Best Positions For Bottle Feeding
To feed your baby, cradle her in a semi-upright position and support her head. Don’t feed her lying downformula can flow into the middle ear, causing an infection. To prevent your baby from swallowing air as she sucks, tilt the bottle so that the formula fills the neck of the bottle and covers the nipple. Here are a few of the best positions to try:
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Cradle him. Place the baby’s head in the crook of your arm, and your other arm around the baby or underneath him. Lift the arm with baby’s head slightly so he’s in a semi-upright position. You never want to feed baby when he’s lying down–the formula can flow into the middle ear, causing an infection.
Sit him up. This position works well for babies with painful gas or acid reflux. Sit Baby on your lap so he’s in a more upright position. Let his head rest on your chest or in the crook of your arm.
Place him in your lap. This works when you’re lying or sitting down with your legs propped up. Place the baby on top of your lap, with his head resting on your knees and his feet on your stomach. This is an excellent feeding position because you and your baby are facing one another, allowing you to make plenty of eye contact.
Tilt the bottle. When feeding your infant, tilt the bottle so the milk completely fills the nipple. This decreases the amount of air that your baby is likely to take in, lessening her chances of having painful gas.
What Kind Of Baby Bottles Are Best
There are pluses and minuses to every type of baby bottle on the market. It can be exhausting to try to compare every minor detail, so here are some basic pros and cons to keep in mind when youre trying to decide what type of bottles to add to your baby registry.
Glass bottles:
- Pros: Glass bottles dont absorb colors or odors like silicone and plastic bottles can. Glass baby bottles are thermal-shock resistant, so they can go from freezing cold to piping hot without breaking. Glass bottles can go right into the dishwasher without the fear of chemical leaching and theyre often easier to clean than other types of bottles because they have less parts.
- Cons: Glass bottles are heavy. Theyre trickier for you to hold, and although its not super easy to break them, its certainly not impossible, either. Glass bottles also tend to be more expensive than other bottle types and there are less options to choose from since theyre not as ubiquitous as plastic baby bottles.
Plastic bottles:
Silicone bottles:
Youll also want to keep in mind that babies can be pretty particular about what type of bottle they like best. Since its tough to anticipate what your little one will like , we recommend adding either one brands starter kit or a sample box to your registry before going all-in on any particular brand.
How To Feed The Baby
Relax yourself. Feeding is a special moment when you and your baby can bond with each other. While you are feeding the baby, maintain eye contact and talk to her softly.
Feeding the baby
Observe baby during feeding:
- Learn the fullness cues of your baby. Let her decide how much to have at each feeding. Stop feeding when your baby shows signs of being full, such as if the baby:
- closes the mouth
- pushes away the feeding bottle
- arches her back and turns head away
- relaxes the body and sleep
Important Notes
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How To Clean Sterilise And Store Feeding Equipment
All feeding equipment for breastmilk or infant formula must be washed thoroughly and sterilised. They include feeding bottles, teats, bottle covers, rings, and other accessories such as tongs and knives.
How to clean feeding equipment
Bacteria grow at the cracks easily. Check carefully when washing bottles and teats. Discard damaged ones.
Sterilising the feeding equipment
You can choose from the following methods for sterilising the feeding equipment:
How Do I Know My Baby Is Hungry
Signs that babies are hungry include:
- moving their heads from side to side
- opening their mouths
- placing their hands, fingers, and fists to their mouths
- puckering their lips as if to suck
- nuzzling again their mothers’ breasts
- showing the rooting reflex
- crying
Despite what you might think, crying is a late sign of hunger. You should give a feeding before your baby gets so hungry that he or she gets upset and becomes difficult to calm down.
It’s also important, however, to realize that every time your baby cries it is not necessarily because of hunger. Sometimes babies just need to be cuddled or changed. Or they could be overstimulated, bored, or too hot or too cold. If your baby cries only an hour after a good feeding, there may be something else causing the distress.
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How To Make A Baby Bottle With Breast Milk
Preparing a bottle of breast milk is of course much more straightforward, since the milk itself is ready to go. But when grabbing a bag of breast milk to use, its important to keep an eye on when it was pumped and how its been stored since. According to breast milk storage guidelines, its safe to use freshly pumped milk thats been stored at room temperature for up to four hours, in the fridge for up to four days or in the freezer for up to 12 months. Always use the oldest milk first. If baby doesnt finish a bottle, you can offer it again within two hours of the last feeding.
Before giving baby the bottle, you can warm the milk up by placing the bottle in a cup of warm water for a few minutes, or pop the bottle into a bottle warmer. Whatever you do, steer clear of the microwave, which can cause dangerous hot spots.
Bottle Feeding Myth : It Is Simple To Bottle
Bottle-feeding caregivers face certain challenges in feeding a baby safely.
- Wash hands before handling bottles or feeding baby.
- Wash bottles and nipples/teats with hot water and soap, and rinse well. Some sources recommend sterilization of all feeding equipment, particularly bottle nipples/teats.
- If infant formula is used:
- Wash, rinse, and dry the top of the formula can before you open it. Make sure that all equipment used has been thoroughly cleaned: can opener, measuring cups/spoons, mixing container, etc.
- Lot numbers should be kept for any infant formula or bottled water fed to the baby, so that parents can determine whether the product was subject to a recall.
- For powdered formula, a clean source of water must be available, free from bacteria. If tap water is used, the caregiver must decide whether to boil the water to eliminate bacteria , or to use unboiled water. Because powdered infant formula is not sterile, it should be mixed with water that is at least 70°C/158°F to kill any harmful bacteria that may be present in the formula . Cool formula before feeding to baby.
- Quantities the baby will need should be carefully estimated, since unused formula must be discarded after the feed.
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Giving Baby The Bottle
Make yourself comfortable and cuddle your baby close to you, holding baby gently but firmly. Its better for your baby to be on a slight incline so any air bubbles rise to the top, making burping easier.
Put the teat against your babys lips. Your baby will open their mouth and start to suck. Keep the neck of the bottle at an angle so its filled with formula or milk.
When your baby stops sucking strongly or when about half of the formula or breastmilk has gone, gently remove the bottle and see whether baby wants to burp. Once youve tried burping your baby, you can offer the bottle again.
Its a good idea to change the direction your baby is facing for part of the feed or at different feeds. This helps to stimulate your babys senses equally.
Holding, cuddling and talking to your baby during feeding will help baby develop and grow. Its also a great opportunity to bond with your baby.
Feel Good About Your Choice
The A.A.P. recommends that women breastfeed exclusively for about the first six months of life, and then continue breastfeeding while giving solid foods for at least a year.
Exclusive breastfeeding for six months without additional solids or formula provides the strongest protection against gastrointestinal and respiratory infections during infancy. But partial breastfeeding does still provide some protections against diarrhea, ear infections, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and respiratory infections like pneumonia.
Note though, that this protection against infection lasts only as long as you are breastfeeding, said Dr. Kramer.
Some studies also suggest that breastfeeding can confer additional lifelong protection against obesity, eczema, asthma and allergies, as well as a slight boost in I.Q., though many of the studies showing these long-term benefits have major methodological issues, according to the A.A.P.
Women sometimes hear that just one drop of formula will change a babys microbiome the mélange of bacteria, fungi, and other microscopic bugs that line the skin and gastrointestinal system. Such changes, they are warned, may have lifelong consequences for their babies immune and metabolic health.
Some popular breastfeeding websites also warn that using formula can shorten the breastfeeding relationship.
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When The Above Tips Dont Work There May Be Another Reason Your Baby Is Refusing A Bottle
If youve been trying at-home strategies for a few days and your baby doesnt seem to be getting more comfortable taking a bottle, call your babys doctor. They can help determine whether a medical issue may be present or connect you with a specialist if needed. Other reasons why your baby is refusing a bottle can include:
Preparing & Storing Formula For Newborns
There are different guidelines for formula preparation and storage for babies under 3 months versus over 3 months since young babies have weaker immune systems.
For newborns, it is best to purchase the premixed formula. If you are making formula from a powder mix, prep each bottle individually before use.
Feed your baby within 2 hours of mixing the formula or place it in the refrigerator where it will be good for 24 hours as long as your baby hasnt touched the nipple with his lips yet.
Our postpartum doulas are experts in infant feeding and can help you gain confidence in those early weeks.
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Prepare Your Formula Or Breast Milk Bottle
Feeding with formula? There are three types to choose from: powder, concentrate, and ready-to-pour.
Ready-to-pour formula is the easiest option of the three. It involves no preparation and is as simple as opening and pouring it. You can purchase small, individual bottles that come with nipples, which are especially useful for those early infant feedings, or opt for larger bottles that need to be refrigerated. Either way, its fairly foolproof.
When using powder, youll need to measure out portions and mix them well with suitable water. Its important to follow the directions and use the recommend water-to-formula ratio. Using too much water can dilute the nutrients using not enough can cause dehydration. Both of these possibilities can have dangerous consequences, so use caution and care.
Similarly, concentrate formulas require a safe water source. Once again, measuring appropriately is key.
If youre breastfeeding, preparing a bottle is pretty straightforward. Just pour pumped fresh or frozen breast milk into a bottle, and warm it up . Be sure to double-check the pump date, though thawed and/or refrigerated breast milk has a short shelf life.
How Much Should My Baby Drink
In the first few weeks, mix 2- to 3-ounce bottles for your newborn. Gradually increase this amount as you become familiar with your baby’s eating patterns and appetite. Here’s a general look at how much your baby may be eating at different stages:
- On average, a newborn drinks about 1.5-3 ounces every 2-3 hours. This amount increases as your baby grows and is able to take more at each feeding.
- At about 2 months, your baby may be taking 4-5 ounces at each feeding and the feedings may be every 3-4 hours.
- At 4 months, your baby may be taking 4-6 ounces at each feeding, depending on the frequency of feedings and his or her size.
- By 6 months, your baby may be taking 6-8 ounces every 4 to 5 hours. This also depends on whether you’ve introduced any baby food.
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How Do I Know If My Baby Is Getting Enough Infant Formula
There are certain signs that will tell you if your baby is getting enough formula needed for them. For example, their weight gain and number of wet and soiled nappies. Generally, your baby should be producing around six wet nappies a few days after birth .
Read our article Is my baby feeding well and getting enough milk? to find out more.