Becoming a mother is the most extraordinary feeling in the world. From the day you hold your baby into your arms to the time when they are all grown up and ready to face the world themselves, your child goes through numerous developmental phases, the first of which is deciding whether to put them on breastmilk or baby formula.
Choosing what the best for your baby is is challenging, and you will have to make choices, even the tough ones, with utmost prudence. That is why we are here to help new mothers pondering the inevitable question of is it okay to switch between breastmilk and baby formula.
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In what cases do doctors recommend switching to Baby Formula?
Switching between breastmilk and baby formula is totally okay if you are wondering whether the occurrence is safe and common. There are several reasons your doctor could recommend you to switch to baby formula with low breastmilk supply, convenience, and personal choice being some of the reasons.
Some would also suggest that you take good lactation powder from www.lovemajka.com to help you increase your milk supply.
For many ladies out there, switching to a baby formula is not a choice but a feat that occurs out of necessity, and sometimes doctors will recommend the option proactively for your child’s holistic development.
Although several women feel that breastfeeding their baby is the healthiest choice out there, there are doctors who also recommend baby formula if you are low on breastmilk supply.
They think that your baby might not be getting the nutrients and food it needs to grow healthily. The idea of switching between breastmilk and baby formula is called supplementing.
If you decide to supplement your baby, make sure to check the MyOrganicCompany store, they have a variety of golden standard organic baby formulas which will help in the proper growth and development of your baby.
However, it is entirely up to you and your comfort in choosing what you would like for your child. Nonetheless, if the doctor stresses that your child needs supplementing, introducing baby formula in your baby’s diet might be necessary.
Reasons for Supplementing with Baby Formula
There are several reasons why your doctor might recommend supplementing your child’s diet with baby formula. Some of these reasons are listed below.
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Medical Issues
Children who are born prematurely or with certain genetic or medical conditions might need more than just breastmilk for growth and development. As a result, your doctor might recommend supplementing your child with the baby formula to attain the desired weight.
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Low Breastmilk Supply
There could be several reasons for low breastmilk supply, including prior breast surgery, elimination of mammary glands due to cancer resulting in no breastmilk at all, or certain medical conditions that might hinder the production of breastmilk postpartum.
Therefore, your doctor will tell you to supplement your child’s diet with baby formula as your breastmilk alone might not be enough for the child’s growth and development.
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You want to transition from breastmilk to baby formula
Yes, personal choice and convenience are some of the most significant reasons why women would like to transition from breastmilk to baby formula. However, several women feel selfish as they make this choice or would like to go back to work.
Nonetheless, you shouldn’t feel this way because putting your baby on supplements is a very common choice that most women opt for their children. So, there’s no reason to feel guilty that you might be compromising on your baby’s health in the long term.
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You don’t want to stockpile your refrigerator with breastmilk
It could be that you and your partner don’t want to stockpile your refrigerator with breastmilk or your partner wants to take part in the feedings and be actively involved in the baby’s life, or your partner wants to take part in the feedings and be actively engaged in taking care of your newborn.
Even in that case, you will need to switch to supplementing as you transition back to your work life and your partner takes on the baby’s responsibility full time.
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You birthed multiples
Handling one baby is a task in itself, let alone taking care of two, three, or even four children. Breastfeeding your twins, triplets, or quadruplets can be a challenger, especially when you are already low on milk supply, making your kids wail during the night out of hunger.
You can also just be tired tending to your kids that you need a break, both mentally and physically, and guess what? Formula feedings can help with that while providing your kids with adequate nutrition and supplements.
How can introducing Baby Formula affect your child?
If you are not keen on supplementing your child with baby formula from the start, you must breastfeed for at least one month before you introduce baby formula into their diet. Several new mothers wonder how to transition from breastmilk to formula, and there’s no absolute answer to that.
You can choose to mix your breastmilk with baby formula in the same bottle if your baby hasn’t developed a taste for the supplement. However, the more logical thing to do would be to feed your baby breastmilk first and then finish off the rest of their diet routine with formula because if you mix both the things in the same bottle and your child doesn’t finish it, then your breastmilk will go to waste.
Supplementing your child will result in a change for your body as well, and we recommend that you start with one or two bottles of baby formula a day to set the pace. Don’t rush, and give yourself and your baby some time to adjust to the new change.
If you plan on introducing baby formula in the form of one or two bottles in a week, your breastmilk supply won’t be affected. However, if you choose to make the transition rather quickly, remember that your milk supply will drop.
Conclusion
You can think and read about transitioning from breastmilk to baby formula all you want, but in the end, it will be your body, baby, and doctor who will set the pace for the change. It is not easy to birth a child, let alone take care of their feeding needs.
However, transitioning to baby formula can provide the much-needed respite.
