TIPS ON BOTTLEFEEDING

Breastfeeding is best

– yes this is 100% correct and this site’s huge breastfeeding tag is testimony for our support of this. However, there are situations when breastfeeding is not possible and bottle-feeding is pursued. So, here are some tips for bottle feeding.
• Rinse all the bottles and teats thoroughly in washing up liquid and water to remove all traces of milk.
• Remember to sterilise all bottles and teats as long as your baby has milk in them.
• Teats should have the right holes. Too small and too large holes can be frustrating for your baby.
• It is a good idea to store spare sterile teats in a jar, so that you can use them in an emergency.
• You can sterilise a needle and widen a hole in a teat to increase the milk flow.
• Heat milk be standing the bottle in warm water. Microwave can cause hot spots and your baby’s sensitive mouth may burn.
• Prepare feeds in advance for the whole day and store in the fridge upto 24 hours.
• Store bottles in the fridge but not in the fridge door. This is because the temperature is not easily maintained in the fridge door if the fridge is opened and closed often.
• Always wash your hands before touching sterile equipment.
• Drain sterile equipment on kitchen paper. Never use a kitchen towel or draining board for this purpose.
• An untouched milk bottle taken out of the fridge can be kept at room temperature for up to 3 hours.
• Once your baby has started drinking from the bottle, discard the milk and don’t offer it to your baby after one hour as your baby’s saliva contaminates it.
• Prepare formula milk when the boiled water becomes hand-hot.
• Don’t use repeatedly boiled water for feeds.
• Never use mineral water for preparing feeds.
• When travelling out, use ready-made formula milk available in cartons.
• Bottles taken out of the fridge can be kept with ice cubes in an insulated box up to 8 hours.
• Never carry a warm feed as it is a breeding ground for bacteria. You may want to carry a thermos filled with boiling water instead for warming the milk, when required.

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Tags: bottlefeeding, bottles, breastmilk