How To Choose A Baby Formula
At the most basic level, theres really no wrong choice when it comes to formula. Since everything youll find is technically safe to use, that means that what you put in your cart is really up to you, your preferences, and your budget.
You might ask yourself if a certain brand or type:
- is easy to find at a local store or online
- has a price point that fits within your budget
- meets your need for convenience
- is appropriate for your childs special needs
Beyond that, youll need to see what works best for your baby. Know that most formulas contain 20 calories per ounce. Unless your doctor tells you otherwise, you should choose a brand that contains iron to help prevent iron deficiency anemia.
Anything else thats added to the formula, like fatty acids and other ingredients found in breast milk, are completely safe, but they may or may not provide the benefits written on the box.
Side Effects Of Gripe Water
Gripe water is generally safe, but its important to keep an open eye for signs of an allergic reaction. Allergy symptoms can vary.
After giving gripe water to your baby, check for:
- hives
- swelling of the lips or tongue
- vomiting
If you suspect an allergic reaction, discontinue use and contact your doctor.
Ways To Get Rid Of Hiccups
Whatever the reasons for the hiccups, there are methods that mothers can use to ease their babys hiccups. Try any of these methods to solve the problem:
- Sugar. Place liquid sugar under your babys tongue. This can be done with granular sugar if your baby is old enough to eat solid foods.
- Massage. A good back massage can help relax a babys muscles. To do this, lay your baby down on his or her stomach on a spongy surface and rub your babys back in a circular motion. You can also use baby-safe essential oils to help your baby relax.
- Sit the baby upright. Sit your baby upright after feeding. Pat your babys back gently to release air bubbles from the stomach.
- Gripe Water. Gripe water is a liquid supplement made from a combination of natural ingredients like chamomile, peppermint, cinnamon, ginger, licorice, lemon balm, and more depending on the formula you choose. It can help ease your babys stomach problems, colic, and soothe gas pains as well.
Some other methods of curing baby hiccups like pulling on the tongue or holding your babys breath mustnt be attempted. These methods can hurt your baby or put your baby in danger.
Scaring your baby is also not recommended. Babies dont appreciate being scared, and this method is unlikely to work anyway. If youre not sure about a method for curing hiccups and like to know which method is safe, talk to your babys doctor.
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What Are Newborn Hiccups
New born baby hiccups occur when the muscles of diaphragm contract. They usually go away on their own too. Babies specifically have more chances of hiccups even when they are in the mothers womb.
However, there is nothing to worry about with hiccups. It can remain for a minute to an hour, but they do no harm to the baby. It can just surprise your baby or make him a little uncomfortable. It is just a normal reflex of a baby and parents dont need to be all worried about their little angel.
Straight Posture During Feeding
The most common cause for hiccups in newborn children is the wrong feeding position. You need to place the baby in an upright posture when you feed him. Babies tend to swallow a substantial amount of air while eating. Make the baby sit at an angle ranging between 30 degrees to 45 degrees. This will prevent the air from accumulating in the stomach for long.
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Give The Newborn A Toy To Divert Attention
Diverting the attention of the newborn is one of the most effective ways to avoid hiccups. For this purpose, give the newborn a toy or small piece of care to play. The newborn will play with the toy. This method will divert his or her attention from the hiccups.
Moreover, if he or she is crying due to hiccups, the baby will stop doing that. This process is a safe and reliable way of avoiding hiccups in newborns.
Hiccups And Gastroesophageal Reflux
Usually, hiccups dont bother babies. But sometimes, hiccups are a sign of gastroesophageal reflux . Reflux causes stomach acid to back up into the babys esophagus.
If your baby has GERD, hiccups wont be the only symptom, Dr. Liermann says. Infants with reflux also have signs such as:
- Coughing.
- Irritability and crying.
- Arching the back, especially during or after a feeding.
If you notice these signs, talk to your doctor about whether your baby might have reflux and how to manage it.
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Taking A Break During Feeding For Burping
While you are breastfeeding your newborn baby, it is advisable to take a break from the regular feeding for a couple of minutes and make your little one burp. You can hold your baby in an upright position and make him burp by gently rubbing or patting his back.
This will help your baby to get rid of the excess air that might have been swallowed while feeding and this helps to stop baby hiccups after feeding. Burping a baby is essential. To know why and how to do it, read my post, Why is It Important to Burp Your Baby After Feeding.
Why Does My Newborn Hiccup
Hiccups happen when the diaphragm, the respiratory muscle at the base of the chest, gets irritated and spasms. Since a baby’s stomach and torso are small, it doesn’t take much to fill their tummy to the brim and push it up into the diaphragm.
What’s more, “your baby’s swallowing and breathing abilities aren’t fully synchronized yet,” says Peter Vishton, Ph.D., head researcher at the Child Development Research Center at the College of William & Mary, in Williamsburg, Virginia, and creator of the DVD What Babies Can Do: An Activity-Based Guide to Infant Development. “She may try to swallow at the same time she draws a breath, and that’s what sets it off.”
But why do baby hiccups last so long? “She’s still learning how to untangle these bad patterns, so it simply takes her longer than it takes an adult or even an older child to get back to normal,” Dr. Vishton says.
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When To Worry About Baby Hiccups
When the hiccups become increasingly frequent, lasting longer than usual, take note of how long each bout lasts and the time between them.
Consult your pediatrician with the results to verify if intervention is necessary.
Another cause of concern is when the hiccups begin to interfere with your babys sleep. When the bouts are so severe they keep your baby awake, its time to call the doctor.
We always recommend contacting your pediatrician if you feel concerned, especially if you feel that your baby is experiencing pain during hiccups This could be a sign of infant GERD. In adults, chronic hiccups can be signs of damage to the nervous system, tumors, kidney disease, and even diabetes .
These arent typical causes of baby hiccups, but its worth a check if youre worried.
Best Baby Formula For Allergies
Some babies may be allergic to cows milk protein and need hypoallergenic formula specifically, one where the protein has been broken down either partially or extensively. These formulas are also called protein hydrolysate formulas. Theyre for babies who cant drink milk- or soy-based varieties.
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How To Get Rid Of Baby Hiccupsand Prevent Them
For the most part, baby hiccups just happen, but there are a few things you can do to relieve the discomfort they may causeand maybe even prevent them from happening.
Lets face it: Hiccups can be a paineven baby-size ones. And its not like you can just tell your baby to hold their breath or down a spoonful of peanut butter . Happily, there are a few things you can do to relieve the discomfort baby hiccups can causeand maybe even prevent them from happening in the first place.
Soothing Your Baby With Gripe Water
Crying is a babys main form of communication.
Nobody can recognize your babys cries better than you, so you may instantly know if your baby is sleepy or hungry.
Although crying is normal, your baby may sometimes cry excessively despite being well-fed and changed. This can indicate another problem, such as teething or colic.
A colicky baby may cry for several hours on any given day. Though it is not known what causes colic, some feel it is due to abdominal discomfort caused by gassiness.
The good news is that there are ways to soothe your baby. Some parents have successfully calmed their babies with an herbal remedy called gripe water.
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Best Baby Formula For Supplementation
Maybe baby will receive formula only part time in combination with breastfeeding. In this case, you may want to find a formula specifically designed for supplementation.
Price: $$$Key features: Similac claims that this formula provides a gentle introduction to formula for breastfed babies. It includes the OptiGRO blend of DHA, lutein, and vitamin E all nutrients found in breast milk. It also includes more probiotics than any other type of Similac formula on the market.Considerations: A good number of parents share positive reviews of this formula. That said, some others share that this formula gave their babies loose stools and other digestive issues, like gas.
Check The Bottle Of The Baby
The feed bottles play a vital role in the process id hiccupping. Because some bottles designed that way that they trap more air than the other containers. This trapped air goes inside the stomach of the newborn through the milk feed, which causes hiccups.
To avoid the problem, you should check the design of the bottle. You should replace the cylinder with various models and brands. This precaution will resolve the issue of trapping the air in the bottle and reduces the hiccups of the newborn.
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Baby Hiccups In The Womb
Many expecting mothers state and share the experience of baby hiccups in the womb as well. This is quite common during 6 months of pregnancy when the lungs of your baby start developing and you can feel minor spasms in the abdomen. These regular spasms are the baby hiccups in the womb or can be termed as fetal hiccups.
These fetal hiccups are movements in your babys diaphragm when he is learning to breathe as the lungs are developing. When the baby in your womb is inhaling and exhaling amniotic fluid, there are contractions in the diaphragm which even indicates that the diaphragm development is occurring properly.
Fetal hiccups also indicate proper neurological development in the fetus as these hiccups signal that the nerve which controls the diaphragm is active.
Fetal hiccups can occur several times in a day and they become very frequent around the onset of the third semester. However, the baby hiccups in the womb start reducing as your time of delivery starts approaching near. It is mostly said that if a baby had a large number of baby hiccups in the womb then the baby will likely have numerous hiccups after birth as well. Again, this could be a myth.
What Causes Hiccups In Newborns And Babies
Babies get hiccups from time to time. You may have even noticed your baby hiccupping while he was still in your womb. This may have felt like quick, rhythmic jerks in your uterus. In any case, hiccups are usually nothing to worry about.
What causes hiccups is your babyâs diaphragm moving in a twitchy way or having spasms when irritated. The diaphragm is a dome-shaped muscle at the bottom of your babyâs chest that relaxes and contracts to help your baby breathe.
When the diaphragm gets irritated, it might involuntarily contract, quickly causing air to get sucked in a little more forcefully than a usual breath. When this force of air hits your babyâs vocal cords, they close suddenly. Thatâs what can make that little âhiccupâ sound.
Your babyâs diaphragm might become irritated if heâs eating too fast or too much, or perhaps if heâs feeling excited or nervous about something.
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Latching Correctly During Nursing
If youre breastfeeding your baby, make sure she is latching on correctly. If not, she may be swallowing extra air during her feedings. Most breastfed babies dont make a lot of gurgling and gulping sounds. If your baby is doing this or seems to get fussy, try to latch her on again, so you have a tight seal on your nipple. And if youre a new mommy, dont worry! Breastfeeding is not always easy during the first few weeks, but youll get the hang of it. And so will your baby!
Best Organic Baby Formula
Formulas labeled organic must meet certain standards, like being made without contaminants like prohibited synthetic pesticides and fertilizers. Organic formulas are also free from artificial flavors and colors, growth hormones, preservatives, and other additives.
Price: $$Key features: Earths Bests Sensitivity blend is made with 95 percent less lactose than standard formulas. This means it may be more easily digested by babies who are sensitive to lactose . Its dairy ingredients are organic, coming from grass-fed cows, and the formula also contains omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, lutein, and prebiotics to support your babys immune system.Considerations: Some parents explain that they like the formula, but that it can be inconsistent from batch to batch . Others like that this formula tastes like milk, but a few note that theyre unhappy with the high corn syrup solids content. Its worth noting, though, that corn syrup solids, also sometimes called maltodextrin, is a common ingredient in most infant formulas.
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Keep The Baby Straight After The Meals
After you feed the child, make sure that it does not lie down instantly. The baby has to be kept in a straight position for a certain span of time. This will prevent reflux from affecting the digestive process. At times, the food in the stomach rises up the oesophagus. This can lead to hiccups. Place the child in an upright position after you feed it.