Infant Feeding Tips During the COVID-19 Pandemic
So I know these are scary times upon us but as a pediatric nurse practitioner and lactation consultant, I just wanted to share some important things to consider about infant feeding during the COVID-19 pandemic or any emergency situation for that matter!
I originally wrote some of these tips to share with parents following my social media pages and my clients close to a month ago before it all hit the fan in the United States. This piece is a continuation of my previously published tips with some additional tidbits and resources that every family should have in their toolbox!
- Please only buy the amount of formula you need for your baby, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) here are some ranges to consider per feeding:
- After first days: 2 to 3 ounces (60–90 mL) of formula per feeding.
- By the end of the 1st month: Your baby will be up to at least 4 ounces (120 mL).
- By 6 months: Your baby will consume 6 to 8 ounces (180–240 mL).
2. Please put yourself in the shoes of another parent who may make it the shelves and be faced with them being empty!
3. No matter the circumstances PLEASE adhere to the standard 2:1 mixture ratio (for most healthy full-term babies). Trying to dilute formula could have dangerous consequences such as seizures.
4. For my breastfeeding and pumping mamas! I hope you don’t think I forgot about you because I could never do that! Continue to feed your babies that liquid gold! According to the CDC in limited reports of lactating women infected with the coronavirus has not been detected in breast milk; however, antibodies against it were detected in at least one sample. Go antibodies which help defend your baby’s immune system!
5. Know your trusted resources. During stressful times I know it’s tempting to feed into (pun intended *smiles*) the mounds of information that bombards us as we go through our days. I mean you have Dr. Google, your best friend’s cousin who is now a coronavirus expert (NOT!!), and let’s not forget social media I mean you have the mom groups, 1 million posts on Facebook and Instagram that give you all of the facts on social distancing, posts telling you how easy it is for you to relactate, how you can call the formula company up for free formula and even worst the misleading ads that are trying to sell you that magic brownie or drink that will boost your supply enough to feed your deep freezer full of breastmilk for months to come!
My advice is to stick to the evidence-based information and ditch the rest! The most reputable resources to date on feeding your infant during the coronavirus pandemic and best practices for breastfeeding even if you’re COVID-19 positive or suspected of being positive are the World Health Organization (WHO) and Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
6. If you’re receiving WIC benefits and you’re running into issues finding or affording formula or approved foods the best advice to follow and recommended by WIC themselves is to contact your local WIC office or call 1–800–242–4943! During the COVID-19 pandemic WIC is temporarily adding new food items to their WIC-approved list, and even better you can use their app to scan foods to make sure they qualify!
Even if you don’t get WIC please LISTEN CLOSELY this message is for you. Please I repeat please re-consider purchasing or buying large quantities of foods with the WIC-approved label on the price tag as these should be reserved if at all possible, for WIC recipients who must purchase these specific items in order to use their WIC benefits.
7. Research shows that stress can negatively impact your breastmilk supply. So if you’re breastfeeding these are my top 6 tips to maintain your milk supply during this uncertain and stressful time!
- Try to relax!
- Massage “the girls!” — gentle hand massaging works great!
- Warmth — think rice sock or warmed gel packs.
- Let the milk flow! — be sure to express milk (breastfeeding, pumping or hand expression) at least every 2–3 hours.
- Imagery is oh so good! — cue the cute baby pictures to rev up that oxytocin release!
- Plan ahead — try to make a schedule and stick to it!
I hope these tips find you in a state of happiness and wellness!
Mercedes Thomas, CPNP, IBCLC
Mercedes Thomas, CPNP, IBCLC is a board-certified pediatric nurse practitioner, lactation consultant, maternal-child health advocate, and writer. She has been in the nursing field for over twelve years specializing in NICU, pediatrics, and lactation. She also owns a consulting firm where she educates families about breastfeeding, infant care, and postpartum to help simplify the first year of parenthood. Mercedes also works with healthcare providers and organizations seeking assistance with patient education materials and program development to improve health outcomes.
For further information or if you wish to contact her she can be reached via her website: www.mercedesthomas.com
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