Mother's milk is a unique food product, the composition of which totals about 500 nutrients necessary for the full development of the child. What to do when breastfeeding is not possible? How to maintain the health of the child and provide him with fortified nutrition? This will help special store trains. For more information on breast milk substitute, methods of its preparation and how much the finished mixture is stored, see the article.
Reasons for switching to artificial feeding
Breast milk is the best food product for a newborn, which was invented by nature. But not all women manage to feed the baby naturally. Doctors distinguish several cases when switching to artificial feeding will be justified:
- The presence of mental disorders in the mother.
- Treatment of a lactating woman with any drugs that are not compatible with breastfeeding.
- Lack of breast milk caused by postpartum depression, improper attachment to the chest, poor diet, and illness of the baby.
- The complete lack of the possibility of breastfeeding caused by a lack of milk.
As a result of replacing natural feeding, many women face a number of challenges. The first and main question that most people care about is, how to store the finished mixture for the newborn? Before answering it, it is worth understanding the variety of types of artificial milk substitutes.
Types of milk formula
The adapted mixture is a high-quality product intended for feeding babies from an early age. Its basis is cow or goat milk, enriched with useful substances, micro and macro elements, vitamins. The companies produce two main types of artificial substitute: dry and liquid:
- The first variety is popular with mothers because of the convenience of storage and ease of preparation.
- Liquid mixtures are ready for use and require only heating. Such milk substitutes are packed in tetrapack and packaged in 200 ml. On sale liquid mixtures are rare. They can be found only in large cities in a limited number.
All dairy products that are used during artificial feeding are made in accordance with the age characteristics of the child. For this, manufacturers on the packaging indicate the steps that display the period of use of the adapted mixture.
The choice of children's dishes
Before preparing a dairy product, parents need to get everything they need. A bottle for the mixture is the first thing parents buy at a children's store or pharmacy. On sale there are glass and plastic options of different volumes. In the first months of the baby's life, it will be enough to purchase a 120 ml bottle. As the child grows, the norm of the consumed product grows, which means that more will be needed.
When buying a bottle, you should pay attention to the type of nipple. They can be made of latex, silicone or rubber, have a different shape and flow rate. In order not to make a mistake with the choice, carefully study the product information on the package.
Preparation of children's dishes
Before breeding the milk mixture, the purchased bottle must be carefully prepared. Just washing with a detergent will not be enough. The dishes must be boiled to reduce the likelihood of pathogenic microbes entering the baby’s fragile body. In this case, many parents prefer to use special devices for processing children's dishes. More mothers are choosing the Philips Avent bottle sterilizer.
The manufacturer is well established in the market for goods for children. An electric appliance is capable of using steam processing to destroy up to 99.9% of microbes without adding any chemicals. It will be useful not only for processing bottles, but also for other baby supplies.
How to cook baby formula?
For inexperienced parents, the process of preparing the milk mixture seems time-consuming. With the acquisition of experience, preparing a meal takes only a couple of minutes. Manufacturers indicate all information about the children's dairy product on the packaging. By carefully studying the label, you can find information not only about the composition, methods of preparation, but also about how much the finished mixture is stored. The standard requirements for the preparation of dry milk replacer are as follows:
- Prepare the necessary dishes, sterilize it.
- Pour the required amount of water into the feeding bottle. To do this, use pre-chilled boiled or special baby water, which does not require heat treatment. The fluid temperature must not exceed 50 ° C. Hot water leads to the death of beneficial microorganisms and the destruction of vitamins.
- Observe the dosage in accordance with the recommendations indicated on the package. Exceeding the norm can lead to problems with stools, allergies, constant regurgitation, vomiting or too fast weight gain.
- Add the required amount of dry powder to the prepared water, carefully mix the resulting composition until smooth.
- If the dairy product is cold, do not heat it in the microwave. To do this, you can use the Avent bottle warmer or a water bath. Try to keep the temperature of the finished product between 36-37 ° C.
Rules for Finished Product Storage
There are times when parents have prepared artificial milk for more than one feeding. What to do in such a situation? How long is the finished mixture stored?
In the prepared form, the adapted baby food product can be used for 1.5–2 hours. This applies only to those cases when the baby did not touch him. If the child started, but did not drink the whole milk, the likelihood of spoiling quickly increases. In this case, it is recommended to pour out the unused food leftovers during feeding, and wash the bottle thoroughly.
Parents often ask artificial feeding experts about whether the ready-made mixture can be stored in the refrigerator. If the child did not touch it, then this option is possible. But for this, the prepared adapted product should not be poured into another container. It is better to leave the pacifier on the bottle, cover it with a sterile gauze cloth or a sterile plastic cup. This will help avoid the likelihood of infection. Before feeding, the mixture will need to be warmed up to room temperature, and the nipple treated with boiling water.
Manufacturer's Recommendations
Manufacturers always indicate on the packaging information about how much the finished mixture is stored. They do not recommend using the cooked dish repeatedly. Unused portion leftovers can be stored for up to an hour. Even in this short period of time, harmful bacteria can form in the liquid and multiply very quickly. After this period, the prepared mixture must be poured out to avoid the risk of infection and food poisoning.