a day in one container, then you need to take a sterile container on which there are divisions.

Dosage

To find out the required amount for one feeding of the baby, you should calculate the total daily amount of food, taking into account the age and weight of the baby. For a baby in the first days of life (up to 10 days), calculate the daily volume using the formula: 70 * age (days) with a weight of less than 3200 grams. or 80 * age (days) with a weight over 3200 gr.

  • from 10 days to 2 months - 1/5 of its weight in grams;
  • from 2 to 4 months - 1/6;
  • from 4 to 6 months - 1/7;
  • from 6 months to 1 year - From 1/8 to 1/9.

How to prepare a liquid mixture

After opening the package of the mixture, its contents should be poured into a bottle and heated to obtain the desired temperature. Opened packaging can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 12 hours.


Liquid mixture usually only needs to be poured into a bottle

How to prepare powdered milk mixture

  • After boiling water, you need to cool it a little and pour it into a bottle or other container.
  • Having opened the package of the dry mixture, put it in a measuring spoon and remove the “slide” formed on the spoon with a knife. Pour the required number of measuring spoons (check the manufacturer's instructions) into the prepared water.
  • Close the bottle tightly and shake it several times until the dry ingredient is completely dissolved.

If the mixture is prepared for future use, it is placed in the refrigerator (but not in the freezer), and heated in hot water before feeding.


It is easy to prepare milk mixture, the main thing is to do everything according to the instructions on the package.

  • Before making a choice, check with your pediatrician.
  • If it fits the baby, you should not change it without a serious reason.
  • It is better to take water for preparing a portion intended for feeding children, and not tap water.
  • It is best to prepare a portion for one feeding just before the food reaches the baby, but it is okay to prepare it for the future - for the whole day. In this case, food should be stored in a refrigerator.
  • Do not measure a portion of the dry mixture "by eye". If the product is more concentrated, it can affect the baby's digestion, weight gain and kidney function. If the baby receives diluted food, then this will cause malnutrition.
  • If you cook it right away for the whole day, it is more convenient to immediately place it in as many bottles as the baby will feed.
  • If you are giving the baby a new mixture, the introduction of the new product into the diet should be gradual.
  • The half-eaten mixture is best discarded, as is the product that has been in the refrigerator for 24 hours.

Calculate Your Complementary Feeding Chart

Mother's milk is an ideal option for feeding newborns, but there are a lot of formula-fed babies, so parents will need to know exactly the formula for preparing the formula and work it out "to automatism."

It is necessary to study the instructions for preparing the product from the manufacturer and clearly remember the ratio of water and dry mixture.

  1. Wash your hands with soap and water.
  2. Pour the required amount of water into a clean bottle (it is desirable to sterilize it).
  3. Pour one level measuring spoon of dry mixture into the water (remove it with the back of the knife).
  4. We close the bottle and shake the product thoroughly for 30 seconds.
  5. We check the temperature of the mixture and make sure there are no lumps.

Warm up the water for preparing the mixture to 36-37 degrees and it is better not to do this in a microwave oven - disputes about the benefits / dangers of this household appliance continue to this day, doctors and scientists have not come to any unanimous opinion, but in this case they did not take risks costs.

In what proportions to dilute the mixture for newborns

As a rule, the proportions are 1 scoop of the mixture per 30 ml of warm water, but you still need to follow the manufacturer's recommendations. If the finished product is too "liquid", then the child will remain hungry, but too saturated a solution can provoke intestinal colic, constipation and metabolic disorders.

The newborn needs to dilute the mixture immediately before feeding and immediately in the amount that is required. How to determine this indicator? Many suggest focusing on the age of the baby, but after all, children have different weights and therefore a mistake is possible.

  • from 10 days to 2 months - 1/5 of the weight of the baby;
  • 2 - 4 months - 1/6 of the child's weight;
  • 4 - 6 months - 1/7 of the mass;
  • 6 - 12 months - 1/8 of the weight.

Please note: the proportions indicated refer to the daily amount of formula for bottle feeding. For example: a child is 3 months old and weighs 6 kg, which means that his daily intake of the mixture should not be more than 1 liter.

The next step is to distribute the daily allowance of the product over several feedings.

To do this, you need to know how many times a day a baby of a certain age eats:

  • in the first 3 months of life - 7-8 times a day;
  • at the age of 3 - 6 months - 6-7 times a day;
  • over six months - 5 times a day.

It is necessary to calculate a single dose of the mixture for a child under 10 days of age by multiplying the number of days lived by 10. For example, a newborn is 4 days old, which means that in one feeding he should receive 40 ml of the ready-made mixture.

All of the above proportions and amounts of formula per feed are based on a healthy, full-term newborn.

If the child is born prematurely, has some congenital pathologies, then the pediatrician should select the feeding schedule and the appropriate proportions of dry product and water.

The help of a specialist will be needed if the infant becomes nervous after consuming the prescribed dose of the mixture, cries and requires a supplement.

What water is better to dilute the formula for newborns

There is a special water for the preparation of baby food on sale - it is a priority when choosing.

There are several explanations for this:

  • water is strictly tested for the content of salts, minerals;
  • special water for feeding newborns has the right amount of oxygen;
  • it implies the obligatory passage of multilevel cleaning.

Many parents give preference to water from a water supply system or from a well, having previously boiled it. Pediatricians argue that in this case there is a danger of an increase in the content of mineral substances in the finished mixture, and the oxygen saturation of such water will not be complete. But if it is supposed to prepare a mixture in such boiled water, then you should first send a small portion for laboratory research and make sure that it is safe for the baby.

How to properly feed your baby with a diluted formula

You need to prepare a mixture for a newborn 10-15 minutes before feeding. Some manufacturers claim that you can store the finished product for 2 hours - you shouldn't do this: the adapted milk formula is a favorable breeding ground for pathogenic microorganisms.

Parents should understand that artificial feeding implies compliance with some rules of the "procedure":

  • feeding takes place using a bottle and a nipple - the latter should have a small hole and the lowest possible product flow rate;
  • check how the mixture flows from the nipple - this should be drip;
  • during feeding, the bottle should be positioned at such an angle that the nipple is half full of the mixture - this will prevent air from being swallowed and subsequent regurgitation;
  • the head of the newborn should be located on the mother's forearm, the face turned to the chest;
  • the baby's head should not be allowed to be thrown back during feeding;
  • after the end of feeding, the baby needs to be held a little in an upright position - the swallowed air should come out (belching).

Before you start feeding a newborn, you need to put on a bib and somehow attract his attention - for example, you can drip the mixture on your lips or just stroke it on the cheek.

Immediately during feeding, you should not allow the baby to fall asleep - talk to him, stroke his cheek or head, smile, sing songs.

It is necessary to make sure that the child eats the prescribed amount of the mixture, but malnutrition is allowed with a maximum of 20 ml of the product.

Immediately after the end of feeding, you need to pick up the bottle, and if the baby does not want to give it away, then you just need to distract him with a toy or a pacifier.

If artificial feeding is carried out according to all the rules, then the newborn develops without any deviations, gains weight well and does not remain hungry.

How to store diluted infant formula

  1. Do not heat the mixture in a microwave oven, as it heats the liquid unevenly.
  2. If you are going for a walk or travel, take warm water in a thermos and separate milk powder and prepare food for your baby just before feeding.

osmesi.ru

How to dilute a formula for newborns: proportions, rules for the preparation and storage of ready-made food

For a newborn baby, there is nothing more useful than mother's milk. Due to circumstances, women resort to the use of artificial nutrition. Due to illness or a banal lack of breast milk, the baby has to be switched to dry or liquid mixtures based on cow or goat milk. The properties of such food cannot be compared with the benefits of HS. However, manufacturers are striving to bring the composition of artificial nutrition components closer to human milk. It is important for young parents to know how to breed milk formula for newborns, because the proportional ratio of water and dry matter directly affects the health and well-being of the child.

Why is it important to properly dilute infant formula?

Thinking about how to properly prepare the mixture, it is important to understand why modern pediatricians often focus on the observance of the rules of this daily process. If the formula is too thin, the infant will be malnourished. This will entail serious consequences for his body. Possible problems that you will encounter if you feed the baby with a mixture in a lower concentration than it should be by age are the following:

  • frequent waking up and trouble sleeping;
  • lack of weight gain;
  • developmental delay;
  • avitaminosis;
  • rickets and other diseases.

In certain situations, parents deliberately increase the concentration of dry matter and strive to give the baby a nutritious product, not paying attention to the recipe and cooking recommendations. By making the mixture thicker, parents also harm the little one. The concentrated mixture is more difficult to digest in the fragile stomach of a newborn. Overfeeding often provokes:

  • colic;
  • regurgitation;
  • stool problems;
  • disruptions in metabolism;
  • the appearance of excess weight, and as a result, disturbances in the work of internal organs and the musculoskeletal system.

Compliance with the proportions and recommendations is a prerequisite for the health of the baby. Do not be negligent in the recommendations on the packaging. They are developed by manufacturers, pediatricians, taking into account the needs of the child's body in accordance with age characteristics. If Mom is following the cooking requirements, but the baby continues to express anxiety during the meal or after feeding, it is best to see a doctor. The doctor will individually calculate the portion for the child.

Detailed cooking instructions

It is necessary to buy milk mixture for crumbs only of high quality. Trust trusted, reputable manufacturers. The products "Nutrilon", "Nestogen", "Nutrilak", "Baby", "Nan", "Similak Premium" and "Bellakt" have proven themselves very well. Particular attention of parents deserves the shelf life of the product and the peculiarities of its storage.

The gastrointestinal tract in babies is imperfect. The microflora in the intestine is just being formed, so it is important to prevent bacteria and pathogenic microbes from entering the body. The preparation of a formula for feeding traditionally begins with the preparation of the utensils:

  • the bottle, nipple, measuring spoon are thoroughly washed immediately after the end of the feeding;
  • it is possible to use special children's products, the use of baking soda will be an economical option;
  • pay special attention to hard-to-reach places, carving;
  • to clean the containers, use a brush and special brushes that will be used exclusively for children's dishes;
  • the bottle and nipple are subject to mandatory sterilization. To do this, boil the accessories or use a sterilizer. When choosing the first method, the boiling container is used only for children's dishes;

It is necessary to prepare accessories in advance so as not to waste time on processing them at the moment when a hungry baby asks to eat. Before cooking, mom washes her hands thoroughly with soap, and also determines the ratio of water to powder.

The indicators and proportions of different manufacturers are approximately the same, since they are calculated according to the age and weight of the babies. The standard is 1 scoop of powder in 30 milliliters of water. The one-time feeding rate is calculated by dividing the daily amount of food by the number of feedings.

The powder is placed in a bottle of water, rather than pouring liquid into a container with a dry piece. This will avoid clumps during the dissolving process.

After placing the components, the bottle is closed with a plastic divider, then a teat and a protective cap. Shake the contents vigorously until the components are completely mixed.

Remember to check the temperature of the liquid before feeding. For this, a few drops are dripped onto the wrist area.

Several important rules for preparing and storing the mixture

There are recommendations as to what kind of water is best to dilute the mixture. The powder should be diluted with bottled baby water. It doesn't need to be boiled to make a mixture. The liquid is specially designed for feeding babies. If you can't buy water, and you have to take it from other sources, be sure to boil it and cool it to room temperature before cooking.

It is strictly forbidden to use raw tap water to prepare the mixture. Also, you can not take boiling water.

The optimum temperature of the water in which the powder for baby food should be diluted is 35–36 degrees.

It is very important to consider preparing meals if you are going on the road with your baby. Always take water and powder in separate containers. Mix them only immediately before feeding. If you are going for a walk in the park, bring a thermos bag, which will store the prepared warm water. In the case of a train ride, it will not be difficult to heat the bottled water for cooking. You need to take boiling water from titanium and dip a bottle of water into it. When traveling by car, buy a portable cigarette lighter heater.

Night feedings always raise many questions for moms. The main thing to remember is that you don't need to in advance! It is convenient to prepare accessories in advance in order to quickly dilute the powder at night and feed the crumbs:

  • in the evening, measure out the required amount of dry powder;
  • prepare a sterile bottle, pour water into it;
  • try to keep the liquid warm by using a thermos or electric heater.

Having prepared everything in advance, you will need a minimum of time to prepare baby food.

You can add dill water to the mixture for bloating in babies after consulting a doctor, who will also indicate the required dosage of the drug and the rules for its use. It is an effective natural remedy for colic.

How much diluted infant formula is stored

Often mothers think about how long the mixture can be stored, especially if the crumb does not eat enough of the prepared portion. Experts note that the diluted powder cannot stand for a long time, even in the refrigerator. The recommended storage time is no more than 2-3 hours. Liquid is an excellent medium for the development of microorganisms, so it is better not to save money, and after feeding, pour out the remains, rinsing and boiling the bottle.

If you notice that your child is not eating the right amount on a regular basis, try to cook a small portion. This is especially true for mixed-fed babies. Perhaps the baby has enough breast milk.

It should be noted that today there is an alternative to artificial feeding in the form of donor milk banks. Of course, this type of nutrition will not meet all the vital requirements of the child, because only the mother's body produces a nutritious fluid, which has a unique transformation property, taking into account the needs of her baby. However, this is an excellent option due to the fact that human milk, in terms of the composition of the main elements, is nevertheless closer to the child than food (albeit adapted) intended for feeding calves.

laktacia.ru

Preparing the right mixture for newborns

The ideal food for a newborn is breast milk. Nothing else can compare with him in terms of the balance of the composition, because there are no absolute analogues to him. But sometimes it happens that breastfeeding is not possible. There may be several reasons for this - the baby has given up breastfeeding, there is not enough breast milk, or it has completely disappeared. In such a situation, infant formula comes to the aid of the mother.

No formula can replace breast milk. That is why the transition to artificial feeding should be a forced and deliberate step.

Before transferring your baby to artificial feeding, it is recommended to consult a pediatrician. The doctor will help you choose the right formula for your baby, and will also answer all your questions. This article will help you learn how to breed it and what to always remember. Read the recommendations carefully and adhere to them carefully. Otherwise, you can cause irreparable harm to the health of your baby.

We dilute the mixture correctly

The first thing to do when buying baby food is to look at its expiration date. If it expires in a few weeks or even a month, refuse to purchase.

Before diluting the mixture, thoroughly study the instructions from the manufacturer, which indicates the sequence of its preparation. Pay attention to the following aspects:

  • shelf life and storage conditions of an open can with a product;
  • proportion of water and dry powder;
  • cooking temperature;
  • the amount of powder for children of different ages.

Cooking process

In a newborn baby, the intestines are sterile. During the first days of life, bacteria begin to colonize the gastrointestinal tract, creating a unique microflora in it. During this period, the mother should in every way help the baby gradually get used to the new world, and prevent close acquaintance with dangerous microbes. To do this, you must carefully follow the rules of hygiene.

Always wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water before mixing. In general, this procedure must be carried out every time in contact with the child and his things. Prepare sterile bottles in advance - when the baby is hungry, he will not wait for you to wash and sterilize them. For convenience and time saving, purchase such a device as a sterilizer - a very useful and necessary thing for a young mother. It will quickly and effectively destroy germs in dishes, pacifiers and nipples in just a few minutes. Cover sterile containers with a clean, dry towel.

Make it a rule to thoroughly wash the baby dishes and load them into the sterilizer immediately after feeding: the baby may suddenly ask for food, and in this case you will not have to waste time cleaning it.

Before you start preparing the mixture, according to the instructions, determine the correct ratio of water to powder, taking into account the age of the child. Next, pour water of a suitable temperature into a clean bottle, or heat it directly in the bottle. In the latter situation, another device can come to your aid - an electric heater, which can be purchased at any children's store.

Heating water for babies in the microwave is not worth it. There is a lot of controversy about the dangers of microwaves today, and besides, in case of overheating, the composition of the milk mixture will change. It is more advisable to use another method for heating and preparing food for the child.

We fill in the powder, measuring the required amount with a measuring spoon. Do not forget that the contents of the spoon should be without a "slide". The latter can be removed using the back of the knife. Close the bottle tightly and shake thoroughly for a minute. After that, be sure to check if there are any lumps left. Pay attention to the temperature of the mixture before feeding.

A very important point is the exact observance of the proportions declared by the manufacturer when diluting the mixture. Often, inexperienced mothers, obsessed with the idea of ​​better feeding a newborn, make the consistency thicker than required. Such a rash act has a very negative effect on the health of the baby. For a small stomach, thick food is a big load, which will lead to abdominal pain, problems with stool, as well as metabolic disorders and obesity.

Compliance with these recommendations will greatly facilitate the life of you and your child. The first months of life, the baby will constantly be bothered by colic, so it is not worthwhile to complicate the situation with poorly washed dishes and experiments with the consistency of food. Be vigilant and careful!

Can the diluted mixture be stored?

The question of storing infant formula is one of the most popular among parents. Infant formula is a very nutritious dairy product, and, therefore, it is a very favorable environment for the development of microorganisms. Even in conditions of sterility of your container (relative, at home it is impossible to achieve an ideal indicator in this regard), it is undesirable to store the diluted mixture even for an hour. The most ideal option is to prepare the mixture "at one time" - just before use. If, after feeding, it remains in the bottle, then it should be poured out immediately without further thought. Harmful microorganisms will multiply in it at an increased rate.

Some mothers, in an effort to preserve the mixture until the next feed, bring it to a boil and then re-feed it to the baby. The option for the extermination of microbes is not bad, but there will be no benefit from such nutrition - along with dangerous bacteria, useful ones will also die.

What water to use

Our mothers and grandmothers have always used only boiled water for baby food. However, today, pediatricians recommend refraining from using it. Whatever it is - spring or tap water, it may contain various impurities that are dangerous for babies. Boiling will not fix this problem. It is prohibited to use such water in the nutrition of newborns without preliminary analysis at the sanitary-epidemiological station. In addition, boiled water, as you know, loses its beneficial properties. Therefore, many manufacturers of baby food produce special water for children. It has many advantages, including:

  • strict quality control and microbial safety;
  • multilevel cleansing;
  • good oxygen content (as opposed to boiled) and trace elements;
  • optimal level of mineralization.

The last point seems to be especially important, since the reduced mineralization allows you to maintain a balance in the ratio of trace elements in a diluted infant formula.

Correct water temperature

The temperature of the water for preparing the mixture is indicated by the manufacturer on the package. As a rule, for all mixtures it is the same - it is 36-37 ° С. These degrees are considered ideal for feeding, since this is the temperature that mother's milk has. In addition, infant formula contains bifidobacteria, which are very useful for the child's body, and if the temperature threshold is exceeded, they die.

If possible, purchase a special thermometer for making infant formula. It will help you at any time to correctly determine the temperature of your crumbs' food.

How to feed at night

Measure out the required amount of the mixture into a dispenser or any other container. Prepare a sterilized bottle overnight and fill it with the correct amount of water. It is important that the water is warm for a long time - so you can prepare the mixture as quickly as possible, without making the hungry baby cry. To do this, you can use a thermal bag, thermos, or a conventional heater.

We make the mixture correctly according to the known plan and do not forget to check its temperature before feeding!

Feeding on the journey

If you decide to go on any trip with your child, take water and dry powder separately with you. If you are traveling by car, it makes sense to purchase a special water heater powered by a cigarette lighter in a children's store. Use a thermos bag when hiking or traveling by bus, but remember to take the water slightly hotter than required. If you travel by train, then there will be no problems with hot water: pour boiling water from titanium into another container and lower the bottle into it.

And the main rule: You should not prepare the mixture for the trip in advance. Combine water and dry powder just before feeding. This will keep the product fresh and healthy.

Some mothers have found alternatives to dry infant formula - ready-to-use, diluted formula in sterile bottles sold in stores. It is very convenient to use them - you do not need to calculate the proportion, sterilize the dishes, etc. However, before you buy such milk for your child, weigh the pros and cons.

In general, try to answer the following questions for yourself: have the storage conditions of this product been observed? When was it produced? Is the package leakproof? Isn't it dangerous to take ready-made dairy products on the road in fluctuating temperature conditions? In any case, whether to purchase such a mixture or not is up to you. But remember, you are a mom, and you are responsible for the life and health of your child.

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How to properly dilute infant formula

Prepare the formula correctly - it would seem that it is easier, read the instructions on the box and do as it is written. But sometimes the simplest things, especially when they concern a newborn, can simply confuse parents.

You should know that no one, even the most modern adapted formula, can completely replace breast milk. Transferring a child to artificial feeding should be a conscious and forced step, and not a friend's advice and a desire to make life a little easier for yourself, have freedom of movement, or your own guesses and assumptions that breast milk is not enough. The deficit that is formed in a child's body without mother's milk cannot be filled with anything.

How to properly dilute the mixture

  • in what proportion to dilute the milk mixture (often, one scoop to 30 ml of water)
  • at what temperature is the mixture prepared
  • recommended amount of ready-to-use formula for children of different ages
  • how long and under what conditions an opened package can be stored

How to properly prepare a formula for a newborn

The intestines and oral cavity of a healthy baby are sterile. The task of the parent is to give the baby the opportunity to gradually adapt to the surrounding space, before starting to acquaint him with the pathogenic microflora (in other words, microbes).

In all cases of contact with children's things, food and the child himself, be sure and always - wash your hands with soap and water. Of course, the baby in any case will have to get acquainted with the surrounding microorganisms, but when he is a few days old, it’s too early.

Since you need to prepare the mixture just before feeding, be prepared for the fact that you will have to do it under the heartbreaking screams of a hungry baby. Perhaps, in such conditions, it will not be possible to cold-bloodedly prepare sterile bottles - it is better and more convenient to have at least two of them.

It is better to prepare in advance and cover a clean bottle with a dry towel than to rush around the house and on the run remember where after feeding it, when the child is crying from hunger. Of course, in theory, you should wash the bottle right after feeding, but in practice, babies miraculously make their own adjustments to your schedule.

So, when all the necessary preparations are made, according to the instructions, we determine the required ratio of water and dry mixture according to the age of your baby. Pour water of the required temperature into a sterile bottle or bring it to the required heating in the bottle. Pour in the required number of measuring spoons, after removing the slide from them (you can use the back of the knife).

The measuring spoon must be dry. Be careful with this and store the infant formula in a dry place. Milk powder is very hygroscopic and perfectly absorbs moisture, and if the rules are not followed, the mixture will instantly begin to clump.

We close the bottle with a lid and shake very well so that there are no lumps left in the mixture (you can check for light). Just in case, we check the temperature of the mixture by dropping it on our wrist. After feeding, pour out the rest of the mixture.

Some mothers, trying to feed their baby more satisfyingly, increase the concentration of the dry mixture in the water. Doing this is strictly prohibited. This can lead to obesity or other metabolic disorders in the child.

Someone, perhaps, these measures will seem superfluous, and, of course, no one can force you to do this. But do not forget that the first three months of the child's life will complicate colic and aggravate the situation with hastily washed bottles, believe me, not worth it.

How long can you store diluted infant formula?

A very common question that interests all parents - how much can you store the prepared infant formula? Ideally, the finished milk mixture is eaten immediately and not stored. The longer the prepared mixture is, the more chances are given to multiply harmful microbes that love warm and milky environment. And not only the necessary bifidobacteria, which you have lovingly created the optimal temperature. The storage time of the diluted infant formula should be kept to a minimum. Remember that the prepared milk mixture cannot be stored even in the refrigerator.

The bottle and nipple must be washed and sterilized before each preparation of the mixture. You can learn more about sterilizing feeding bottles.

What water to dilute infant formula

An urgent question for parents - is it possible to dilute the mixture with baby water? For decades, boiled water was used to prepare the mixture. Now they began to think that boiling kills water, deprives oxygen and other trace elements. Today you will not surprise anyone with special baby water for drinking and preparing a mixture. It does not need boiling, it is enough to heat it up to the optimum temperature.

What are the benefits of baby water?

  • at all stages of harvesting, water undergoes strict sanitary control
  • cleaning uses a multi-stage filter system
  • unlike boiled, it is not deprived of oxygen and other beneficial trace elements
  • in children's water, mineralization decreases (in dry mixtures they try to choose the optimal ratio of trace elements and water with increased mineralization can violate these proportions)

If you want to use water from a well, it is better to first hand it over for analysis to a sanitary-epidemiological station.

Water temperature for infant formula

Of fundamental importance for the preparation of the mixture is the temperature of the water, which is necessarily indicated on the package. Almost all mixtures now contain bifidobacteria, useful for the intestines of the child. And beneficial bacteria, in contrast to harmful ones, are quite gentle microorganisms. At temperatures higher than that indicated in the instructions, they will simply die.

In addition, of course, the water temperature just needs to be comfortable for the child, 36 - 37 ºC. This is the temperature of mother's milk. Therefore, if possible, use a thermometer to prepare infant formula. Fortunately, the range of children's stores is now replete with products that make life easier for moms. Well, if there is no thermometer, it doesn’t matter. Place a few drops of the ready-to-use bottle mixture on your wrist. If the mixture is at the right temperature, you won't feel it on your wrist.

It is not advisable to heat the finished mixture. Adapted infant formula is not a product that can be safely heated and cooled. There are good bacteria in there, remember? And not only. But if it so happened that while you were preparing for feeding, the mixture cooled down, warm it up under running hot water.

The microwave oven must not be used to heat the prepared mixture! You will not be able to control the degree of heating of the bottle with liquid, which can lead to an irreversible change in the structure and composition of the milk formula.

The safest option for a child and sparing for a mother is to pour water into a sterile bottle in the evening and put it in a warmer. Most warmers are capable of maintaining a constant set temperature in the bottle. Pour the dry mixture into the dry mix dispenser.

Now you can prepare the mixture at night on autopilot. All that remains to be done is to get out of the dispenser into the bottle and mix thoroughly. Just in case, do not forget to check the temperature of the prepared mixture. Ready. You can start feeding your hungry baby.

Infant formula on the road

All modern parents want to be mobile. We must pay tribute to the manufacturers of children's goods - it has become much easier to provide a child with food on a trip now than it was, say, in the last century. It sounds funny, of course, but that was only fifteen years ago.

If you are going on the road with a small child, take water and powdered milk mixture with you separately. Heaters have already been invented for cars, which work in the car from the cigarette lighter. Convenient special bags-thermoses, where you can put a bottle with a little warmer than needed water. If there is not enough time to keep warm in the special bag, you can warm up the feeding water bottle by placing it in another hot water container, such as titanium, if you are traveling by train.

Remember, your task is to keep separate water and separate dry mixture as long as possible, combining them just before feeding. Of course, ready-made diluted mixtures in tetra packs are also available for sale, but to use them or not, each mother decides for herself.

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