How To Make A Baby Bottle
If youre wondering how to bottle-feed a baby, youre probably new to prepping baby bottles. Take a new skill, add in sleep deprivation and sprinkle in some very real safety concerns and youve got the somewhat daunting process of making a baby bottle . Dont despair. By reading directions, following the advice of a pediatrician and making sure to err on the side of caution, youll get the hang of it in no time.
Your Baby Sleeps A Lot
If your baby sleeps a lot, you probably wonder whether you should wake her to feed. Knowing whats best isnt always easy. You can follow her routine and let her sleep if she
- Wakes up on her own to feed
- Is an active and effective feeder
- Pees at least 6 times and passes at least 3 stools a day
- Is calm and seems satisfied after feeding
- Has regained her birth weight and continues to put on weight
In this case, there is nothing to worry about. Babies each have their own routine that develops over time.
You may need to wake your baby up to feed her if she sleeps a lot.
Some babies sleep so much they may skip some feedings, especially during the first 2 to 3 weeks. This means they will have a hard time getting all the milk they need. If your baby sleeps a lot and doesnt show the signs described above, you need to stimulate her to drink more.
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Experiment With Babys Bottle
Your baby may also prefer to eat while in a certain position, which typically differs from breastfeeding positions. Try different angles and placements to see if there is one they favor. For example:
- Cradling them in your arm at a 45-degree angle while keeping their head and neck aligned.
- Sitting upright so that their back is against your stomach.
- While sitting or lying down, bend your legs and position your baby so they face you with their head resting against your knees, their back against your thighs and their feet on your stomach.
No matter what position you use, remember to angle the bottle so that milk only comes out when your baby sucks, and never prop the bottle in their mouth. Also remember to never lay your baby completely flat while feeding.
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Weaning Baby From Tube Feedings
Your baby has a feeding tube, which was placed as a temporary measure. But it now looks like staying for the long term, because while hes ready to feed orally, he refuses to. Read on to learn why some babies experience difficulty weaning from tube feedings and why it’s important to have a tube weaning plan.
Why Is My Baby Sometimes Sick After Feeds
Its normal for babies to bring up a little milk during or just after a feed. This is called possetting, regurgitation or reflux.
Keep a muslin square handy just in case.
Check that the hole in your babys teat is not too big. Drinking milk too quickly can make your baby sick.
Do not force them to take more milk than they want during a feed. This may be distressing for your baby and can lead to overfeeding.
Sitting your baby upright on your lap after a feed may help.
If it happens a lot, or your baby is violently sick, seems to be in pain or youre worried for any other reason, talk to your health visitor or GP.
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How To Bottle Feed Kittens:
The first thing you want to be sure of when you have kittens in your care is that they are warm, as they cannot regulate their own body temperatures. Keep a small heating pad wrapped a towel in their bed so that they stay warm, and are ready to eat. *Never attempt to feed a cold kitten. If their body temperature is less than 102 degrees F, place the kitten on an approved heating pad safely wrapped in two or three layers of towels. Turn the kitten side to side every 5 minutes. To stimulate blood flow, you may, ever so gently, massage the kitten with hand-rubbing.
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Premixed Vs Powder Formulas
Both options offer the puppies the benefits of dog milk, which is much better for puppies compared to cows milk and other homemade supplements. Puppy milk formula offers vitamins and minerals that support the pups on their journey to doghood. Do not feed a puppy cow milk, kitten milk, or human formula. Puppies need specific nutrients from milk and formula that other animal milk doesnt offer.
Premixed formulas are, hinting to the name, pre-mixed! They can come in bottles or cans and most likely need to be refrigerated. This is convenient since puppies need to be fed every 2-4 hours but they tend to be more expensive. You can pick up premixed formulas at your local pet store or wholesaler.
Quick mix powders are cheaper but require more preparation time. Incorrectly mixing the powder and water can give puppy diarrhea. This is extremely dangerous for young dogs due to the water and nutrients lost during diarrhea. Should this happen, you can consider giving your dog Imodium for the diarrhea to help stop it as soon as possible. Milk replacers should not be prepared more than 24 hours in advance or used if left at room temperature for more than an hour due to spoilage.
Quick mix powders are able to be stored longer than premixed formulas, so if you tend to foster puppies or want to buy the formula ahead of the birth, a quick mix may be the way to go.
Signs of soiled puppy formula include the following:
When in doubt, throw it out!
Clean, clean, clean!
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Ideal Feeding Times For Babies
The faster your baby feeds the more he’s likely to drink. If your baby drinks his formula too quickly, there’s a risk he may overfeed and/or swallow large amounts of air. Both of which may result in tummy discomfort or spitting up soon after feeding. If your baby completes his feeds too quickly, this could be because the nipple* is too fast.
If he feeds too slowly, this can occur because the nipple ring is screwed on too tight or because the nipple* is too slow. Both problems can make feeding become very tiring for a young baby and he may fail to finish his feed or fall asleep before the feed is completed – resulting in the need for more frequent feeds.
As a guide, the following times are recommended to bottle feed your baby.
20 – 40 minutes for newborn to 3 months.
15 – 30 minutes for babies 3 months to 6 months.
10 – 20 minutes for babies over 6 months.
*Nipple manufacturers provide a guide on nipple speeds suitable for different age groups. Although a nipple may be recommended for your baby’s age, this does not guarantee the speed is suitable for your individual baby. Some babies will have a stronger or weaker suck compared to others.
Copyright www.babycareadvice.com 2020. All rights reserved. Permission from author must be obtained to reproduce all or any part of this article.
Adding Cereal To A Bottle
Has a well-meaning grandparent suggested adding cereal to your babys bottle?
Generally speaking, doctors advise against this practice. While many people assume it will keep their baby fuller for longer and even help them sleep for a longer chunk of time it can have a few negative consequences, including excessive weight gain and constipation.
Occasionally, doctors will recommend adding a bit of oatmeal cereal to a bottle to help a baby with gastroesophageal reflux disease . Talk to your pediatrician before making this decision on your own.
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Mixing Breast Milk And Formula
Want to slowly introduce formula to your breastfed baby? You can mix breast milk and formula in the same bottle. This can get baby more readily adjusted to the unique flavor of formula.
Just be sure to prepare the formula separately. If youre using powder or concentrate formula, youll still need to add water first dont use breast milk as a liquid substitute. Once the formula is prepared, pour in the breast milk.
Finally, heed the time restrictions. While breast milk on its own can be used for up to 2 hours, the addition of formula means the bottle is only good for 60 minutes.
Learn The Abcs Of Bottle
When it comes to bottle-feeding your baby, there are many considerations. From formula and nipple types to the best bottle feeding positions, parents have a lot to navigate. Most have many questions. The good news is that we’ve got you covered, with answers to some of the most commonly asked questionsplus, tips and tricks.
Here’s everything you need to know about bottle-feeding your baby.
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Your Baby Regularly Seems Uncomfortable After Feeding
Its possible she could have an intolerance or allergy to cows milk protein, the primary ingredient in most baby formulas. If shes showing symptoms like crying after feeding, poor feeding, wheezing, digestive problems, watery or swollen eyes, or a rash, talk with her pediatrician. The solution might be as simple as switching formulas to find one your baby can tolerate.
Understand That Bottle Feeding And Breastfeeding Place Different Demands On Your Baby
To breastfeed effectively, babies must open their mouth wide, latch on to the breast and then coordinate a suck, swallow and breath sequence. Bottle feeding, by contrast, provides a continuous flow of milk instead of working to extract the milk, babies only need to pause the flow of milk in order to breathe.
Because of these differences, some babies will develop a strong preference for the bottle or, less often, for the breast.
Nipple confusion. Women sometimes receive dire warnings that artificial nipples, including pacifiers, can lead to nipple confusion or an inability to latch on to the breast and effectively extract milk.
these concerns can cause significant stress for new mothers who are struggling with breastfeeding, Dr. Chad Hayes, M.D., a pediatrician practicing in Charleston, S.C., wrote on his blog.
For example, La Leche League, a nonprofit focused on breastfeeding advocacy, warns that many mothers have noticed a change in her babys sucking patterns after introducing a bottle or a dummy . Her baby may struggle and cry, find it difficult to latch on, or simply nurse ineffectively at the breast.
Flow preference. While true nipple confusion is rare, a more common cause of a baby fussing at the breast or refusing to latch is flow preference.
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How To Feed A Combination Of Breast Milk And Formula
New mothers hear so much about the advantages of breastfeeding over formula feeding that it can seem like a revelation to realize that you can do both at the same time.
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This guide was originally published on May 5, 2019 in NYT Parenting.
When I was a new mother, I heard so much about the advantages of breastfeeding over formula feeding that it felt like my only options were either breast milk or formula. So much so that it seemed like a revelation when I finally realized I could do both at the same time.
I was not alone in this realization, of course. Many women successfully combination feed a practice that involves giving babies formula in addition to breast milk. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one out of three breastfeeding mothers in the United States supplements her breast milk with formula by the time her baby reaches 6 months of age.
Many women find that their babies switch between breast and bottle and between breast milk and formula with ease. For others, there are hiccups along the way.
Getting Ready To Feed Your Baby
- You can warm human milk or formula thats in a bottle by putting it in a bowl of hot water. Let it reach lukewarm or room temperature. It should not be warmer than room temperature because it could burn your baby. Do not heat bottles in the microwave.
- Test the temperature of the human milk or formula by shaking a few drops on the inside of your wrist. It should feel warm, but not hot.
- Do not cut the nipple.
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When Should You Introduce Babies To Bottles
One of the most frequently asked questionsat least when it comes to bottle-feedingis about timing, i.e. when should you introduce bottles to babies? And the truth is there is no right answer. If your baby is exclusively being bottle-fed, this should happen immediately. Bottles should be introduced right after birth and/or in the hospital. If your baby will be breastfedand you will supplement with formula and/or pumpyou may want to wait a few weeks. Experts suggest waiting two to four weeks, to be exact.
Keep The Bottle Horizontal
Gently place the teat into the babys mouth. Keep the bottle in a horizontal position . This will allow the milk to flow steadily and help prevent your baby from taking in air.
If the teat goes flat while you’re feeding, pull gently on the corner of your baby’s mouth to release the suction.
If the teat gets blocked, replace it with another sterile teat.
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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.
Why Won’t My Baby Eat
An infant bottle-feeding aversion is one of the most complex, stressful, and confusing situations parents could face. Your baby becomes distressed/ cries at feeding times and refuses a bottle or drinks very little, despite obvious hunger. Others may only willingly take a bottle while drowsy or asleep.In Your Babys Bottle-feeding Aversion, Rowena Bennett describes the various reasons babies display aversive feeding behavior, explains how parents can identify the cause, not only provides bottle refusal tips, but describes effective well structured solution. Learn step-by-step instructions on how to resolve a behavioral feeding aversion that occurs as a result of being repeatedly pressured to feed – the most common of all reasons for babies to become averse to feeding. Your Babys Bottle-feeding Aversion provides practical professional feeding advice that not only makes good sense, it works!Rowena Bennett is an Australian nurse who holds professional qualifications in various nursing fields including pediatrics, midwifery, child health, mental health and lactation consultant. She has over 20 years experience advising parents how to resolve infant feeding and sleeping problems. Rowena has helped 1000’s of babies get over their aversion to bottle-feeding and enjoy feeding once again. Parents claim the relief is life changing.
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Why Timing Is So Important When Introducing A Bottle To A Breastfed Baby
Babies are born with an automatic sucking reflex. But at 2 to 3 months old that reflex becomes voluntary. In effect, that gives babies the ability to turn down a feeding if theyre not comfortable with it.
If a baby hits this stage in their growth and has only fed from their mothers breast, they may have developed a preference for that method of milk delivery. Babies establish a suck-swallow-breathe pattern that works for them and lets them handle their mothers milk flow.
When given a bottle, not only is the milk flow different, a baby has to adapt to a different nipple shape and texture. They also need to slightly adjust their posture from what theyre used to. For someone so new to the world, making these kinds of changes can be hard and overwhelming, leading to fussing, tears and why your breastfed baby wont take a bottle.