There are many reasons why moms bottle-feed their babies. Some moms choose to feed their babies formula from birth and other moms find breastfeeding a struggle and decide to formula feed at some stage due to the difficulty of breastfeeding.
There are also plenty of moms who choose to bottle milk to feed their babies. This is an option many mothers choose when they need to return to work but they still want their babies to drink breast milk.
It is important to remember that the way that you choose to feed your baby and the reasons for doing so is your own personal choice. Feeding is best.
Here are some bottle feeding tips:
Bottles and Teats
When you go to the baby store for the first time you may be overwhelmed by a variety of options. Although many people recommend specific brands or types of teats, it is impossible to know which one is best for your baby until you actually try it out.
Some teats are manufactured as close as possible to a real teat and some teats and bottles are manufactured to help with colic and wind.
Some teats are manufactured for newborns and some for older babies. Some teats flow very fast, which may cause the baby to suffocate and splash; others flow too slowly, which may make the baby feel depressed. You need to do some experiments to see what works best and remember that the most effective one for your first baby may not suit your second baby. I recommend plastic bottles with measurements engraved on them rather than printed on them, because these measurements are usually washed out very quickly during cleaning, and those plastic bottles engraved with measurements will remain visible no matter how often you clean them. And remember, you don’t have to use the original bottle and teat. All the popular brand-name bottles don’t work for my daughter. Many bottles leak or are unusable. One day, I bought a cheap bottle at a discount store and put in a good quality teat. They are very useful! It won’t leak out at all, and there’s no other problem. It’s very likely that you will receive some bottles and teats at the baby’s gift-giving party. Don’t go out and buy more until you give them a test run to see which one you like, and then buy.
Be Prepared
When breastfeeding, you don’t need to do anything but have your child with you. Bottle feeding will be more challenging because you need to keep thinking and planning ahead. You can prepare milk at the right temperature whenever you need it.
Your newborn baby will need to be fed approximately every 2 hours so no matter how long you are leaving home, you must make sure that bottle and formula are ready when your baby needs them. Depending on how long you’ve been out, you may want to prepare a few bottles of formula before you leave home, or you can carry formula and bottles with you. Either way, make sure you have access to boiling water. If you eat a prepared recipe, you will want to heat it. If you want to use powder as needed, you need to use boiled water as a supplement.
In order to get ready at home, I strongly recommend this baby formula kettle. This will keep the water at the required temperature and provide you with the water you need at any time. This is especially effective for night feeding because if you boil a kettle in the middle of the night to make formula, you have to wait for it to cool down, which is not good when you have a hungry crying baby. If you prepare the formula before you go to bed and keep it fresh in the refrigerator, you need to wait for the milk to heat up so that it won’t be too cold for your baby.
Another brilliant option is this baby formula maker. It will mix a baby bottle for you in a few seconds to reach the perfect temperature, which will really make your life much easier.
Spitting Up
Most babies spit up during or after feeding. Although this is common, it’s best to keep it to a minimum. The following tips will help reduce spitting up:
Make sure your baby’s head is higher than his feet while feeding
• Feed him smaller portions more often
• Burp your baby several times at and after each feeding
• Keep baby upright and avoid bouncing after feeding
• Keep your baby’s tummy free from any restrictions such as tight clothing and a diaper
Spitting up is completely normal, if it is excessive, make sure to check with your pediatrician.
Allergies
Some babies are allergic to the protein in cow’s milk which is the same basic ingredient in many baby formulas. If your baby has an allergic reaction to his formula, such as stomach discomfort, asthma or itchy, swollen or watery eyes, you need to try different formulas. Try to find a protein-free formula, such as a soy formula or an amino acid-based formula. It is important to note that babies can also be allergic to soy formula.
If your baby has allergies, you may need advice from your pediatrician to help you find the right formula for your baby.
It is important to note that if your baby gets hives, swollen throat or mouth, and vomiting, you need to take your baby to the emergency room.