You need to know more about baby formula feeding than just buying your favorite brand. From the quantity your baby will eat to how it can affect the poop of your baby, we show a few surprises mothers may encounter when feeding your baby with baby formula.

Baby Formula-fed babies have different poop

What the diaper of your newborn contains is directly affected by the baby formula you feed him with. Baby formula poops are not only different, they can as well be somehow shocking, most especially for parents who switch over from breastfeeding.

Why the difference?

This is just a matter of your newborn adapting to whatever what he or she eats. Depending on the type of food running through the flora of the gastrointestinal tract, it changes and baby formula is a different food from breast milk. A lot of parents report that baby formula poop is darker in color, smells stronger and it is thicker than poop from breast milk.

Newborns don’t digest breast milk and baby formula at the same rate

Baby formula-fed babies can longer between feedings than breastfed babies. This is because most baby formulas and breast milk contain the proteins known as casein and whey. Breast milk is easier to digest for newborns because it contains more whey than casein and therefore make it faster to be digested by babies. On the other hand, baby formula contains more casein that newborns digest more slowly.

Your baby can be sensitive to baby formula

A good number of newborns easily digest baby formulas easily with sunny smiles and a few contented burps. On the other hand, some have an allergic reaction to the protein of the cow’s milk in the formula, making for a less brilliant experience.

When you feed your baby with baby formula, his/her bowel movements can serve as a major clue to how digestion is taking place. Mucus or blood in the stool of your baby usually implies that the bowels are inflamed, and this is a symptom a possible allergy in newborns. Skin rashes, fussiness around feedings, vomiting and diarrhea are other red flags.

Different Newborns eat different Quantity of Baby Formula

When it comes to baby formula feeding, there are always individual differences. This is in view of the fact that baby formula portions are not the same quantity for all. What is sufficient for the development of a baby may not even be enough for another baby because the need for more calories by infants is different.

Also, your child’s baby formula intake will vary from meal to meal and don’t be surprised if your baby takes 4 ounces at one feeding and 6 ounces at the next. Just allow your baby’s reminders guide you.

Nearly all baby formulas are mainly the same

It is quite easy to be overwhelmed by the variety of baby formulas available on the shelf of a grocery store. How do you opt for the best one? A lot of parents are relieved to hear that all baby formulas are made the same, when it comes to the most important nutrients.

The reason for this is that baby formula is regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which needs manufacturers to add 29 particular nutrients in each serving. Despite the fact that varieties of brands have different prices, packaging and names, none of them will short-change you on the ingredients needed.

You also need to understand that there are many specialized baby formulas for particular situations. For example, there are baby formulas premeditated for low-birth-weight and premature babies. The baby formulas have more calories than the standard types. Baby formulas for babies with reflux have rice or other thickeners added to it. Also available are hydrolyzed or soy baby formulas for infants who are having possible allergies or milk protein intolerance.

The above are 5 important things you never understand about baby formula feeding. However, if you are still undecided, the doctor of your child can help you select one of the baby formulas that best fits the need of your baby. You can also liaise with other parents in your community to compare notes.