A person’s life is filled with all kinds of events, emotions, and experiences. This is especially true for pregnant women. Expectant mothers try to imagine, predict and provide for the life of their babies to the smallest detail. The first thing a woman should do after finding out her interesting condition is to go to a gynecologist. The optimal time to be registered at the antenatal clinic is during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. It is necessary to pass several tests: – biochemical analysis of blood; correlogram; blood for hepatitis, HIV, and syphilis. But urinalysis should be taken regularly. Thanks to these tests, you will be able to plan your future life with your baby.
Newborn baby and his nutrition
At the beginning of the important journey of breastfeeding her baby, a woman often finds it difficult. Practices such as keeping mother and baby in separate rooms, using newborn wards, and feeding infant formula make breastfeeding difficult. Health care providers should help and encourage women to breastfeed. After all, breast milk is the ideal food for newborns and babies. It provides all the nutrients a baby needs for full development. Breast milk contains antibodies that protect against many diseases, particularly diarrhea and pneumonia, which are the leading causes of infant mortality worldwide.
Breastfeeding is a solid foundation for harmonious development and good health in the future. Children who receive breast milk are less likely to be overweight or obese in the future. They are less likely to have diabetes and score better on intelligence tests.
Infant formula does not contain the antibodies found in breast milk, so it is not a valid alternative. There are risks of bacteria in the formula when it is not prepared correctly – using unsafe water or unsterilized utensils. If you use formula frequently, you may not be able to return to breastfeeding because the amount of breast milk decreases.
When a bottle is better than breastfeeding
Many women who return to work after giving birth give up some or all of their breastfeeding due to time constraints, lack of nursing facilities, and lack of milk storage. To continue breastfeeding, mothers need favorable conditions, such as a safe and clean place to breastfeed at work or nearby, paid leave, part-time work, a nursery at the workplace, places to decant and store breast milk, and breaks for breastfeeding. Unfortunately, this is not usually available.
But going out to work is the most innocent reason a baby might not get breast milk from a mommy. To date, there are quite dangerous diseases that are an indication of not breastfeeding naturally. First and foremost is HIV infection. It is believed that the milk of an HIV-infected mother can cause the baby she is nursing to become infected. This also includes hepatitis B and C. Open tuberculosis is an absolute contraindication. Women with this form of TB who decide to breastfeed their child should undergo chemotherapy without fail. A woman should not breastfeed her child with breast milk until she has undergone chemotherapy for active TB disease.
Relative contraindications are severe conditions of the mother – shock, postpartum psychosis, cardiovascular insufficiency, eclampsia.
Choose a milk formula for your baby
When breastfeeding is not available, artificial milk formulas become a great alternative. After all, using regular cow’s or goat’s milk is impractical because it can lead to severe health problems. This is evidenced by proven facts and unequivocal recommendations of pediatricians.
Consequently, for normal growth and development of the baby should choose the best organic formula. Why organic? – you ask. The answer is quite simple. The environmental situation in the world every year wants to be better. And by choosing organic food for your baby, you do two good things:
1) You are providing your baby with the best artificial food, which should have the appropriate quality certificates (for all the components and even for the fields where these products are grown);
2) Preserving the balance of the ecosystem. Since organic production does not allow the use of pesticides, pesticides, mineral fertilizers, and antibiotics.
As the baby is constantly growing and his digestive tract develops and strengthens, an exact age-appropriate formula is recommended, as his need for nutrients begins to increase. There is age-appropriate labeling on baby food. When choosing a milk formula for an infant, try to give preference to highly adapted formulas. They try, after all, to reproduce (approximate) the components of breast milk as much as possible. Of course, this raises the question of price, but a quality product cannot be cheap.
To choose the right formula for your baby, pay attention to its composition. It shouldn’t contain rapeseed or palm oil. But the presence of probiotics, prebiotics, linoleic acid, taurine, and carnitine contribute to bone formation, immunity, and internal organs and generate tissue. Check the expiration date before buying. Buy the freshest formula possible, and preferably from stores that specialize in baby food.
Now on the market for baby food, there are many formulas, and you can easily choose the one that will suit your child. But no artificial formula, even the best one, can replace full-fledged mother’s milk, which will provide your baby with immunity and maintain a bond with his mother.