Formula Feeding Your Baby
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Formula milk is specially made to mimic breast milk, and although it can't pass on all of those antibodies that Mum's milk does, it does contain a lot of very important ingredients. Including all of the vitamins, iron and proteins that your baby needs.
Once you have made the choice to bottle feed your baby, make sure for certain that this is what you really want to do. Going back to breast feeding will be a lot harder if you change your mind at a later date.
Formula feeding - Basic bottle know how
Bottle feeding your newborn is a learn as you go process. One of the bad points to bottle feeding is that you have all of the washing up to do! Sterilising too. Washing bottles should be done thoroughly with a special bottle brush. Some have a teat brush at the other end, or you can buy a separate one. Washing up liquid is fine to use, but give everything a good rinse afterwards.Sterilising your bottles is another choice! You can either use boiling water, or sterilising fluids, or another option (one that my doctor recommended to me) Steam sterilising. Steam sterilising doesn't leave any trace chemicals on the bottles and so in theory is kinder for your baby. A steam steriliser is also easy to use, pop in all the parts of the bottle including the teats, pour in some water, put on the lid, flick the button and go have a cuppa! The bottles will be fine for a few hours as long as you don't take the lid off.
The whole washing, sterilising process must be done properly or your baby could end with a bacterial infection.
The preperation - How to make baby formula
- Make sure the bottle and all attachments are properly cleaned and sterilised.
- Follow the manufacturers instructions exactly.
- Formula feed can be made up from cooled boiled water.
- The mixing is normally 1 scoop to 1 fluid ounce of water. Only ever use the scoop that came with the formula. Never use a scoop from a different brand, they may vary in size. And don't heap the powder in the scoop, level off with the back of a knife, or a special plastic tab you will get in some packs.
- Pour the water into the bottle, if you are making a 5 ounce bottle, pour in 5 ounces of water.
- Count the scoops of formula powder carefully. If you loose count or make a mistake, throw the bottles contents away and start again. Using too much formula powder can be dangerous to your babies health.
- To mix the formula - shake vigorously!
- Once feeds are mixed they can be stored in the fridge for up to 24 hours. Although experts now recommend you make a fresh formula mix every time baby needs a feed.
Formula feeding - The good bit!
- Hold your baby semi upright, never feed her lying down.
- Make sure the neck and teat of the bottle are always full of formula with no air bubbles present.
- Baby will open her mouth to suck at the teat, hold the bottle at right angles with her mouth.
- You will get used to noises that your baby makes while feeding, if she is gulping, the milk may not be flowing smoothly. Check the teat.
- When your baby is done feeding, throw away any left over formula. You can keep it for up to 1 hour, but then it must be discarded.
- Remember to wind your baby after each feed.
- When your baby has teeth, remember to clean them after the last feed at night.
They are the basics to formula feeding. After struggling to breastfeed both of my babies, I decided to formula feed and never had a problem.
Do take advise from your midwife or health visitor over any problems you may have. And let them know first before you decide to formula feed your baby.
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