Should I Give My Baby Anything Else To Drink
Your baby does not need any other liquids besides formula or breast milk for the first 12 months. Formula and breast milk have the right amount of nutrients that your baby needs and are easy for him or her to digest. Do not give your baby other types of milk, such as cow’s milk, goat’s milk, or soy milk, until he or she is at least 1 year old. It does not provide the nutrients he or she needs and is hard for him or her to digest. It may also cause him or her to develop allergies or other health problems. Your baby does not need juice or extra water during the first 12 months of life. Your baby is getting all the water he or she needs from his or her breast milk or formula.
Getting Formula Or Milk To Flow When Bottle
To test the flow of the formula or breastmilk, hold the bottle upside down when its filled with liquid at room temperature. The liquid should drip steadily but not pour out.
If you have to shake the bottle vigorously to see the drip, the flow is too slow. Your baby might go to sleep before drinking what they need.
A little leakage at the corners of your babys mouth while feeding is nothing to worry about. This will stop as your baby gets older.
If you have trouble finding the perfect teat, go for a faster teat rather than a slow one. Its normal to try a few different teats before you find one that suits you and your baby.
How Do You Know When A Bottle
Don’t Miss: How To Become A Newborn Hearing Screener
What Kind Of Bottle Should I Use
Bottles come in different shapes and sizes. They can be made of glass, plastic, silicone, or stainless steel. Here are some differences:
Plastic bottles are now “BPA-free” meaning that they do not contain the chemical bisphenol A . This chemical may be harmful and is found in some plastics, but is banned from baby bottles. Years ago, some plastic baby bottles had BPA in them, but none do now.
Glass bottles. Glass bottles can cause injury if broken, but silicone sleeves make them easier to grip and help prevent breaks.
Silicone bottles and stainless steel bottles are newer options. They are unbreakable but tend to be more expensive than plastic or glass.
Some babies do better with certain bottle shapes, vented bottles, or bottles with liners on the inside. You may need to try a few kinds before you find what works best for you and your baby.
To get you through the first week or so, you’ll need to have enough formula, water, bottles, and nipples. Burp cloths and a bottle/nipple brush will also come in handy.
Once you get in the swing of feeding your baby, you may find it’s worth investing in more or different kinds of bottles, or items that can make the feeding process go a little smoother . A bottle sterilizer is not necessary, but you should sterilize all feeding supplies before the first use.
When Baby Doesnt Finish The Bottle Or Goes To Sleep While Feeding
Dont worry if your baby doesnt finish the bottle. Babies are very good at judging how much they need, so you can let your baby decide when theyve had enough infant formula or breastmilk.
If your baby goes to sleep during a feed, put baby over your shoulder, rub their back, and stroke their head, legs and tummy. This can help to wake your baby up. A nappy change is a good way to wake your baby up if that doesnt work.
Wait until your baby is properly awake before offering the rest of the formula or breastmilk.
Always throw away any leftover infant formula or breastmilk after one hour. Storing half-empty bottles for future use is risky because they get contaminated quickly once theyve been sucked on.
Don’t Miss: How To Get Newborn To Sleep Better At Night
Combination Feeding A Newborn
Combination feeding means breastfeeding and bottle-feeding with the bottle containing either expressed breast milk or formula milk. Its best to wait until breastfeeding is well established any changes to breastfeeding routine may interfere with mums supply. Read our tips on how to introduce combination feeding
How Much Do Baby Bottles Cost
Our list covers bottles that cost from as little as £4.50 up to £20 so a fairly wide scope. But regardless of price point, all bottles offer a safe and spill-free feeding experience for baby.
Budget buys tend to be made from BPA-free plastic rather than glass which can last for years. As youd expect, specialist bottles with patented technology are more expensive but worth the extra money for the benefits they offer.
And while some bottles may seem expensive, if they can be converted from newborn anti-colic bottle to one thats suitable for a much older baby who has outgrown colic, they will provide good value over time.
Regardless of material, multipacks of bottles tend to offer the best value many of the bottles come in starter sets that include several bottles and accessories such as extra teats and even sterilisers.
Also Check: What Kind Of Toys Do Newborns Need
Squashes Flavoured Milk ‘fruit’ Or ‘juice’ Drinks And Fizzy Drinks
These are not suitable for young babies. These drinks contain sugar and can cause tooth decay, even when diluted.
For older babies and young children, these drinks can fill your child up so they’re not hungry for healthier food. Instead, offer sips of water from a cup with meals.
Watch out for drinks that say “fruit” or “juice” drink on the pack. These probably won’t count towards your child’s 5 A DAY and can be high in sugar.
Fizzy drinks are acidic and can damage tooth enamel so they shouldn’t be given to babies and young children.
Diet or reduced-sugar drinks aren’t recommended for babies and young children. Even low-calorie drinks and no-added-sugar drinks can encourage children to develop a sweet tooth.
Why Does My Baby Fussy When Drinking A Bottle
The nipple needs to be the right size and speed for your baby’s size, age and sucking ability. If the nipple is too long, too short, too fast or too slow for your baby, she may experience feeding difficulties and express her frustration by fuss or crying.
Overfeeding baby is very rare, but it can happen. It’s more common in bottle-fed babies, simply because it’s easier for parents to see how much food their child is consuming. It also takes less effort to drink from a bottle, so babies may inadvertently get too much milk while feeding.
Signs your baby is getting enough milk
They seem calm and relaxed during feeds. Your baby comes off the breast on their own at the end of feeds. Their mouth looks moist after feeds. Your baby appears content and satisfied after most feeds.
You may also like:
Recommended Reading: How Many Ounces Is A Newborn Supposed To Eat
Bottle Feeding Your Baby
Breastfeeding is the best way to feed your baby. However, for some mothers, breastfeeding just doesnt work out. If this is the case for you, you may choose to bottle feed your baby with infant formula.
Guidance for pregnant women and information on what is happening in their regional unit during the coronavirus outbreak can be found on NI Maternity
How Much Milk Should I Give Them
You can usually trust your baby to feed according to their appetite so be guided by them. In the early weeks, your baby might be unpredictable, and their needs may change day by day. Newborn babies generally take quite small amounts of formula to start with in frequent intervals .
As a general rule, by the end of the first week most babies will require approximately 150ml to 200ml per kilogram of body weight per day, until theyre six months old. For example, a baby weighing 6kg at the end of four months, would approximately need 900ml to 1200ml of infant formula per day .
A formula fed baby will need to be fed according to the guidelines for their weight and age, and the instructions for the brand of formula.
Your baby is likely to need night feeds for first few months of their life. The night feeds will gradually reduce as your baby gets older. Once you introduce solid foods at around six months, they will also need less formula .
Recommended Reading: How To Put A Newborn Down To Sleep
When Should I Change Bottle Teat Size
Flow rates of teats refer to the size or number of holes in the teat. This affects how quickly milk flows from the teat into your babys mouth. The categories are slow, medium and fast.
Slow flow is generally preferable for newborns, while youre both learning how to feed. If the flow rate is too fast it makes paced feeding more difficult. In which case babies would have very little control over how they feed: milk would flow into their mouth faster than they can swallow it. This might make your baby cough or splutter, or struggle to keep up with the flow of milk so it dribbles to the side of their mouth. This could also mean they feel upset, get indigestion and bring up lots of milk.
If they can’t control the rate of feeding, they are more likely to over-feed. Non-responsive feeding has been associated with discomfort and fussiness in the short term and linked to obesity in the longer term .
Once theyre older and used to bottle-feeding, you could move to a medium flow. Just follow your babys lead to see what teat is right for them. Some babies prefer to stay on the slow flow teats for many months. You can also buy variflow teats where the flow rate can be varied by changing the angle of the teat .
Make sure you change the teats regularly and check them for damage. Once your babys teeth start coming through, they can damage teats by chewing them which is a potential choking hazard .
What Size Bottle Will My Baby Need
Bottles come in two sizes, small ones which hold 150mls and large ones which hold 250ml . For the first few weeks, newborns feed little and often because their stomachs are so small . The smaller bottles are more suitable for this period. Babies who feed from larger bottles consume more milk, which may lead to overfeeding .
Parents who bottle feed find that they may need to move onto using larger bottles as their baby grows and milk consumption increases. Every baby is different so there isnt a set age for when this should happen . Its important to follow your babys feeding cues and signs that they need more milk, such as finishing each feed and seeming to want more .
You May Like: How Many Wet And Dirty Diapers Should A Newborn Have
How Do I Pick A Newborn Bottle
“You won’t know what your child will like until he tries it,” says Hollie Schultz, mother of three and founder of BabyGizmo.com, a product-review site. She recommends polling your parent friends to get three suggestions. Then “buy one of each and do your own testing when your baby arrives,” Schultz says. Here are some more tips for choosing the best baby bottles for newborns.
Go for bigger bottles or choose ones with added features. Buying bigger bottles off the bat could save money, since you can use these down the road too. Can’t resist registering for a starter set? “It’s best to purchase bottles with features that minimize air bubbles, such as drop-in inserts, vents, or an angled top, because you may have to buy these later anyway if Baby turns out to be gassy,” says Jennifer Shu, M.D., a pediatrician in Atlanta and coauthor of Heading Home With Your Newborn.
Think ahead if you’re planning to pump. Here’s an insider’s secret for moms who plan to pump: Buy bottles that are the same brand as your breast pump. “That way, you can express your milk directly into the bottle you’ll use later,” says Holly Hosler, mom of an 11-month old in Baltimore. One less thing to wash!
- RELATED: How to Bottle Feed a Baby
Whats The Deal With Fluoride
Fluoride is a mineral that is present in your teeth and bones, and it also occurs naturally soil, water, plants, rocks and the air. In small amounts, fluorides protective, remineralizing effect can help your teeth stay healthy and strong.
While young children can benefit from appropriate amounts of fluoride, there is also the danger that their little bodies could get too much. Exposure to high levels of fluoride in infancy can cause the permanent teeth still developing within your childs gums to have thin, white lines known as dental fluorosis. Although this condition isnt dangerous, it is permanent and can be noticeable.
Most cities in the United States fluoridate municipal water, and many brands of concentrated or powdered formula also contain fluoride. If formula makes up the majority of your babys meals, use filtered or bottled water that does not contain fluoride, or alternate using fluoridated water with a non-fluoridated source.
Recommended Reading: Can My Newborn Sleep On Her Side
Tommee Tippee Advanced Anti
Best multi-tasking anti-colic bottle
Capacity/sizes available: 150ml , 260ml | Type of teats: Medium Flow , Fast Flow and vari-flow | Made from: Silicone and polypropylene | BPA free: Yes | Dishwasher safe: Yes | Microwave safe: Not recommended
This bottle has been designed with a breast-like shaped teat and anti-colic system designed to take air away from the milk. Tommee Tippee claims the one-way venting system that draws air away from the milk reduces bubbles to cut the chances of your baby getting colic. And in testing, 80% of parents said that when feeding from these bottles, their babies suffered less wind, reflux and fussing.
Whats more, to encourage a baby to take the bottle and to get a good latch , the extra wide teats have been designed with the breast in mind, flexing and stretching to mimic a breastfeed, in a similar way to those made by MAM and Philips Avent.
With these bottles you make the feed slightly differently stirring in the formula powder, rather than shaking the bottle to combine, for instance otherwise they can be prone to leaking. As well as being anti-colic, the bottle has a clever temperature feature a built-in, heat-sensing strip that turns pink within seconds if the feed is too hot to give to your baby. MFM tester and mum of 2 Kathryn described this feature as reassuring.
Pros: Extra wide teats, heat sensor, ergonomicCons: Can only be used with Advanced Anti-Colic Teats
Available from: and Boots
Latest deals from trusted retailers