A mother feeds her baby with breast milk – everyone is happy and satisfied – this is the formula for the successful growth of a breastfed baby. But in today’s environment, very often there are cases when a mother for one reason or another cannot feed her baby naturally. Then rescue milk formulas come to the rescue because it is strictly forbidden to feed the baby cow’s or goat’s milk. This can cause irreparable harm to the health of the little man. So, let’s deal with the issue of choosing baby formula.
What is formula milk?
Conventionally, in this category, we will include everything that can be characterized by the capacious term “formula”. Infant formula is nowadays made from milk and whey protein, milk fat and palm fat, and a small amount of sugar, to generalize. And even palm oil plays an important role in nutrition. After all, natural breast milk contains palmitin, and this product just mimics it. All this is necessary for growth and development and does not harm. However, those who believe that the main harmful ingredient of baby food is palm oil can quickly enough find a product on the market without its addition.
Modern baby formulas are full of many beneficial minerals and contain natural ingredients. In addition, they are very pleasant to taste.
Advice for parents on choosing formulas
A baby’s body is very sensitive to food. That is why choosing a baby’s diet is always a difficult and responsible task for parents.
Healthy, full-term babies should be given adapted milk formula. Depending on the age of your baby, choose the right food:
- for children in the first six months of life – the starter formula is marked “1” or “0 to 6 months”
- for children in the second half of life – the following formulas labeled “2” or “6 to 12 months
- for children in the first year of life – formula marked “0-12” on the package
You can look at the composition of stage 1 vs stage 2 baby food to understand that different amounts of proteins, carbohydrates, and minerals are needed for each age of the baby. After all, a mother’s milk changes its composition constantly as her baby gets older.
If your baby has digestive problems, you should pay attention to specialized milk formulas (hypoallergenic, dairy-free, antireflux, kilo-milk, etc.). Whether your newborn has special needs or not, ask your pediatrician what kind of formula to choose. When buying baby food, be sure to read the specifics of its use (portion size, feeding schedule, method of preparation) on the package, as they may differ for different formulas. Also remember that every baby is different, and a milk formula that is perfect for one may not work for another.
