Multivitamins... for under 12 months... would you?

[BellyBelly]

Are you breastfeeding or formula feeding? Yes formula has vitamins (about 20, breatfeeding has over 400 ingredients) but they aren't absorbed as well as breastmilk. Like all the vitamin packets say, it should never replace a balanced diet. My kids actually have In-Liven, I mix 1/4 a tsp in with nudie juice which they love and I have peace of mind knowing they have real food, whole foods, which are organic. Nothing artificially made.

From: https://www.bellybelly.com.au/baby/baby-formula

LIVE FOOD vs POWDERED FOOD

Breastmilk is a ‘live’ food that contains living cells, hormones, active enzymes, antibodies and at least 400 other unique components. It is a dynamic substance, the composition of which changes from the beginning to the end of the feed and according to the age and needs of the baby. Because it also provides active immunity, every time a baby breastfeeds it also receives protection from disease. Compared to this miraculous substance, the artificial milk sold as infant formula is little more than junk food. It is also the only manufactured food that humans are encouraged to consume exclusively for a period of months, even though we know that no human body can be expected to stay healthy and thrive on a steady diet of processed food.

BREAST MILK – FATS

* Rich in brain-building omega-3s, namely, DHA and AA.
* Automatically adjusts to infant’s needs; levels decline as baby gets older.
* Rich in cholesterol; nearly completely absorbed.
* Contains the fat-digesting enzyme lipase

FORMULA – FATS

* No DHA
* Doesn’t adjust to infant’s needs
* No cholesterol
* Not completely absorbed
* No lipase

Comments

The most important nutrient in breastmilk; the absence of cholesterol and DHA may predispose a child to adult heart and CNS diseases. Leftover, unabsorbed fat accounts for unpleasant smelling stools in formula-fed babies.

PROTEIN – BREAST MILK

* Soft, easily digestible whey
* More completely absorbed; higher in the milk of mothers who deliver preterm
* Lactoferrin for intestinal health
* Lysozyme, an antimicrobial
* Rich in brain and bodybuilding protein components
* Rich in growth factors
* Contains sleep-inducing proteins

PROTEIN – FORMULA

* Harder-to-digest casein curds
* Not completely absorbed, so more waste, harder on kidneys
* Little or no lactoferrin
* No lysozyme
* Deficient or low in some brain and body-building proteins
* Deficient in growth factors
* Contains fewer sleep-inducing proteins

Comments

Infants aren’t allergic to human milk proteins

CARBOHYDRATES – BREAST MILK

* Rich in oligosaccharides, which promote intestinal health

CARBOHYDRATES – FORMULA

* No lactose in some formulas
* Deficient in oligosaccharides

Comments

Lactose is important for brain development.

IMMUNE-BOOSTERS – BREAST MILK

* Millions of living white blood cells, in every feeding
* Rich in immunoglobulins

IMMUNE-BOOSTERS – FORMULA

* No live white blood cells or any other cells.
* Has no immune benefit

Comments

Breastfeeding provides active and dynamic protection from infections of all kinds Breastmilk can be used to alleviate a range of external health problems such as nappy rash and conjunctivitis.

VITAMINS & MINERALS – BREAST MILK

* Better absorbed
* Iron is 50-75% absorbed
* Contains more selenium (an antioxidant)

VITAMINS & MINERALS – FORMULA

* Not absorbed as well
* Iron is 5-10% absorbed
* Contains less selenium (an antioxidant)

Comments

Nutrients in formula are poorly absorbed. To compensate, more nutrients are added to formula, making it harder to digest.

ENZYMES & HORMONES – BREAST MILK

* Rich in digestive enzymes such as lipase and amylase.
* Rich in many hormones such as thyroid, prolactin and oxytocin. Taste varies with mother’s diet, thus helping the child acclimatise to the cultural diet

ENZYMES & HORMONES – FORMULA

* Processing kills digestive enzymes
* Processing kills hormones, which are not human to begin with
* Always tastes the same

Comments

Digestive enzymes promote intestinal health; hormones contribute to the biochemical balance and wellbeing of the baby.