Baby formula is a special mixture prepared for infants who cannot be breastfed. The parents should change the stages of the baby formulas several times during the entire time of bottle-feeding. This change is dictated by the baby’s development and the increased need for nutrients. Let’s look closer at this process.
When Should You Change the Baby Formula?
For the first six months of life, the baby is given infant milk marked with the number 1. A follow-on formula should be introduced from the age of seven months. Packages of follow-on milk are marked with the number 2. How often should the baby formula, such as Holle organic formula, be changed in subsequent years? The formulas for children over a year are called Junior formulas. A child between one and two years is given the Junior 3 formula, and after the second year — Junior 4. After that, the Junior 5 baby formula can be used.
How to Introduce a New Baby Formula?
When switching from infant formula to the next stage formula, it is best to introduce the new product gradually. Both types of milk can be mixed while maintaining the appropriate proportions when preparing the mixture.
For example, if you need to use five scoops of powder to prepare a portion of the formula, you can add one measure of formula stage 2 to four measures of formula stage 1. In the following days, these proportions should be increased for the formula stage 2. This is the so-called measure-for-measure method.
Another way to introduce a new formula stage is called the portion-for-portion method. In the beginning, the baby is given only one meal with the new product, after a few days, two meals, and on the following days, a new product replaces all the remaining portions of baby formula.
Important! Before preparing the mixture, make sure to wash and sterilize the bottle. For each meal, prepare the fresh mixture and serve it immediately after the preparation. Leaving the prepared mixture for later enhances the risk of pathogenic microorganisms’ development.
Why Should You Transition to the Next Formula Stage?
During lactation, the composition of breast milk changes as the baby grows and needs more nutrients. For this reason, the baby formula also adjusts to the child’s age. The older the baby, the greater its nutritional needs are.
Infant baby formula contains relatively little iron because, in the first months of life, the newborn has stores of this element accumulated during fetal life. The subsequent formula is enriched with more iron to prevent anemia. When expanding the infant’s diet after 6 months, the baby should receive iron-rich complementary foods such as meat products, eggs, and fish. Changing the baby formula is also necessary due to the baby’s increased need for protein and carbohydrates. Proteins are necessary to build bones and tissues, and carbohydrates are the primary energy source.
Why Does the Baby Feel Discomfort After Changing the Formula?
It sometimes happens that after changing the formula, even to the one purchased in the organic baby formula shop, the baby feels discomfort in the tummy. This phenomenon is caused by the new composition, especially the higher iron content, which the baby’s digestive system copes with a little worse. However, don’t worry, since abdominal pain, constipation, gas, or regurgitation are usually temporary and disappear after about one or two weeks. However, if you notice disturbing symptoms, e.g., blood appears in the stool, you should check with the pediatrician.
Frequent formula changes without a specific reason are not beneficial for an infant. Although each manufacturer is obliged to include a certain amount of nutrients in the products, baby formulas may differ in additives. The use of different milk is justified if the child has symptoms such as colic, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, or crying after a meal. Consult with the doctor before introducing a new baby formula.
Also, Read More About – Zerodol P Tablet Side Effects