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Formula Feeding
Formula Feeding Your Baby
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 If
you decide to formula feed your baby keep in mind that it is a personal
choice that only you can make. Breastfeeding has its benefits! But
no baby has been permanently damaged because they were formula feed.
For the most effective feeding you should know some simple guidelines
about feeding your baby and how to best make formula feeding work
for you and your baby.
As with breastfeeding, most experts agree that
you shouldn't follow a rigid schedule in the early weeks, though
you may be able to work out an approximate pattern for feeding within
a month or two. Offer the bottle every two to three hours at first,
or when your baby seems hungry. Until the baby reaches about 10
pounds, she'll probably take one to three ounces per feeding. Don't
force more than she seems ready to eat.
Before you first use new bottles and nipples,
and each time that you use them, they need to be washed and sterilized
carefully. You will need a steam sterilizer, or a microwave sterilizer,
or you can use sterilizing solution. You can also boil the bottles
and nipples for at least 10 minutes to sterilize them.
To make the formula, follow the instructions on
the packet carefully. Use boiled cooled water. Fill the bottle to
the marked level. Measure the milk powder with the scoop provided.
Use a knife to level off the scoop, but avoid packing the powder
down. Add this to the water in the bottle. Put the nipple and cover
on and then shake well. Don't be tempted to add extra scoops of
formula powder as this can make your baby ill.
You may find it easier to make up enough feed
for the whole day at once. Make the mixture up in a large sterile
jug, measuring the water and the scoops of powder carefully. Pour
into bottles, add the nipple and covers and shake well. Store the
bottles with the covers on in the fridge for up to 24 hours, after
which they should be discarded.
When you're ready to feed your baby, warm a bottle
in a pan, jug or bowl of hot — not boiling — water;
you can also buy a bottle warmer specially designed for this purpose.
It's best not to use a microwave to heat a bottle
of breast- or formula milk; since a microwave oven heats unevenly,
it can create hot pockets, leading to burns, as well as cause a
breakdown of vital nutrients.
Like so much with babies, you'll need to listen
and observe to know if she is feeding comfortably. If you hear a
lot of noisy sucking sounds while she drinks, she may be taking
in too much air. To help your baby swallow less air, hold her at
a 45-degree angle. Also take care to tilt the bottle so that the
nipple and neck are always filled with formula.
Never leave your baby to feed unattended by propping
the bottle up. Besides not providing you or your baby with time
for bonding and snuggling, it could make her choke. Bottle feeding,
like breastfeeding, can be a wonderful time for nurturing your baby
by holding her close.
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