Feeding the Baby

By Kiya Sama

1. If bottle-feeding, always write the time and date that you opened the container of the liquid formula (ready-to-feed or concentrate) on the can. Most formula should be used only up to 48 hours after opening (except for power form). This is especially important when baby first comes home and is on a demand feeding schedule.

2. Stand wobbly baby bottles in a soft drink carton. That way they don't topple over in the refrigerator.

3. Highlight the ounce markers on baby's bottle with nail polish or a waterproof marker. You should be able to read them in a dimly lit room and know if baby's at "burping time" and has consumed the usual amount for a feeding.

4. Regulate flow through the nipple by tightening the bottle collar for a slower flow and loosening the collar for a faster flow. Remember that too fast a flow might make some babies gulp their liquids and result in too many uncomfortable air bubbles in their small tummies.

5. Enlarge the holes in baby bottles if you boil them for about five minutes, and then allow to cool for about three minutes with toothpicks lodge in the holes. Or use a sterilized needle to enlarge the holes. If the opening is too large, just reboil the nipple and it will close up.

6. If you store bottle nipples in a cool, dry place, they will last longer.

7. An occasional brushing with salt solution prevents baby bottle nipples from deteriorating.

8. Whether or not you should heat baby's bottle in the microwave open is controversial. Some say that you should never warm the bottle in a microwave; the formula may be too hot, even though the bottle itself is cool to the touch. Also excessive heat destroys vitamins.

9. An old-fashioned yet safe way to heat a bottle is to put it in a pan or bowl and run hot tap water over it until the temperature is just right.

10. Whatever way you heat a bottle, always shake the bottle after heating to mix well, and make it a habit to always test a few drops on the inside of your wrist to feel the temperature just before feeding baby.

11. Some parents like to keep an extra formula in the refrigerator to add to a too-warm bottle. You can also cool a too-hot bottle by placing it in a pan and running cold water over it for about 45 second; then retest.

12. A baby fed in as upright a position as possible is less likely to suffer from trapped air bubbles. This position enables that stubborn bubble at the bottom of the stomach to rise more easily when the baby is burped.

13. Some babies will burp as soon as they are placed on your shoulder or on their stomachs on your lap. Since many babies spit up when they burp, place clean cloth diaper, towel or other designated burp cloth on your shoulder or lap when feeding baby.

14. One of the more effective ways of burping a baby is to have the baby seated on your lap an leaning forward supported by your hand, while you stroke or pat baby's back with your other hand. If your baby tends to spit up, hold a diaper under his chin with your supporting hand. This method works better with babies that are a month old or so, when their heads aren't totally wobbly.

15. To rid the bottles of sour milk smell, fill them with warm water and add a teaspoon of baking soda. Shake well and let stand overnight. The next morning wash and sterilize as usual.

16. You can boil the bottle nipples in a glass jar of water in your microwave oven. A teaspoonful of vinegar in the water will prevent any hard water deposits in the jar.

17. Using bottle straws will help formula flow evenly no matter what position the bottle is in.

18. When the time comes, baby can be weaned gradually from the bottle by letting him or her drink directly from the familiar container, but with the nipple removed or replaced by a soda straw.

Kiya Sama is an author on http://www.Writing.Com, which is a site for Writers.

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