Diligent time and research for nutrition that mimics breast milk has led your family to European baby formula, and after careful consideration you choose the unique brand and variety to fit your infant's needs.

With each infant's individual needs and so many choices for specialized nutrition including European baby formula that treats existing digestive symptoms such as reflux, constipation, colic and lactose intolerance, it is easy to wonder whether your bottle of baby formula is the right fit.

If you have concerns that your current formal option is not working for your little or there may be a better nutritional option, you may consider switching. While it seems like an easy change, the impact on your baby’s new digestive system may be bigger than expected, but the switch may be necessary.

You may be considering changing your little one's baby formula for a variety of reasons. If your baby is gassy, not sleeping well, fussy, or has digestive problems you might wonder if the baby formula is to blame.

Fussy

Babies can be fussy for a number of reasons. Sometimes it's due to gas, other times teething, and many times it is environmental.

When a baby is fussy it is not unusual for parents and caregivers to consider switching formulas. It is easily assumed that a little one’s agitated state is a result of their baby formula. Families hope that switching to a new baby formula will settle their infant.

The truth of the matter is that babies fuss for a wide variety of reasons and it is not always simple to determine the reason why.

Some of the reasons why a baby might be fussy include:

Х Overstimulation

Х Hunger

Х Overtiredness

Х Temperature sensitivity

Х Discomfort

Х Wet or dirty diaper

Х Growth Spurts

Х Teething

Х Thrush

Keep in mind that during their first few months, many babies have a regular fussy period, which usually occurs in the late afternoon or evening. These times are completely normal and for some, these periods come so regularly that parents can set their clocks by it.

The standard infant fussiness usually starts as a newborn and will peak around 6 weeks. Towards the 3 month mark, baby can seem calmer and by 4 months these fussy times have subsided.

You can expect these harder to console bouts to last an average of 2 to 4 hours per day, keeping in mind that each infant is unique so there is a wide variety of normal in these situations.

By using comforting touches, reducing stimulation, and rhythmic motions, families can help to alleviate these unpleasant times.

Comfort Touches

✓ Hold baby

✓ Carry baby in a sling, wrap, or other soft carrier

✓ Give baby a firm back rub

✓ Carry baby in the “colic hold”

✓ Lay baby across your lap & gently rub his back

✓ Lay baby tummy-down on the bed or floor and gently pat his back

✓ Hold baby skin-to-skin

Reduce Stimulation

✓ Swaddle baby

✓ Dim lights and reduce noise

Rhythmic Motion

✓ Give baby a bath

✓ Rock baby

✓ Hold baby and gently bounce, sway back and forth, or dance

✓ Put baby in a baby swing

✓ Take baby for a walk in the stroller

✓ Go for a car ride

 The most important thing to remember is to try and relax yourself as you find what works for your little baby. What works one day may not necessarily work the next day. The majority of the time a fussy baby does not warrant a change in baby formula.

Digestive Worries

As your infant’s body systems, such as digestion, begin to mature your baby may struggle with digestion. Still-developing areas like the pancreas, esophageal valve, stomach, and intestine can lead to tummy troubles.

Immature systems can be the cause of gastrointestinal symptoms like gas, intolerance, and frequent spit-up. Some may even experience occasional mucus in their stool or more severe problems like vomiting.

With any digestive symptoms, the best place to start is with your pediatrician. They will evaluate if your littles one's digestive upset is normal and may benefit from special nutrition or if your little one needs medical intervention.

After carefully taking into account how a baby's ever changing needs can affect moods and pediatric consultation, your family has made the decision that switching to a new formula will be in the best interest of your little one.

The most common allergy in infants is cow’s milk protein allergy. It occurs when an infant's immune system reacts negatively to the proteins in cow’s milk. Histamines are released when the baby's immune system sees the cow’s milk protein as an invader, which causes an unwanted reaction.

Symptoms of cow’s milk allergy include:

Х Frequent Spit-Up

Х Irritability with Excessive Crying

Х Diarrhea

Х Blood in Stool

Х Skin Rash

Х Trouble Breathing

Х Wheezing

After consulting with your pediatrician, we recommend A2 Milk based baby formula to help relieve these severe symptoms. Each of these European baby formulas do contain lactose, however it is specifically designed without the A1 beta-casein protein that is proven to be the main cause of discomfort, inflammation, and digestive worries in infants that have an allergy to cow’s milk protein. You may also consider switching to a goat’s milk based formula as well, since this also has only the A2 milk protein properties.

Milk intolerance occurs when an infant's body does not make enough lactase-the enzyme needed to digest lactose in milk. Instead of digesting normally in your little one's stomach and small intestine, undigested lactose moves into the baby's colon, where it’s broken down by bacteria and causes bloating and gas.

Symptoms of cow’s milk intolerance include:

Х Gas

Х Spit-Up

Х Bloated stomach

Х Irritability with colic symptoms

Х Failure to thrive

My Organic Company has the perfect nutrition for lactose intolerance with our HiPP line of European baby formula.

HiPP (HA) Hypoallergenic organic baby formula and Hipp Special Comfort Organic baby formula use hydrolyzed proteins, which split milk into simpler, easier to digest molecules, making it easier for babies’ bodies to process and absorb the nutrients from milk-based formulas.

HiPP HA and HiPP Comfort have prebiotics and probiotics and HiPP Comfort has reduced lactose content, which further aids digestion.

Infants are more prone to acid reflux because their esophagus and digestive tract may be weak or underdeveloped. In fact, it’s estimated that more than half of all infants experience acid reflux to some degree with symptoms peaking around 4 months old.

In the rare case that an infant's reflux continues past 24 months it may be a sign of gastroesophageal reflux disease-GERD, which is a more severe form of reflux.

Some of the most common signs of acid reflux in infants include:

Х Spitting up

Х Refusal to eat and difficulty eating

Х Irritability during feeding

Х Wet burps

Х Hiccups

Х Slow weight gain

Х Frequent coughing

Х Gagging

Х Disturbed sleep

After speaking with your baby's doctor, a specialized formula that is thickened to help the baby formula sit heavier in the stomach may be in order to help relieve symptoms of reflux. HiPP AR is specialized nutrition with the addition of naturally sourced locust bean gum that helps food to remain in your baby's stomach better.

This slight thickening helps keep food out of the esophagus, which reduces spit up and other reflux issues while supporting healthy growth and development. All of this without compromising the pure clean ingredients that HiPP Organics is known for worldwide.

When it comes to constipation, your infant's nutrition is often the key to solving the problem. European baby formulas have cleaner nutrition with fewer bowel blocking ingredients. There are a few things to look for when choosing the best baby formulas for constipation:

✓Organic, lactose-based formula

✓Free of non-lactose sweeteners

✓Free of GMO ingredients

✓No synthetic preservatives

✓High quality pre/probiotics are a must

European baby formulas such as HiPP Dutch contain natural prebiotic and probiotic combinations that are designed to help make the gut microbiota of formula-fed babies healthy and as similar to those found in breastfed infants as possible.

The use of prebiotics and probiotics in European baby formulas are specifically designed to help little ones have softer stools, more frequent bowel movements, and grow more of the good gut bacteria.

American baby formulas are filled with under regulated and sometimes toxic ingredients. After just a little research, families often find that synthetic, non lactose sugar, and heavy metal laden American baby formula is not the nutritional answer they want for their baby.

Parents looking for a better nutritional answer switch to European baby formulas because they are clean, pure, and organic baby formulas that mimic breast milk as close as possible. Made with lactose as the main carbohydrate and all natural vitamins and minerals, European brands Loulouka, Lebenswert, HiPP, Holle, and Kendamil all go the extra mile to ensure physical and neurological milestones are met while being ecologically and socially responsible.

When switching formulas it is always best to consult your little one’s doctor. Keep in mind that switching baby formulas too often exacerbates digestive issues that may have prompted the switch in the first place.

Allergy or Severe Intolerance

When transitioning your baby from one brand or type of baby formula to another due to an allergy, intolerance, or medical condition, an immediate switch is usually recommended.

Confirm the appropriate formula transition timing and switch with your baby pediatrician’s advice to make the safest and most effective switch possible.

Slowly Switching Baby Formula

In the absence of an allergy, intolerance, or medical condition that would warrant switching formulas cold turkey, it is often in the best interest of your little one to make the change slowly.

This slow transition can ease any digestive worries and help your baby adapt to the change in taste or texture that comes with different brands. If you decide on the slower course, we suggest transitioning to each step every 1-2 days.

An example using 4 oz of baby formula:

✓ 3 oz current formula, 1 oz new formula

✓ 2 oz current formula, 1 oz new formula

✓ 1 oz current formula, 3 oz new formula

✓ 4 oz new formula

Some important points as you consider a baby formula switch: double-check to make sure you are preparing the formula properly and that you are following baby’s hunger and fullness cues. Sometimes encouraging a full baby to finish their bottle can cause the baby to be gassy, spit up, or have an upset tummy.

My Organic Company has nutrition for every stage and digestive needs your little one may have. Please allow us to help you find tailor made nutrition to suit your baby.

Our European baby formula experts can help find the best baby formulas to ease transition. If you are looking for advice from parents or caregivers that have been where you are and may have the answer to smooth transitioning, we encourage you to check out our HiPP, Holle, Kendamil & European Baby Formula Parent Community.