The childs natural adaptation period and digestive problems are common

Should refer to: See immediately what your baby is telling you? 

The first few months after birth are extremely important for a baby's development. However, this is also the baby's period of adaptation to the outside world. In the first few days of entering the world, babies will be extremely unfamiliar with everything around. This is the time when your baby will have to begin to get used to the outside world and learn to adapt to a different living environment from 9 months 10 days in the womb. Before your baby can fully adapt, there will be a bunch of “stalking” problems that threaten your baby and one of them is digestive problems.

In the first 1,000 days of life, how will children adapt?

In addition to being familiar with environmental factors such as sound, temperature, or with parents, the first 1,000 days are when a child's body learns to adapt to life. This will require the coordination of many body systems such as respiratory system, cardiovascular system, body temperature regulation, immune system ...

At this stage, most of the organs are still in the development and completion stage, especially the digestive system. If in the past, while still in the womb, the baby would be nourished with nutrients provided through the umbilical cord and the placenta, now the baby will have to contact food directly through breastfeeding or formula. (in case the mother is unable to breastfeed) to meet the nutritional needs of the body.

Digestive problems during natural acclimation are associated with breast milk and formula

Whether it's breastfeeding or formula feeding, because the digestive system is still immature and is in the process of adapting to many changes, children are still very susceptible to digestive problems. Depending on the individual condition of each child, conditions such as skipping feeding, poor feeding, reflux, vomiting, diarrhea or constipation may occur. However, these manifestations, if occurring due to the natural adaptation period, will not last long and there are no serious signs of the disease.

Constipation, for example, is the problem with infant formula that worries many parents. Many parents, as soon as they see their children slow to pass out for 2-3 days, hastily conclude that their child is constipated and immediately exchange milk for their children because they suspect this is the cause. In fact, children under 4 years old are only identified as constipated when they have at least 2 symptoms, persist for at least 1 month: defecate less than 2 times / week, have history of suppressing excessive defecation, having difficulty and pain when passing a bowel movement (it takes strength to force the anus to hurt, the child blushes and cries ...), goes out the large-sized stool ...

What do you need to do to help your baby grow as much as possible during this important adaptation period?

To help your baby quickly adapt to life outside the womb and help maximize development in the period of adaptation to many of the above digestive problems, you can apply the following tips of aFamilyToday Health:

Breastfeeding: Breast milk is the best food for babies for the first 6 months and can help avoid digestive problems. If your baby has green, loose stools, chances are he is drinking too much colostrum. In this case, before you breastfeed, express your baby's colostrum less so that your baby can drink more colostrum. This increases the amount of fat the baby receives, slows the digestion process and helps the body quickly convert lactose in milk into essential nutrients.

Considerations when choosing formula milk: In case of need, parents can use more formula. When choosing milk, you should carefully read the ingredients on the packaging, consider choosing dairy products with the fat content on the packaging such as soybean oil, sunflower oil, coconut oil ... and avoid products containing palm oil. (Often dubbed "vegetable oil", this ingredient aggravates symptoms of constipation in children during adulthood).

Mixing milk according to the instructions on the package: parents need to avoid diluting too thin or too thick. If the dilution is too diluted, the child will not be provided with enough nutrients, but if the diluted is too thick, the child will easily become dehydrated, causing constipation, anorexia, and fear of milk due to boredom. In addition, you should also pay attention to the temperature of the water when preparing the milk because if the water is too hot, the nutrients will be lost while the water is too cold, making the milk easy to clump, making it difficult for the baby to absorb.

Stay calm, be patient, and avoid changing milk as soon as you see your baby having digestive problems: Having digestive problems like constipation or diarrhea is just one indication that your baby is getting acclimated. If parents hurry to conclude that it is the formula and immediately renew the new milk, the baby will have to undergo a different adaptation process, and as a result, persistent digestive problems.

In summary, it is a common phenomenon that children face digestive problems during their adaptation period. I'm just going through a natural phase in my growing up. At that time, parents need to be patient and take appropriate action, avoid choosing palm oil or making hasty decisions like changing new milk, which prolongs this adaptation period.

Most people who first become parents look at their child's poop are surprised. The reason is because it has so many nuances and is inconsistent, even experienced people don't understand what's going on. To know how good a newborn stool is, please refer to the article: How is a  newborn stool?