How to Bottle Feed a Newborn
Choose the right formula., Sterilize new bottles., Prepare your formula., Warm your milk -- if the baby likes it warm., Hold your baby the right way., Know how often to feed your baby., Wash your bottles and nipples after you feed your baby., Throw...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Choose the right formula.
You should choose a formula that is iron-fortified.
Though low-iron formulas are available due to the belief that iron makes babies gassy and constipated, this belief has been disproved by studies.
The iron-fortified formula will help your baby build strength.Consult your pediatrician if you have any concerns about your baby's health, such as thinking your baby may be lactose intolerant because it runs in your family.
Always check the expiration date on the formula to make sure that you can still use it.
Never use expired formula. -
Step 2: Sterilize new bottles.
To sterilize a new bottle, you simply have to submerge it in boiling water.
Just make sure that the bottle is not made of plastic. , Follow the directions for how to mix your formula.
If it's a liquid formula, check to see if it needs to be diluted first.
Most formulas come in a powder or concentrate form and they need to be mixed with water.
Ready-to-feed formulas are available, but they are more expensive.
If you're worried about the safety of your tap water and need to dilute your formula, use bottled water.
Use a clean can opener to open cans of formula.
Wash the can opener after every use.
Always wash your hands before you prepare your formula or feed your baby. , There's no health benefit to warming up your milk, but if your baby likes it, you can do it before it's feeding time.
You can heat up the bottle just by placing it in a bowl of warm water or running it under the warm tap.
Never use a microwave to heat a bottle of breast milk or formula.
This can create pockets of heat in the milk and may burn your baby.
You can also buy a bottle heater designed for heating bottles. , You'll have to observe your baby to get a sense of whether or not he or she is comfortable.
If you hear a lot of loud sucking noises when he or she is drinking, then he or she may be taking in too much air.
To help your baby take in less air, hold him or her at a 45-degree angle.
Cradle him or her in a semi-upright position and support his or her head.
Tilt the bottle so the nipple and neck are always filled with milk or formula.
Never prop a bottle.
This can cause your baby to choke.
Don't feed your baby when he or she is lying down.
He or she can get an ear infection if the formula flows in his or her middle ear. , In the early weeks of your child's life, you don't need to worry about sticking to a rigid feeding schedule.
However, you may start to work out a pattern in the first month or two.
First, just focus on offering the bottle to your baby every two or three hours or when your baby seems hungry.Until your baby weights about ten pounds, he or she will typically eat one to three ounces of formula during each feeding.
Don't force your baby to eat when he or she isn't hungry, and don't force him or her to finish the bottle if he or she doesn't want to.
As long as your baby still shows interest in feeding from time to time, there's no need to force it.
If your baby continues to suck on the bottle when there's nothing left, that means he or she is hungry.
Give him a little bit more to eat. , You don't have to sterilize your bottles after the first use.
Just wash them in the dishwasher if they're dishwasher safe or just wash them in the sink in warm, soapy water.
The nipples can also be washed in a sink full of soapy water. , Don't put away the formula and use it later.
Used formula should not be reused because of potential bacteria growth. -
Step 3: Prepare your formula.
-
Step 4: Warm your milk -- if the baby likes it warm.
-
Step 5: Hold your baby the right way.
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Step 6: Know how often to feed your baby.
-
Step 7: Wash your bottles and nipples after you feed your baby.
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Step 8: Throw out any leftover formula.
Detailed Guide
You should choose a formula that is iron-fortified.
Though low-iron formulas are available due to the belief that iron makes babies gassy and constipated, this belief has been disproved by studies.
The iron-fortified formula will help your baby build strength.Consult your pediatrician if you have any concerns about your baby's health, such as thinking your baby may be lactose intolerant because it runs in your family.
Always check the expiration date on the formula to make sure that you can still use it.
Never use expired formula.
To sterilize a new bottle, you simply have to submerge it in boiling water.
Just make sure that the bottle is not made of plastic. , Follow the directions for how to mix your formula.
If it's a liquid formula, check to see if it needs to be diluted first.
Most formulas come in a powder or concentrate form and they need to be mixed with water.
Ready-to-feed formulas are available, but they are more expensive.
If you're worried about the safety of your tap water and need to dilute your formula, use bottled water.
Use a clean can opener to open cans of formula.
Wash the can opener after every use.
Always wash your hands before you prepare your formula or feed your baby. , There's no health benefit to warming up your milk, but if your baby likes it, you can do it before it's feeding time.
You can heat up the bottle just by placing it in a bowl of warm water or running it under the warm tap.
Never use a microwave to heat a bottle of breast milk or formula.
This can create pockets of heat in the milk and may burn your baby.
You can also buy a bottle heater designed for heating bottles. , You'll have to observe your baby to get a sense of whether or not he or she is comfortable.
If you hear a lot of loud sucking noises when he or she is drinking, then he or she may be taking in too much air.
To help your baby take in less air, hold him or her at a 45-degree angle.
Cradle him or her in a semi-upright position and support his or her head.
Tilt the bottle so the nipple and neck are always filled with milk or formula.
Never prop a bottle.
This can cause your baby to choke.
Don't feed your baby when he or she is lying down.
He or she can get an ear infection if the formula flows in his or her middle ear. , In the early weeks of your child's life, you don't need to worry about sticking to a rigid feeding schedule.
However, you may start to work out a pattern in the first month or two.
First, just focus on offering the bottle to your baby every two or three hours or when your baby seems hungry.Until your baby weights about ten pounds, he or she will typically eat one to three ounces of formula during each feeding.
Don't force your baby to eat when he or she isn't hungry, and don't force him or her to finish the bottle if he or she doesn't want to.
As long as your baby still shows interest in feeding from time to time, there's no need to force it.
If your baby continues to suck on the bottle when there's nothing left, that means he or she is hungry.
Give him a little bit more to eat. , You don't have to sterilize your bottles after the first use.
Just wash them in the dishwasher if they're dishwasher safe or just wash them in the sink in warm, soapy water.
The nipples can also be washed in a sink full of soapy water. , Don't put away the formula and use it later.
Used formula should not be reused because of potential bacteria growth.
About the Author
Katherine Harris
Enthusiastic about teaching cooking techniques through clear, step-by-step guides.
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