What Mixed Feeding Precautions Parents Should Take?

Mixed feeding or combination feeding involves nourishing the child with breast milk, baby formula, and complimentary meals. You should not consider it if the child is younger than 6 months. Try it only if you can’t supply enough breast milk to keep your newborn child full.

Newborn babies aren’t old enough to digest external foods. Cow’s milk is probably the worst kind of milk for a newborn child. It’s not the only food parents consider to include in mixed feeding. Such mistakes can cause gestational diseases and other serious health concerns.

Do not follow everything old people suggest. Do some scientific research and decide on what to feed. There are many things new parents should know about mixed feeding and its risks. Continue reading to learn how to mixed feed the child properly.

What Precautions Parents Must Take for Mixed Feeding?

Feed ready-to-serve baby formula to a newborn child:

Newborn babies are mixed fed if the baby is too weak or the mother has certain health conditions. The ready-to-serve baby formula is the best choice in such a condition. Make sure the formula is perfect for a newborn baby. Check the expiry date on the packaging and then feed it to your child.

Feed breast milk as often as possible to a newborn child

Newborn babies cannot digest the baby formula as easily as they digest breast milk. Besides, breast milk contains colostrum and various essential nutrients. These nutrients keep the child healthy by strengthening his immune system. Therefore, you should breastfeed as often as possible. Feed the baby formula only when breast milk is not available to soothe the child’s hunger.

Maintain hygiene

Germs, bacteria, and viruses can easily affect a newborn child’s health. The baby can fight diseases better when you breastfeed exclusively. Mixed feeding increases the risk of health issues. Therefore, you have to maintain a hygienic environment in the entire house.

Always sanitize your hands before preparing formula milk. Use a powerful cleaning agent to clean the kitchen countertops, floor, and entire house. Choose BPA-free vessels to prepare and feed formula milk. You should clean the milk bottle after each serving. Sterilize the bottle and nipples to exterminate all the germs and bacteria roaming around.

Measure carefully before you mix the baby formula

Use online instructions or the instructions given on the product label to mix formula milk perfectly. An accurate measurement will help you in maintaining the perfect consistency of milk. Prepare formula milk in a bottle and put that bottle in boiling water. That’s how you should boil formula milk.

Take the bottle out and keep it at room temperature. You should store the prepared formula milk in a refrigerator. Let the temperature reduce to room temperature for a few minutes and then feed it to the child.

Gradually reduce breastfeeding during the weaning period

The weaning period starts when your child is 1-year old. It is time to gradually reduce breastfeeding. Do not stop feeding breast milk completely! Your baby still needs breast milk for all of its essential nutrients. Slowly reduce the breastfeeding frequency and increase complimentary meal feeding frequency. That’s how your child can adapt to the new diet without any problem.

What to Avoid When Mixed Feeding the Baby?

Avoid the following things when mixed feeding the child:

Don’t feed formula milk left at room temperature for more than 2 hours

Formula milk left at room temperature for more than 2 hours is not a good choice for your child. Discard it and prepare new milk in a clean bottle. You should always store formula milk in a refrigerator to keep it fresh. Throw the leftover milk out and always feed fresh formula milk.

Don’t force your child to consume more than he needs

Some parents think the baby will get healthier and stronger if he eats more. They try to force the child for consuming more milk than his capacity. You should not be one of those parents. Your baby knows how much milk he needs to stay full and healthy. So, let him decide how much milk he wants to consume.

Don’t discard breastfeeding

Formula feeding might seem like the most convenient way of nourishing the child, especially if you are a working woman. You may think about weaning when the child is just 6-9 months old. Do not do it! You have to breastfeed the child for at least 2 years if you want to nourish him properly.

Breastfeeding should be the main source of food for the child as long as possible. Think about weaning only when your baby starts consuming fruits, veggies, nuts, and other such foods.

Don’t feed formula milk if you can breastfeed the newborn child

Mothers can find it daunting to breastfeed the baby due to certain health conditions. Babies are fed formula milk in such conditions to improve their health. If you have tried mixed feeding due to some health condition and it’s treated, you should start breastfeeding exclusively.

Breast milk is way more beneficial for the child than formula milk. It not only improves the child’s health but also the mother’s health. Breastfeeding speeds up the postpartum recovery process and helps in weight loss. Therefore, you should breastfeed exclusively as soon as possible.

Do not feed the same kind of complimentary meal every day

Some babies enjoy mixed feeding because they get something new to taste every day. Some babies demand only breast milk because parents feed the same type of complimentary food. Your baby may also refuse to eat complimentary food if you don’t switch his food daily. Do it to increase your child’s interest in healthy and nutritious food available in the market.

Conclusion

Mixed feeding is necessary once your baby is 6 months old. Breast milk stays the main food for several months and then it becomes optional. Follow the mixed feeding guide shared in this post to ensure dietary changes don’t hurt your child’s health. These precautions will make mixed feeding quite easy for you and the child.

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