|
|
|
||||
|
About Your Baby About
Your Baby - Main
Page /
Brought to you by: Rexanne.com
Bottle Feeding Your Baby
|
|||||
|
If you're a mom who has chosen to feed your baby formula instead of breast milk from day one, or a parent who would like to supplement nursing with an occasional bottle, you'll find information and support here. While I do feel breast feeding is best, I also don't believe that anyone should try to make a new mother feel guilty if she chooses not to breastfeed. Don't let anyone try to make you feel bad about anything right now. Breastfeeding is a personal choice for moms and one you should be free to make or not make on your own and for your own reasons. In good conscience, I suggest you investigate the benefits of breast feeding. If you can do it, great. If you can't, relax and know that millions of babies have grown into healthy, happy people without breast milk. You will hear that nursing is better for your baby. You will hear that you are depriving your baby of the best possible form of nutrition. You will hear any number of solid and not-so-solid arguments and everyone else's ideas why you should breastfeed. Do what you want anyway. And know that baby formula is designed to supply just about the same nutrients that mother's milk does, albei with added chemicals and possibly not-so-savory ingredients. Relax. Baby will be just fine and baby will grow faster than you can imagine no matter what choice you make. A calm happy mother is a better mother. I began supplementing
my first daughter's breast feedings with occasional bottles of formula after
figuring out that she was always hungry. As long as she
had just nursed, she was happy. After about an hour, she would start
to fuss and want to nurse some more. C'mon! This went on all day and
most of the night. I felt like the neighborhood Starbucks to a
coffee junkie. So I bought some formula, made her a bottle, popped
it into her fussy little mouth and, after a few weird looks and confused
taste buds, she drank it down faster than I could become ecstatic. I
continued to nurse her and give her a small bottle of supplemental
formula twice, then three times a day. She was happy, I was happy, the
whole world was happy and you know what? She started sleeping for much
longer stretches with that additional sustenance filling her
belly. And Mommy Starbucks wasn't in danger of losing her mind
anymore. Formula comes in a variety of concoctions, all basically with the same nutrients. Your pediatrician will recommend soy formula if your baby becomes gassy from regular formula, otherwise, it's all pretty basic stuff. The two consistencies of formula are powdered, which you mix with distilled water then heat to barely warm in a pot of water or, ideally, in a bottle warmer. Do not warm baby's formula or bottles in the microwave as there could be 'hot spots' you won't feel that could burn baby's mouth. There is also liquid formula which you don't have to measure and mix but it is pricier. I used the powder for at home and always had a few cans of liquid formula in the diaper bag for emergencies. There is a much wider selection of baby bottles than formula on the market. There are plain bottles and bottles with liners. I used the liner bottles because it seemed more sanitary and easier to keep clean. The liners do cost more so plan accordingly. If you'd rather wash more bottles than pay extra for liners, there ya go. Bottle nipples come in an array of sizes, from newborn to older baby size. You'll need to pay attention to this as infants need a smaller hole or they'll choke on too much liquid flow and older babies need more flow or they'll become frustrated by not getting enough at once. The packages are all nicely labeled for age. Just remember to look before you buy. You will need a bottle brush or two, no matter how killer your dishwasher happens to be. Leftover formula tends to stick to the sides and bottom corners of bottles. I scrubbed washable bottles and nipples with bottle and nipple brushes before putting them in the dishwasher. I still have a little basket that held the nipples, bottle rings and pacifiers. It fits on the top shelf of the dishwasher and comes with a snap down lid to keep those little pieces from flying through the cycles. I now use it for pet can lids and small detachable pieces of cooking utensils. Love that thing! ;-) If you prefer to hand wash baby's bottles and accessories, have a good bottle drying rack on hand. These are great for storing bottles and accessories, too. You can find pretty much everything pertaining to bottle feeding you'll need at Happy Mothers and a super guide to baby bottles and accessories here: Bottles & Accessories Many pediatricians advise against giving your baby water. Uhmmmm, I'm not sure I agree. While the rationale against offering water to baby inclines toward baby possibly not wanting to nurse or drink their bottle of formula, it was never an issue with my babies. The human body is mostly water. We need water. Babies are human. Shouldn't they drink pure, fresh (distilled only) water, too? My father (a nutritionist) assured me that giving my babies water was acceptable. I did, and they fed on breast milk and formula like starving little piranhas all the same. You will soon fall into a routine with bottle feeding, cleaning, storing, etc. and it won't all seem so daunting. Here are some good sites with bottle feeding and basic bottle information that will answer most, if not all of your questions:
Feeding Your Baby
About Your Baby - Site Map This site provides general information and the author's opinions. It is designed for educational purposes only. Always consult with a healthcare professional if you have any concerns about the health of your child. |
||||
|
|
Bookmark to save this page!
|
