Bottle Feeding Tips

Making your baby shift from breastfeeding to bottle might be a tedious task. Almost all the parents face the problem ensuring a smooth transition pertaining to this. Babies who are breastfed find it very difficult to digest a sudden change in the schedule. They may refuse the bottle when introduced to them for the first time. It is very difficult to make babies get used to something, and when they get used to something, it becomes very difficult to make them shift to another schedule. It may take a long time for you to make your baby get used to the bottle. You should understand the fact that your baby was used to your warmness and coziness, and it will be a bit difficult for them to get introduced to a totally different pattern or technique of feeding. You need to have some patience and accept the fact that this process will take some time. This article will provide you with some useful bottle feeding tips.

Bottle Feeding Advice

Do Not Hurry
Do not hurry, be patient and keep the process of shifting your baby from breastfeeding to bottle-feeding a bit slow. It is better to wait a bit before you introduce the bottle to your kid. There is a difference in nursing and having milk from a bottle. Therefore, the baby might reject the bottle when you introduce it for the first time. It is advisable to apply the bottle rule at the 3rd or the 8th week.

Create The Same Atmosphere
Babies don�t like changes and even if there are any changes they don�t get used to the change very soon. So, it is better to keep everything same even during bottle feeding. You can boil the bottle nipple to body temperature; this will give a same feel to the baby. Give breast milk in bottle for the first time, if that�s what the baby is used to. If you are feeding some formula, warm it up to the body temperature.

Make It A Cozy Affair
It is a common practice to bottle feed in a peaceful and quiet place and time. Another thing that can make bottle feeding easier is to have a body contact that will be a mimic for breastfeeding. Sometimes, it is advisable to take tour baby to a quite place and just be with them. This cozy and calm way of feeding should be applied at times to make the process easy. It also will increase the bonding between the baby and the mother.

Let Someone Else To Feed Your Baby
A baby who is used to nursing might find it a bit odd to find a bottle instead. It is better to let someone else start with bottle feeding for the first time. Go for a walk and let the father handle the baby for some time while feeding. Any other person can also take up the job for the first time.

Switch Arms
While breastfeeding you need to change sides while feeding and even during different feedings. Do the same when feeding with bottle. This will give the baby the same feel, and is also good for your back and the baby�s neck and vision.

Don�t Measure
When nursing, you don�t know how much does your baby drink. However, while feeding the baby with a bottle you can measure the quantity. Doesn�t measure as to how much your baby have? Let the baby decide as to how much milk your baby wants. If he/she is drinking more or less according to you, it is just normal.

Use The Right Nipple
The nipple that you use to feed your baby should be the right one with the correct hole in it. The nipple hole should not be too small or too big. If it is too small, it will make it difficult for the baby to suck the milk, leaving them with no option but to give up. On the other hand, if the hole is too big it might choke your baby as the flow will be too fast. Turn the bottle upside down before feeding. If milk flows instead of drips, the nipple hole is too large. If the baby tries too hard and gets tired during sucking, it means the hole is too small.

Make Them Burp
Babies may swallow a lot of air while drinking from a bottle. Make it a habit to burp your baby half way to make them get rid of the air swallowed and also to avoid stomach pain. To minimize air swallowing, tilt the bottle, allow the milk to fill the nipple and the air to rise to the bottom of the bottle.

Making Night Feeding Easier
To make night feeding easier, prepare boiled water with right temperature in a thermos used only for the baby�s water. Keep the water bottle and the formula you need in the bedroom, so that you can mix the formula real fast when the baby wakes up.