FEEDING
Your baby will gradually settle into a routine, probably with feeds every four hours. Before your start to feed your baby, always check that the milk is not too hot by dripping some on the inside or your wrist. Babies do not mind cold milk, but they usually like it better warm. If you want to warm up the milk a little, place the bottle upright in some hot water keeping the teat out of the water. But never keep milk warm for more than one hour. If it is kept warm for too long, harmful bacteria can grow and give your baby upset stomach.
Choose a comfortable place and position for feeding that lets you hold and cuddle your baby comfortably. Have all the things you will need in easy reach, including a clean cloth to wipe up any spills. If there are long pauses during a feed, cover the teat with the cap to keep it clean. Never prop up the bottle and leave your baby to feed alone. It could lead to choking. After a feed, gently rub or pat your baby’s back to make him burp. Your baby will enjoy being cuddled clo9se to you after a feed.
FEEDING SCHEDULES
Your baby will gradually settle into a routine, probably with feeds every four hours. Before your start to feed your baby, always check that the milk is not too hot by dripping some on the inside or your wrist. Babies do not mind cold milk, but they usually like it better warm. If you want to warm up the milk a little, place the bottle upright in some hot water keeping the teat out of the water. But never keep milk warm for more than one hour. If it is kept warm for too long, harmful bacteria can grow and give your baby upset stomach.
Choose a comfortable place and position for feeding that lets you hold and cuddle your baby comfortably. Have all the things you will need in easy reach, including a clean cloth to wipe up any spills. If there are long pauses during a feed, cover the teat with the cap to keep it clean. Never prop up the bottle and leave your baby to feed alone. It could lead to choking. After a feed, gently rub or pat your baby’s back to make him burp. Your baby will enjoy being cuddled clo9se to you after a feed.
FEEDING SCHEDULES
Most babies require five or six feeds a day until they are about three months old. They can then move to taking four or five feeds daily. After they are five or sic months old, most babies can go on a schedule of three meals a day with between-meal snacks.
SOME COMMON CONCERNS ABOUT FEEDING
There are some areas related to baby’s feeding that are of concern to the new mother regardless of the method of feeding:
HUNGER:
You may wonder how to know if your baby is getting enough to eat. Well, most babies when awakened from sleep by hunger pains will fuss and cry and make sucking movements with their mouths. But, if the baby awakens a short time after a feed, you should try other comfort measures such as holding, changing the diaper and bubbling, before assuming he is hungry. If he is obviously hungry and crying, seizes the nipple ravenously when a feeding is offered and nurses with great vigour,he may need to “refill” more frequently if he is breast-fed or be offered more in his bottle, at each feeding if he is bottle-fed.
BUBBLING (BURPING)
After each five minutes or so, or in the middle and at the end of each feeding, the baby should be held in an upright position and his back gently patted or stroked. The will give baby a chance to eruct the air bubbles that he would have swallowed during the feed. You should have a napkin handy to clean the mess. If there is doubt about whether or not the baby has brought up all the air, then while placing him in the crib; put him on his right side or in a prone position. This will help bring up the air. It will prevent the baby from choking on any milk that might be regurgitated with the air.
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