Bottle feeding Basics for baby

Breastfeeding is extremely important for  new born baby  and its recommended by doctors to exclusively breastfeed infant for first 6 months . As breast milk is unique and super combination of necessary vitamins , proteins , fats for baby and it can not be replaced with any other available food. It provides complete nutrition for development of baby . and  makes  baby  resistant  to  infections ,diseases and builds her immunity as well.

 Some time mother can't breastfeed due to some undesirable conditions or while starting top feed bottle feeding is necessary . There are advantages of bottle feeding also  ,  like you can monitor the exact amount of milk baby is taking in. Besides, other members in the family can also experience the joy of creating a special bond with the baby by feeding her. Also as any member can feed baby  and mommy may do other work or rest for that time.

For healthy bottle feeding proper care has to be taken to maintain hygiene of bottles  .Leftover milk in bottles if not cleaned may become reason of baby’s illness. Follow some  very easy techniques to for cleaning bottles and happy bottle feeding to your little one.

Here are some  helpful  tips for bottle feeding your baby

1. BPA Free plastic bottles

Always use BPA free milk bottles. BPA free bottles are made up of high quality food grade plastic. These  bottles  are  expensive than normal bottles but they are durable too. BPA free  milk bottles can be sterilized  easily also as its very necessary to maintain hygiene of bottles. There are number of good quality BPA free bottles available in market. Choose wisely and continue with only one brand milk bottles as its easy to mix and match bottle parts. Also its of comfort for baby.

2. Number & Size Of Bottles

If you’re bottle feeding a new born, you can start with small 4-ounce bottles and once your baby is around three to four months old, you can switch to 8-ounce bottles. As baby grows number of bottles and size of bottle be can increased depending on the requirement of milk. Use bigger size bottles after baby grows as she/he needs more milk per feed. Always keep a few spare bottles – ideally  at least half a dozen baby bottles are necessary. Its easy to avail clean bottle when there are many bottles for baby. Some time it's not possible to clean bottle as soon as it's used. So when baby needs to be feed clean bottle can be used if many bottles available.

3. Cleaning /washing bottles

Dirty bottles , spoiled milk  in it may lead baby to infection /illness because of the bacteria.     Washing as well sterilizing bottles after every use is necessary. Use bottle washing brush to clean unreachable area of bottles and teat cleaning brush for washing teats.  Use bottle cleaning  liquid for washing  bottles. After washing keep bottles upside down position for drying. Bottle dryers, stands  are helpful for bottle drying.

4.Sterilization

Sterilizing bottles is necessary to kill bacteria in bottles if any. For sterilizing  use bottle sterilizers available in market. There are variety of sterilizers  available which can be used to sterilize many bottles simultaneously. Or  can be used  traditional way of  using boiling water .Keep bottles in  in hot boiling water for 10 minutes  and cover the  hot water pot . Dry  washed bottles by keeping on bottle stand or keeping them in upside down position.  Always use a sterilized , clean bottle while feeding baby.

5. Check teats /nipples of bottles

Use proper teats/ nipples . As per baby's age different nipples are available like for new born baby very slow flow one whole teat  ,for 3 months old  2 whole  teats ,for 6 months old  ,for 1 year old fast flow teats .Using proper nipple helps to avoid choking as it controls milk flow. Baby can drink milk comfortably using appropriate nipple. Always use bottle cap to cover its nipples when not in use to protect it from exposure to dust , flies ,mosquitoes or any other harmful things. Check bottles and its nipples often for cracks if any and change it in case of cracks.

6. Leftover milk

Discard  leftover milk(Fresh milk, formula milk , breast milk ) from the bottle to avoid  feeding spoiled milk .Milk gets spoiled easily  inside  closed bottles .  Never refrigerate / re- use  left over milk  for  next feeding. Also don’t  reheat  formula milk if gets cold. Make another feeding with fresh powder and feed baby.

7. Decide Formula milk/fresh milk

Use formula milk or fresh milk as prescribed by doctor /pediatrician. There are many different brands of formula milk available in the market. Use formula milk  as per baby’s age . Use and follow all instructions mentioned on formula milk pack. If giving fresh milk then make sure fresh milk is boiled and cooled before feeding it to baby.

8.Temperature of milk

Always check temperature of milk before feeding it to baby. Never give milk without checking its temperature. For checking temperature drop some milk droplets on wrist of hand. Feed milk to baby  only when its lukewarm and not very hot or cold.

photo credit: Milk via photopin (license)