Newborn feeding
Release time : 03/04/2025 09:30:02
Young mothers have anxiety about feeding their newborns, and babies don't speak, so it's unclear how much milk to give.
Moreover, newborns are delicate and easily injured. Their feeding is also quite demanding.
Therefore, there are many doubts for mothers during the feeding process of newborn babies.
Nowadays, let's address some common concerns regarding newborn baby feeding. Neonatal feeding mainly includes three methods: breastfeeding, artificial feeding, and mixed feeding.
1. Breastfeeding refers to the method of feeding infants using the mother's breast milk.
2. Artificial feeding refers to the use of cow's or sheep's milk, among other substitute products, when a mother cannot breastfeed an infant for various reasons.
Artificial feeding needs to be appropriate, otherwise it is not conducive to infant development.
3. Mixed feeding is when the mother's milk is insufficient and other milk substitutes, such as milk and milk powder, are added to keep the baby full and maintain normal growth and development.
Eating enough to maintain normal growth and development is called mixed feeding.
The number of times newborns are fed at each month of age, how many times should the baby be fed? What about each stage? Look down together, there are surprises when looking at the form! The neonatal feeding process has just become a mother and is in a hurry. How should we feed the baby smoothly? Looking at the picture shows the truth! Newborn feeding posture Four postures for correct breastfeeding When breastfeeding, mothers can try different postures for their baby to suck milk.
1. Sitting posture reminder: Sit on the bed in a comfortable position, or find a chair with a back and armrest, and sit down against the back of the chair.
2. Reclining posture reminder: Recline on the bed in a comfortable position, pad the legs and back with pillows, so that the baby's head lies on the arms.
3. Rugby Bear Holding Position Reminder: This position is suitable for twins, infants with breastfeeding issues, milk duct obstruction, or post-cesarean mothers.
A mother's arm is wrapped around the baby's body, with her palm and wrist holding down the baby's lower body, while her other hand and wrist hold down the baby's head. The arms are used to support the baby's body.
4. Side-Lying Position Reminder: The mother lies on her side, facing the baby. The mother's abdomen touches the baby's abdomen, and the baby's head is close to the mother's breast.
Five Steps: Properly Brew Formula Milk, When feeding your baby formula milk, it is recommended that new parents follow these five steps to ensure the hygiene and safety of the baby.
1. Preparation equipment: Disinfectors and covered pots, milk bottles, teats, and milk caps. It is advisable to prepare 6 to 8 milk bottles, brushes and tweezers for washing milk bottles.
2. Disinfection method: Wash hands with soap first, add 8 minutes of water to a clean disinfection pan, and prepare to heat.
Heat resistant glass milk bottles, tweezers and other utensils are put into the pan and boiled for 10 minutes while cold water. Then, the less heat resistant utensils including teats, milk caps, milk rings, etc. are wrapped in gauze and boiled for 5 to 10 minutes.
Then, sterilize the bottle and place it on a clean spot to dry.
3. Pour warm water into the bottle to dissolve the milk powder.
Do not boil hot water with powdered milk to prevent it from forming lumps and causing indigestion in infants.
4. When incorporating powdered milk into formula, use a spoon to scoop out the powder. Ensure that the scooped-out milk is loose and not pressed down; then, using a "D-shaped funnel," level it off and pour it into the bottle at the appropriate opening.
5. Put the nipple on and check the temperature and flow rate. Don't touch the nipple; put it on and try to see if milk drips out.
Apply a droplet on the inner side of your hand to determine an appropriate temperature.
To ensure the health of newborns, we must not feed them according to our own preferences, as newborns have very limited taste recognition abilities.
When feeding newborns, attention should be paid to the following: 1. The phenomenon of reflux and abdominal pain may occur. This is usually caused by infants inhaling air, eating too much, or being too cold or allergic. Therefore, when feeding, it is advisable not to overfeed, and after feeding, patting the baby's back can help relieve gas that has been swallowed, preventing vomiting due to reflux.
2. When milk is brewed too strong, the concentration of solutes is too high, and the kidneys need more water to excrete metabolic waste products, which can lead to dehydration.
Therefore, when brewing milk, it is advisable to pay more attention to the ratio of milk powder to water, and should not be too strong.
3. Milk bottle syndrome, feeding with a bottle for an extended period can easily cause spacing of the teeth, particularly the four upper incisors.
If there is a toothache, it can lead to a dislike for solid foods and an eating pattern characterized by pickiness.
4. It is not advisable to feed sweet or high-salt foods to infants too early, as this can lead to issues such as an increased risk of dental caries and the development of a premature or excessive sweet tooth habit.
If the baby is fed with salty food too early, it will cause the following problems: it will develop a bad habit of eating salty food, and it will easily get hypertension.
9 common mistakes made by parents when feeding newborns: 1. If the milk doesn't come down, let the baby eat formula first.
Breastfeeding should begin within half an hour after birth and continue for half an hour even if there is no milk.
Postpartum, it is advisable for mothers and babies to be in close contact, with more frequent sucking by the baby on the breast. This not only fosters emotional bonds but also stimulates milk production through the baby's sucking actions.
The secretion of breast milk is influenced by a variety of factors.
Consumption of more liquid foods, such as chicken soup, fish soup, and bone broth, can have a certain effect on increasing breast milk.
At the same time, the mother should maintain a good mental state, stable emotions, and a happy spirit. She must avoid worries, anger, and frustration. It is also important to have confidence and enthusiasm in breastfeeding. Negative emotions may lead to reduced milk production or even engorgement, which can cause more trouble.
2. The breast milk that's just been produced looks pretty gross, right? Should we drain it out?
The first milk, also known as colostrum, is the breast milk produced by the mother after childbirth. It has a light yellow color and a viscous consistency (it's not actually dirty). Its quantity is very limited and it is considered extremely valuable.
Colostrum is rich in nutrients and can enhance the baby's immune system, protecting the infant from illnesses and ensuring their healthy growth.
Colostrum can also help the baby expel fecal matter from the inside, clean out the intestines.
Therefore, even if the amount of milk is less or a woman who plans not to breastfeed at all must feed the baby with colostrum.
3. I'm so sleepy at night, but it feels more comfortable to nurse while lying down.
Postpartum fatigue, combined with the constant need to feed and change diapers during the day, leads to exhaustion at night.
At night, when babies cry, mothers often find it irritating. Sometimes, they will feed the baby by pushing the breast into their mouth, and the baby will stop crying once the breast is in their mouth. Mothers may then fall asleep. This is extremely dangerous.
Because the baby sucks milk when he is close to his mother, it is easy for the sleeping mother to compress the baby's nostrils. Such a tragedy may happen if the mother breastfeeds at night.
4. When feeding formula to babies, in order to ensure they are satisfied and eat more, the formula is made thinner.
When food is absorbed in the intestine, if the osmotic pressure of the food is too high, it will cause symptoms such as vomiting, abdominal distension, diarrhea, and dehydration.
At the same time, most of the metabolic waste needs to be excreted through the kidneys. However, during infancy and early childhood, the kidneys are still developing and their functions are not mature, so they have limited ability to regulate the metabolism of nutrients.
Over-concentrated milk can put more strain on the kidneys.
After feeding, I immediately put the baby in bed. It's exhausting to hold him.
After feeding the baby, do not immediately place the baby on the bed. Instead, hold the baby upright by placing it against your shoulder. Alternatively, you can sit on the bed and support the baby's head with one hand on its back while the other hand gently pats the baby's back to help expel any air trapped in the stomach, preventing reflux.
After feeding with breast milk, the father can also take over and help the baby burp.
6. Once one breast has been emptied, the baby is full; the other breast's milk can be stored for the next feeding. When breastfeeding, it is recommended that the infant consume the entirety of one breast before proceeding to the other.
If the baby has already satisfied on one breast, you should express the other side.
The purpose of this is to prevent engorgement.
Excessive engorgement not only causes pain and discomfort in the mother but also can lead to mastitis, and it can also cause a reflex decrease in milk production.
You can use a breast pump to express milk and empty the breast.
7. As a model, she breastfeeds her baby after giving birth but finds that the breasts sag afterward and thus decides not to breastfeed.
During pregnancy, the breasts continue to develop and enlarge. If proper care is not taken, they can become lax.
Therefore, pregnant women should start paying attention to the care of their breasts after pregnancy. Using a wide-band bra to support the breasts and massaging or using special oils on the skin and subcutaneous tissues can increase their elasticity, reducing the likelihood of breast sagging. Whether the breasts sag after breastfeeding is related to the condition before breastfeeding.
As long as you strengthen breastfeeding care after giving birth, breastfeeding will not affect your career.
8. After each feeding, I like to wash my breasts and the surrounding skin with soap to keep them clean.
Moms frequently use soap to clean their breasts. This is not beneficial for breast health, but can actually lead to a decline in the local defense of the breast and cause cracking of the nipple which may invite bacterial infection.
Therefore, in order to fully maintain the hygiene of the breasts during lactation and ensure sufficient breast milk for your baby, it is advisable to wash with warm water rather than using soap or any other chemical irritants such as alcohol.
9. Babies are exclusively breastfed, so they should not be given any water at all.
Although some believe that babies aged from 4 to 6 months only need breast milk and do not need to add water, this is not necessarily the case.
The cold winter in the north is dry. If the indoor temperature is too high, newborns can easily lose water.
Moreover, when the weather is too hot or diarrhea occurs, babies will also lack water.
When dehydrated, babies' lips appear dry and cracked, and they become restless and fussy.
It is recommended to keep indoor temperature between 20-25 degrees Celsius. In the winter, a humidifier should be used in northern areas to maintain the air moisture.
If you see lips are dry, you may want to give your baby a few sips of water.
*The medical content involved in this text is for reference only.
In case of discomfort, it is advised to seek medical attention immediately. The diagnosis and treatment should be based on the medical consultations conducted in person.