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Bottle Feeding
By
Terry Ross
Don't feel guilty if you have decided to go down the
route of bottle feeding. Making the decision to bottle
feed is never taken lightly and if you have decided that
bottle feeding is the right decision for you and your
child than follow your instincts and go for it, don't
worry what other people have to say.
In some instances bottle feeding can be better for your
newborn than breastfeeding particularly if you are a
smoker, drink alcohol of take unprescribed drugs
(certain drugs, alcohol and nicotine can be transmitted
to your baby through your breast milk). Also, it is
better to bottle feed if you are HIV positive or have
other serious illnesses such as severe anaemia,
turberculosis or kidney disease. If you are taking
certain medications you may be advised not to breastfeed
your baby.
Bottle feeding formula milk provides all the vitamins a
minerals that your baby needs, it's nutritional
qualities are close to breast milk and, in most cases,
is made from cows milk which has been specially treated
to ease digestion.
There are now alternatives to regular formula's (usually
soya) specifically designed for lactose intolerant
babies or for those babies where there is family history
of allergies. If you are bottle feeding only use
standard formula unless your doctor has advised
otherwise.
It is important to follow all manufacturers’ instruction
when making up the formula milk. Bottle feeding can
cause colic if you make up the formula milk either too
weak or too strong or feed your baby milk that is at the
wrong temperature.
Buying ready made milk in cartons or bottles is really
useful if you are out and about but is a far more
expensive way to bottle feed your baby.
You can prepare 24 hours worth of formula in one go and
store it in the fridge until required. Dispose of any
unused formula after the 24 hour period and never re-use
and milk left over after bottle feeding, bacteria love
it!
The temperature at which a bottle should be offered to
your baby varies from child to child with some babies
preferring their milk at room temperature and others
preferring their bottle feed warm. To warm the milk just
drop the full bottle into a jug of boiling water and
then test the temperature against your wrist before
bottle feeding your baby.
Some babies need to be persuaded to take the teat and
feed so try stroking the teat across your baby’s lips
which should encourage him to open his mouth and grab
hold of the teat.
If you find that your baby is gulping his milk down too
fast then you probably need a smaller teat and likewise
if your baby is finding bottle feeding really hard work
then a larger teat may be required.
One thing that shouldn’t need to be said but I will say
it anyway is never leave your baby alone to bottle feed,
if you need to leave your baby even for a split second
take the bottle away. A baby left alone to feed could
end up vomiting and choking.
When bottle feeding always tilt the bottle as this will
make sure that the teat remains full to prevent air from
getting into the teat which can cause wind. If your baby
is prone to suffering from wind then try winding half
way through feeding and then again at the end of the
feed. To wind your baby, lay him across your shoulder of
on your lap and rub his back.
It is quite normal for babies to sometimes bring back up
small amounts of milk during or after feeding (called
possetting) and sometimes babies will bring up the
entire content of their stomach in a forceful way which
is called projectile vomiting. Possetting is not unusual
neither should occasional projectile vomiting be cause
for concern but if your baby is throwing up too
frequently or forceful vomiting is occurring too often
consult your doctor.
Terry Ross is the author for and the creator of:
1st-4-baby,
a site dedicated to pregnancy, babies and baby care.
Article Source:
Terry_Ross |
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