Bottle Feeding

PROS TO BOTTLE FEEDING

• Bottlefeeding is convenient and can be done anywhere at anytime.
• Babies generally stay fuller longer since formula digest slower than breastmilk.
• Convenient for working mothers.
• Both partners and other family members/friends can help feed the baby.
• Mom does not have to watch her diet.

CONS TO BOTTLE FEEDING

• Formula is expensive and you will have to have a lot of it.
• Formula must be prepared before your baby can eat.
• Bottles have to be cleaned and sanitized.
• Although formula companies have added similar vitamins and nutrients, nothing compares to the quality of human breastmilk.
• Because formula is harder to digest, your baby may experience gas and reflux.
• Babies may become constipated easier.

PREPARING FORMULA

Make sure that your hands are clean and that all bottles, nipples and rings have been sterlized before using them. For powdered formula, open the can of formula and add 1 level scoop of formula for every 2 ounces of water. If your baby prefers warm or hot water, heat the water before adding to the bottle. Microwaves heat unevenly and you should never heat a bottle in there. Shake the bottle well and test the temperature on the inside of your wrist before giving the bottle to your baby. Ready to use formula does not require any additional water. Simply screw on the ring and nipple and warm if necessary. For canned formula, open the can with a clean can punch and mix according to the directions on the label.

NEVER heat your baby's bottle in the microwave. Doing so can cause uneven heating and create hot pockets that can burn your child. Place the bottle in a bottle warmer or in a pot of boiling water until it is the desired temperature. You can also heat the water separately and then pour it into the bottle. Always shake the bottle and test the temperature before giving to your baby.

While it is best to prepare formula as your baby needs it, formula can be prepared ahead of time if you need to. Formula can be prepared in clean bottles and placed in the refrigerator for 24 hours. Once the bottle has come out of the refrigerator, it should be used within an hour and then discarded. Opened cans of formula must be covered and placed in the refrigerator for no more than 48 hours. Powedered formula has a 'use by date' stamped on the can and should be observed. Do not freeze formula.

Comments: Bottle Feeding

Comments 1 to 24 of about 79.
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hchina - 66 days ago.
Hi ladies, can anyone suggest a good formula to supplement with? Im currently using S26 Gold but ive heard mixed reviews about it...what r u guys using?

lourds - 69 days ago.
shelly, i think you are not doing anything wrong with how you feed your babies, (as long as you always watch them when they eat and are doing ok), that is so innovative of you, some(often)times we(moms) use our instincts to protect and help our children grow healthy and happy, so hurray to you!

manda-may - 70 days ago.
Shelley, I am a mum to twins and think that having 3 at once, let alone 3 and a toddler must be very very hard work. I would ignore your niece in law a bit, but talk to some other mums and get their ideas. There might be some better ways to do it. In New Zealand, you can get sachets of fruit or vegetable puree baby food with a twist off top that has a tube which the babies can suck like a straw. Mind you, we are talking very liquid like baby food here, but my twins loved those things and it made feeding much easier when we were out, as they would hold them themselves and suck out their meal. Yay! My babies were prem at 34 weeks, and so I started them on babyfood a bit later than the other babies in our antenatal group. Somewhere about 6-7 months... when they seemed to be ready for it. Babies take their own time with readiness for that kind of thing anyway, but add in being premature, and I think you can give them a bit of leeway. My boys are a year now and eating well, especially now they have a few more teeth, lol! Anyway, good luck!

shellyseamonkey - 70 days ago.
alright im doing everything wrong with feeding as a mom of triplets and a 19 month old most of you cant blame me but i prop bottles anyways my question is my babies were preemie but now there about the size of a 4 month old when there 6 months i cut a playtex nipple and put baby food in there, and let them suck it down now.. is that a bad thng to do.. and horrible etc.? my niece in law who let me remind you doesnt have babies told me it was like punching my baby in the face doing that it was wrong and could strangel them

Mommy2Chloe - 103 days ago.
All nipple flows work differently from different bottle types. Usually the first levels are for newborns but if your LO isn't happy with the flow that supposedly recommended for their age, it won't hurt to go up in the levels.

Megan20 - 107 days ago.
hey i was just wondering how the nipple flow thing works? like is slow flow for newborns till 3 months or when? My mom bought these organic baby bottles for me and all that they say on them is the nipple flow it doesnt say for what months they should be used for... so i was just curious?

Mommy2Chloe - 107 days ago.
Juliane- Check the nipple flow. Some babies don't go by the reccommended nipple flow. It might be too slow and your LO might be getting frustrated.

Juliane - 107 days ago.
Are any of you ladies having issues with your baby being fussy and or crying while eating? My baby girl is 3 weeks old and I am not sure if it is just because she is going through a growth spurt, but she sometimes eats so frantically that she ends up not latching properly, having half of it run down her face..and then she will root around frantically like she is searching for the nipple even though it's in her mouth, and then she will start screaming her head off!! It is soooo frustrating! PS - I dont think its acid reflux cause she never spits up, and I dont' think its gas cause she is always good at farting and burping!

hchina - 108 days ago.
ill try slowing him down tonight wish me luck...and he hardly burps and spits up, in fact he will scream if he knows he has to be burped...haha real little demanding man...thanx grls for your advice

1more* - 108 days ago.
i like bottles feeding than breast feeding but my next child i will brest feed.

Mommy2Chloe - 108 days ago.
Feeding your baby whenever they are hungry will not cause obesity later in life. I admit a baby might eat a lot during a feeding and maybe spit some back up but feeding them (wether it be bottle or breast) when they are hungry will not cause a problem with obesity later in life. To help them from spitting up, you can burp them after every ounce. That will also help with 'over feeding' them. You have to worry about eating habits when they become toddlers.

NatashaMc - 108 days ago.
My LO chugs his bottles too, well not so much now that he gets distracted by things. I always tried to stop him after every ounce or two (especially coz I still wanted to try to bf) and he would freak as well (impatient ones aren't they) I read somewhere that if they eat too quickly they don't realize when they're full.

hchina - 109 days ago.
Heather12- its so hard to slow bubs down...he is 6 weeks old and takes about 120ml formula every 3-4 hours. i give him what i can express which is betwwen 20ml and 60ml also each feed....if he doesnt get that much he just cries...its hard to know what to do. i try to slow him down by burping him but he makes a fuss. by feeding too much, it causes obesity later, is that the prob?

Heather12 - 110 days ago.
You can overfeed your babies. I had to pump my breastmilk and feed my baby for a year, well mostly. I nursed her for 6 weeks. And one of the things I read was to watch for over feeding because breastmilk has alot of fat in it and it could cause your baby to gain to much weight. Bottles have a faster flow that your breasts and babies tend to drink more out of bottles.

Mommy2Chloe - 110 days ago.
hchina- That's great that he's gaining weight! Most formula fed babies gain weight quickly in the beginning and then slow down. My LO is 7 1/2 months old and is starting to slow on her weight gain.

hchina - 110 days ago.
chloe:laiden-thankyou. i went to hv my midwife check on Alexs weigt....he has put on 540grams over 4 days!!!!wow!!! i am so happy bc his last check up he lost 280 grams over a week and was not well...im sooo happy and the nutrients are all good. my midwife wasnt upset that i swopped to formula. in fact it was necessary and what had to be done.

Mommy2Chloe - 110 days ago.
Formulas are regulated and contain all nutrients neccessary for a baby. If you're worried that they may not be receiving the right amount of vitamins and nutrients then it wouldn't hurt to mention it to your baby's doctor. If they see a problem at all then they can put your baby on a multivitamin. I wouldn't start one without talking to the doctor first. You wouldn't want to overdose them on too much.

hchina - 111 days ago.
hey i know all the benfits of breastfeeding but what are babies missing out on mostly with formula? i read swhere that formula has vit d which breast doesnt.

hchina - 111 days ago.
chloe:laiden, thanx. yeah alex is a guzzler and i hv noticed his poo is as frequent and harder. he does seem to hv a little wind. i just hope the sudden chege he has had to make is ok. its so frustrating pumping for an hr to get 1oz..

Mommy2Chloe - 111 days ago.
hchina- I did the same as you. I BF for a few weeks and had to give it up. My LO did the same thing. She chugged those formula bottles right up! Babies will eat what they need. The only thing I would reccomend is maybe letting your little one eat an ounce or so then burp. Especially if they're taking the bottle fast. They tend to spit up a little when you change from breast to formula. You really can't over feed them, you just have to make sure there's no air in their tummies. Babies eat what they want and will stop when full..

hchina - 111 days ago.
hi ladies well i hv been struggling for 5 weeks with breastfeeding, gave it my all but after seeing bubs lose weight i hv converted to formula and am sooo thankful for it. i hv a question, my 5.5 week old is just guzzling down the formula, do you know if you can over feed with formula...

domevapurple - 129 days ago.
i give birth to my son 37 week too weighed 7.5 pounds 3.3 kilo and i try really hard to breastfed but he dont want coz i dont have a large nipple so from the start fed him only bottle and so far i dont see any problem my baby gaining weight 1 kilo every one month now he is 3 months and 1 week he weighed 7.5 kilos hmmmmmmmmmmm thinking that is he over weight already??????????? or a healty

heather12 - 130 days ago.
Is your baby gaining weight? If so I wouldn't worry about it.

4thonitsway - 130 days ago.
my daughter was born at 37 week, shes a lil over 5 pounds, she doesnt eat as much as the chart says, shes eating 1 to 1 1/2 oz about every 3 hours, but I cant no matter what I try get her to eat more than that, Im slightly worried, shell be 2 weeks old saturday

heather12 - 138 days ago.
To me that sounds like you may be over feeding him. What is he doing that makes you think that he is needing to eat every hour? Maybe you could try swaddling, pacifer, rocking, other things besides giving him another bottle. I breastfed my last baby but formula fed my other daughters. My second baby had colic really bad and at first I thought she was hungry all the time so I would give her another bottle when really i was over feeding her.

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