What is infant formula?

Although pediatricians recommend exclusive breastfeeding for the newborn's first six months, there are situations where you may have to give baby formula to your child.

Baby formula (or just formula) is a special dietary product meant for feeding babies. It is usually made from cow's milk, although you can find goat milk-based baby milk. The animal milk is first treated so that it is suitable for babies. You should not feed your baby regular cow's milk instead of infant formula - small babies (up to one year old) cannot digest untreated cow milk properly, which can lead to health problems. Cow's milk also lacks the right amount of important nutrients, like vitamin C and iron, which can lead to iron-deficiency anemia. Formulas, on the other hand, are often enriched with iron together with DHA and ARA (docosahexaenoic and arachidonic acids), fatty acids that support baby brain development.

There are more formula types available on the market - like soy, sheep's milk, and almond 'milk'. You can also find baby milk for special tasks, such as extensively hydrolyzed formulas (meaning the proteins have already been broken down), formulas for premature babies, or formulas that help those who suffer from acid reflux. You should only use special formulas if your pediatrician has recommended them to you. If you think the formula you are currently using is not suitable, talk to your doctor or midwife, and only after that should you try changing the formula.

How much milk should my baby drink? How do I know it's not enough/too much?

There is one important thing to note - the baby formula calculator is not an oracle. The tool should give you an idea of the amounts of baby milk your child should eat, but there are no strict ranges. You may want to use the baby's milk intake tool to get an estimate of your baby's requirement. Most children will change the amount they eat from feeding to feeding so they always get enough. So, learn to understand your baby's body language. When they become distracted during bottle-feeding and start to fidget - they've probably had enough. On the other hand, if the bottle is finished and your baby is still smacking their lips, sticks their tongue out, or sucks everything they can get their mouth on, they might still be hungry. Learning these signs takes time, but it strengthens the bonds between the two of you. ❤️

Last menstrual period

The default for this calculator bases the calculation on a woman's last menstrual period (LMP), under the assumption that childbirth on average occurs at a gestational age (age of a pregnancy calculated from the woman's last menstrual period) of 280 days, or 40 weeks. Although there is some debate regarding when pregnancy technically begins, whether at fertilization of the egg (conception), or when the egg adheres to the uterus (implantation), gestational age does not vary based on different definitions of pregnancy since it is based on LMP. In terms of gestational age, pregnancies typically last between 37 and 42 weeks, with 40 weeks often being used as an estimate in calculations. Thus, the due date is usually estimated by calculating the date that is 40 weeks from the start of a woman's LMP.

Too much food?

If your child seems hungry and is craving baby formula all the time, you should discuss it with your pediatrician or midwife. You should also pay attention to your feeding habits, as overfeeding can lead to obesity in the future. Sometimes pacifiers are used to soothe babies after a proper feeding. Important - this doesn't apply to newborns. In their case, it's best to feed them on demand, even if it's ten or fifteen times a day. As they grow up, newborns will develop their own infant formula eating scheme.

Too little food?

If your child never meets the 'goals' of the baby formula feeding chart, you should seek medical advice as well. It might be that your baby just like that, but it could also be some kind of health disorder. A particular red flag arises if a baby has trouble gaining weight. Typically a child should double their birth weight by 5 months old and triple it by a year old.. If this doesn't happen, always talk to a pediatrician, as it might a sign of an underlying condition. To help babies grow, doctors often recommend frequent feeding, even if that means waking up a sleeping child.

Signs of a well-fed child:

1. Meets the growing-up goals and progresses proportionately on their growth charts;
2. Develops properly - neither you nor the pediatrician, who sees baby regularly, notice anything out of the ordinary;
3. Drinks the infant formula gladly but doesn't always act hungry; and
4. Wet diapers - a newborn should have 2-3 wet diapers daily up to 5 days old. After that, they should have 5-6 diapers. Wet diapers are a good indicator of the baby's nutrition state.

Always seek medical advice if anything in your baby's eating habits or their behavior concerns you.