When babies are born, their first and foremost requirement is to consume milk. Mother’s milk is a complete source of nutrition for a baby. Nature has put all the needs of an infant in their mother’s milk and made it a necessary and best source of nutrients.
So it is necessary to eat a nutrient-enriched and safe diet so that your baby can get all the good amount of nutrients from your milk. Ideally, newborns should have breastmilk. Even if you are not planning to breastfeed for long, give colostrum and as many feeds as you can manage. Every feed counts.
Usually, babies start eating solid foods when they are six months old. During that time, breastfeeding your milk and baby formulas like babymilkbar.com are best for your baby as per the doctor’s recommendations.
What are the Alternatives?
Now, we have discussed the benefits and importance of mother’s milk. There are plenty of other options available aside from breastfeeding your milk to your baby. Let’s discuss some of the alternatives.
Due to any health complications, if you cannot feed your milk to the baby, there are plenty of ways to feed your child. Make sure to choose one which closely replicates the mother’s breast milk as much as possible.
Formula Foods For Infants
Scientific knowledge of nutrition has grown a lot. Formula foods are the best solution for mothers who find it difficult to breastfeed and are worried about their baby’s balanced growth. There are food formulas in the market that closely replicate mother’s milk.
Make sure to buy from a trustworthy brand approved by the FDA. There are two kinds of formula foods for babies, i.e., Organic and In-Organic. Organic baby food formulas contain all the natural ingredients free from artificial preservatives and other synthetic flavors.
In-organic baby food formulas contain pesticide-treated food. They may also contain artificial flavors, corn syrup, palm oil, and other unnecessary ingredients that are objectionable whether they should be in a baby’s diet.
Cow’s Milk
You might have learned from your pediatrician that you should not feed cow milk to your baby until they are one year old. This is because cow’s milk doesn’t contain some necessary nutrients for an infant’s proper and balanced growth during this phase.
Moreover, cow’s milk is difficult to digest for infants. It can also cause some other problems such as:
- Belly pain
- Nausea, Diarrhea
- Anemia
Your baby might get allergic to cow’s milk, and this condition can cause bleeding in the intestines. So it is better to avoid cow’s milk, especially during your baby’s early years.
Milk Donors
Like blood banks, there are milk banks out there where women donate milk. It can be a healthy alternative for your baby, but it can be tricky to figure out whether the woman is a healthy individual who donated the milk.
You can’t be sure if she has gone through proper screening or not? Diseases like HIV/Aids can spread through breast milk. So it can be tricky, and one just can not risk it over their baby’s health.
Cross Nursing
Cross Nursing is a process that involves a nursing mother who will breastfeed your baby when you are unable to. But it also has its fair share of concerns. You don’t know the diet of a wet nurse who will breastfeed your baby.
And just like buying donor’s milk, you don’t know whether a nurse is a healthy person, and her milk won’t cause any concerns.
Why Organic Food Formula can be The Best Alternative
Reading that far, you probably have figured out that organic food formulas are still by far the best and safest alternative if breastfeeding is not an option for you to feed your baby.
Considering cow’s milk as an option, the digestion of cow’s milk is not as complete or as easy for infants as formula food. Formula food contains all the necessary ingredients and probiotics, which are also found in mother’s milk and aids in digesting the food.
Of course, talk with your pediatrician while choosing formula food for your baby to choose the one which is suitable and perfect for your baby. Also, don’t forget to add the exact amount of pure water specified on the label.
Conclusion
Although mother’s milk is still by far the best choice for a baby, no matter what option you choose instead of breastfeeding, consult with your pediatrician, read labels carefully, get as much information as you can to figure out the milk is disease-free and a donor has gone through proper screening if you are out-sourcing milk. Choose the safest way to feed your baby.