Feeding with love
One of the major reasons breastfeeding advocates are against bottle feeding, is that they claim you won’t bond with your baby. That isn’t necessarily true, provided that you feed with love.
Hold your baby in your arms, at breast-level and look him in the eyes as you feed him. The closer your baby is to you, the more comforted and loved he’ll feel. Rock him as you feed and talk to him or hum a tune. The more involved you are in the feeding process, the better.
Skin-to-skin contact will also enhance the feeding experience.
How much should you feed your baby and how often?
In the first few weeks, you shouldn’t follow a strict feeding programme. Instead, feed your baby when he needs it. Bottle-fed babies generally need to be fed every three to four hours. But formula feeding isn’t an exact science. Each baby has different needs and depending on his size, you may need to give him less or more milk. If he’s not hungry any more and you’ve winded him, he’ll stop sucking. If he’s still crying after you’ve winded him and changed his nappy, he may still be hungry.
If you’re nervous about following this approach, formula tins will tell you exactly how much milk your baby should be getting and how often. Never, ever force your baby to drink more than he wants to. A baby won’t overeat for the sake of it. If you are worried about the amount of milk your baby is drinking, speak to your healthcare practitioner.
Never ever when bottle feeding
When your baby is still small, don’t prop the bottle up using a pillow or blanket as he could choke. Don’t use plain tap water or mineral water when feeding your baby. You must always boil the water and allow it to cool down, before you make up the bottle. Don’t feed your baby left-over’s. If your baby doesn’t finish a bottle, throw the left-over milk away. Don’t under or over feed your baby. Use only the number of scoops of formula, indicated on the tin. Don’t add an extra scoop or leave out a scoop as it could affect your baby’s growth.
