Look Out For Added Nutrients Like Iron Prebiotics And Omega Fatty Acids
Many formulas have added nutrients – some are included because they address specific deficiencies or needs, whereas others are used to give your little one a general health boost.
Iron is a beneficial mineral that is required by our bodies for healthy blood and the development of the body’s brain. Prebiotics are handy if your little one has a sensitive stomach, as they’ll help to soothe the digestion process. DHA and ARA are fatty acids, usually found in breast milk, that are important for a healthy brain and also eye development.
Opting for a formula with one or more of these added nutrients can therefore help your baby to stay healthy and to grow even stronger!
Omega-3 fatty acids help to encourage the development of the brain. Iron supplementation is not really required with formula-fed infants and can cause stomach upset but be sure the chosen formula is fortified with iron.
Prebiotics help stimulate the growth of healthy gut bacteria to match that of breastfed infants to support a healthy developing gut and the immune system in infants.
Nutrition In Formula Milk
Breast milk is better for your baby. And only breast milk is recommended for the first 6 months after the baby is born. But sometimes mothers may have to choose formula milk due to some reason.
Formula feeding is also a good healthy option for babies. Formula milk varies by country and brand. Due to which the number of nutrients present in them can also be different.
There are three major categories of infant formulas in the market. Soy-based formulas and specialty formulas based on cows milk.
Typical baby formula milk is made from processed skimmed cows milk. Contains additional emulsifiers and stabilizers.
They all differ in nutrition, calories, taste, digestion, and cost.
- Mothers who give formula milk do not need any restrictions on their diet.
- Formula-fed babies do not require frequent feedings.
- Even when the mother is not there, formula milk can meet the demand of the baby.
- A mother who gives formula milk can easily find out how much milk the baby has consumed.
- Feeding formula milk is not much of a problem, it can be fed by anyone.
Cons of Formula Milk
- Formula-fed babies are at risk of being overweight.
- The baby has problems digesting formula milk.
- Formula-fed babies are more prone to gas and constipation than breast-fed babies.
- It is more expensive than breast milk.
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Types Of Milk To Feed Your Child
Your child needs a specific kind of cowâs milk to make sure they get everything they need. It should be:
- Not raw
Flavored milk has too much sugar for children.
If your baby is allergic to cowâs milk, you can give milk alternatives like soy, almond, or oat milk. They should be:
- Unsweetened
- Fortified with calcium
- Fortified with vitamin D
If you give any of these alternatives to your child, talk to your doctor about nutrition. These milks have different vitamins. You might need to add other foods to keep their diet balanced.
Your child can have at least 2 servings of whole milk every day, or about 8 to 10 ounces. These should be served as drinks and not as meals. Limit the amount of milk they drink to no more than 24 ounces of whole milk in 1 day. Once your child turns 2, they can switch to 2% milk.
If youâre concerned about your babyâs feeding habits or nutrition, talk to your doctor.
Show Sources
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: âFortified Cow’s Milk and Milk Alternatives,â âRecommendations and Benefits,â âWeaning.â
Childrenâs Hospital of Philadelphia: âMaking the Switch to Cowâs Milk for 1-year-olds.â
European Journal of Pediatrics: âEarly Cowâs Milk Introduction is Associated with Failed Personal-Social Milestones After One Year of Age.â
Healthy Children: âWhy Formula Instead of Cowâs Milk?â
NHS: âDairy and alternatives in your diet,â âVitamins for children,â âYour babyâs first solid foods.â
Read Also: How To Prevent Colic In Newborn Babies
Protein Fat Calories Vitamins And Minerals
When were talking about cows milk, the nutrients that we are focused on the most that it provides are protein, fat, calories, and some vitamins and minerals.
For minerals, we are specifically looking at calcium. And most cows milk, at least here in the U.S., is fortified with vitamin D.
Now as you can imagine, cows milk is not the only thing that can provide these nutrients. But what cows milk does have going for it is that literally the nutritional guidelines are built around it.
We wont get into the reasons behind that, and the dairy foods lobby that has potentially had a big say in that over the years. But I will say that at the end of the day, the fact that the guidelines are built around cows milk gives it a leg up.
Its been researched a lot, we know what nutrients are in it and how much kids need. It makes cows milk a pretty straightforward recommendation for your toddlers diet.
Kendamil Goat Milk Formula Stage 1
Review
This is truly the next best thing to mothers milk. Previously was supplementing with another formula that stained my sons clothing yellow, his burps smelled bad and the milk itself was a brown color. Once we switched to HIPP, its hard to tell the difference between the formula and breastmilk and the burps do not smell. Most importantly babys poop also resembles that of breastfed baby poop! If recommend this brand to anyone as its the best thing you can offer your baby.
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How We Chose The Best Baby Formula Brands
To help take some of the guesswork out of your search, we’ve rounded up the best baby formula brands that meet the recommendations from pediatricians and the AAP. We also considered formula brands trusted by our editors and parents in the What to Expect community.
See registry advice and a custom baby gear checklist
Looking For Something Specific
Here in the United States, it is generally assumed that at one year old babies will transition from breast milk or infant formula to cows milk. Many parents, whether it be for allergies, constipation, other medical conditions, or just personal concern, wonder if that is strictly necessary.
So today were going to talk about what the best milk for babies after 1 is!
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What To Do If Your Baby Refuses To Drink Cow Milk
There are a few tips that may help your child accept cows milk more willingly.
1. Try to warm the milk before offering it. Most of the time, toddlers refuse the milk, as cold milk is unusual for them. A slight temperature variation can do the trick.
2. If the child doesnt seem to like the taste, you can consider giving it as a milkshake or mixed with other food such as cereal, porridge etc. It also helps make the milk look interesting by adding natural colours to it.
3. Make milk-drinking fun for your child! Create positive associations with verbal or other rewards for drinking milk each day.
4. Offer it in a colourful sippy cup or with a straw. You can even consider buying a new cup just for this purpose and declare it to be a special cup so that the child looks forward to drinking anything out of it.
5. As a last resort, you can sweeten the milk. It is best to stay away from this practice as it gets the child habituated to the taste. You can try natural sweetening by adding fruits or dry fruits to the milk.
How Do I Make Sure My Toddler Is Getting The Nutrition They Need
How much milk should my toddler drink?
Itâs important to remember that while your little one may have been on an all-milk or milk-heavy diet of formula and/or breastmilk before the age of 1 year, after the 1-year mark milk should be kept to 2 to 3 cups per day.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends only 2 to 3 cups of milk or milk-alternative per day.8
Read more: How Do I Switch my Little One To Milk?
Consult with your toddlerâs healthcare provider
Your pediatrician knows your toddlerâs nutrient needs well and can help provide guidance on which milk or milk alternative may work best.
If your baby has a dairy or soy sensitivity, speak to your toddlerâs healthcare provider about which type of milk to introduce first. And donât worry â many infants outgrow a milk or soy protein intolerance by their first birthday. You and your childâs pediatrician can form a plan of which soy and dairy products to re-introduce and the pros and cons of each type of milk.
Bottom Line
If you choose a non-dairy milk for your little one, soy milk is the recommended milk alternative for toddlers who are not able to drink cowâs milk. Should soy milk not be medically advised, work with your pediatrician to determine which is the best option for your child and aim for:
*Remember that without cowâs milk or soy milk, your toddler must have a diet with adequate protein, fat, vitamin D, and calcium â among other nutrients.
Read more: Minimizing Added Sugar
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Milk Powder Based On Cows Milk
Most brands offer formula milk powder based on cows milk. Cows milk is considered quite harmful for babies under 1 year of age. However, cow milk-based formula contains ingredients that make it easy to digest.
This types milk powder provides your baby with the best balance of protein, carbohydrate, and other nutrients. Thus, your childs digestive system digests the consumed milk and absorbs essential nutrients.
How To Start Cows Milk For Babies
Your baby can start drinking milk when they are 12 months old. If you are breastfeeding, you can slowly start to wean over a few weeks. The World Health Organization recommends mothers breastfeed until 2 years, but you can choose to stop earlier.
As you stop breastfeeding, you will make less breast milk. You can wean your baby off formula and switch to cowâs milk, too.
To give your child cowâs milk:
- Use whole milk thatâs fortified with vitamin D.
- Start by replacing one feeding per day with a sippy cup or a regular cup of whole cowâs milk. If your baby doesnât like it, mix 1/2 cowâs milk and 1/2 breast milk or formula. Slowly lower the ratio over time.
- Slowly replace other feedings with cowâs milk until you are no longer breastfeeding or using formula.â
Take a few weeks to wean. This slowly introduces your child to the new milk and helps your body adjust. Suddenly stopping breastfeeding can cause swollen and sore breasts.
If your baby doesnât use a bottle, start with sippy cups or cups instead of bottles. Itâs best to have your baby stop using bottles by 12 months of age. Babies shouldnât go to sleep with bottles because it can lead to cavities.
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Baby Formula With Special Additives
Some baby formulas have extra ingredients added to them to make them more like breastmilk. But this doesnt necessarily mean those ingredients will work in the same way as breastmilk in your babys body.
Here are some common extra ingredients added to baby formula, with information about whether theyre likely to do your baby any extra good:
- LCPs: these are important for brain and nerve development. But theres no clear evidence that babies can absorb ingredients like LCPs when theyre added to formula. Formula with added LCPs might be helpful for formula-fed premature babies brain development.
- Betacarotene: this is a source of vitamin A and anti-oxidants. Most formulas already have added vitamin A and anti-oxidants. Theres no real evidence that betacarotene formulas are better for your baby.
- Prebiotics and probiotics: these can help formula-fed babies grow healthy bacteria in their bowels. The bacteria might help your baby have softer poo and less nappy rash. It might also help reduce the chance of gastroenteritis.
Also note that these formulas might be more expensive than other formulas.
Best Baby Formula For Colic
Dreaded colic. If youre starting to link your babys cries to what theyre eating, consider choosing formulas specifically made to address whats causing those wails.
But, reality check: Theres no evidence to suggest that a certain formula will make your baby better.
Instead, colic tends to ease up between your babys 4- and 6-month birthday. And colic formulas may not help if your little one has an allergy, so its a good idea to check in with your pediatrician to make sure theres nothing more at play with their health.
Price: $$Key features: Gerber claims that Good Start SoothePro has the gentleness of breast milk and helps with anything from excessive crying episodes to fussiness and gas. It contains just 30 percent lactose, which the brand says may ease babys stomach . It also contains a blend of prebiotics and probiotics.Considerations: Parents generally like this formula, but some feel it can be a bit clumpy and hard to dissolve in the bottle. A few say that SoothePro smells bad and that their babies dont love the taste and occasionally refuse to drink it.
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The Best Milk Alternatives For Babies
When it comes to finding information on what to not take when pregnant, you will probably of found that almost everything is not safe for pregnant woman. The reason for this is that testing for safety of certain things during pregnancy is not something many would sign up to be a part of, and so we are warned to rather be safe than sorry as there is a lack of concrete research. The same goes for infant feeding we are taught to trust in the body for breastmilk and, failing that, the commercial formula industry. Many parents would not take a risk of thinking outside of that formula can, but how many of you actually know what is in the formula that is supposed to nourish your infant in ever important development? The answers are shocking, and might leave you feeling trapped and without an alternative. So what do you do when your body does not comply with your breastfeeding plans but you do not want to trust big pharma to supply your babies nutrition? There are many parents out there who have done the hard work for you and here are some of the alternatives that parents around the world are using.
Holle Organic Infant Formula
Holle is a European based company that has been established for over 80 years. They produce high-quality organic baby food. They do not use any chemical processing or preservatives in any of their products.
The milk used in their formula comes from cows raised on biodynamic farms that provide caring and appropriate environments for their animals.
Biodynamic farms are very similar to organic farming, but they draw concepts from the ideas of Rudolf Steiner. These farms can also become members of the international biodynamic standards group Demeter International, which Holle Organic is.
Holle Organic formula has no nasty chemicals or preservatives in their ingredient list. It is made from 99% organically grown ingredients, and their milk source is from cows raised on biodynamic farms.
The remaining 1% is made up of essential vitamins and minerals that your baby needs for growth and development.
Holle formula is priced in line with other baby formula brands and has great reviews from parents. Many have stated that it does not have a thick consistency or unpleasant smell, as many baby formulas do.
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