The proper bottle-feeding of a breast-fed baby is often misunderstood among so many people especially infant mothers. Although bottle-feeding can never completely replace the traditional breast milk feeding. However it is usually preferred over other techniques that uses an artificial source of milk. But it is obvious bottle-feeding is the most appealing alternative to traditional breast feeding even though they are other ways to feed the baby with milk when normal breast feeding is not convenient for the maternal mother or when it needs to be supported with other artificial sources of milk. Cup feeding is a very good example of a common alternative to bottle-feeding which is also effective.
When bottle-feeding a baby, there are certain things that need to be put in place to make it convenient and comfortable for both the baby and the mother. Like we mentioned earlier, it may happen that the baby doesn't get enough milk from the normal breastfeeding and thus an alternative source of the substance needs to be provided to support the milk gotten from the mother's breast. The information provided in the next couple of paragraphs that follow is meant to educate mothers and infant care providers on the best practices of bottle feeding an infant for optimum results. You will gain a lot by complete adherence to the instructions given below especially if you want to make the transition very easy for the baby. However no "Baby bottles and infant tips" should take the place of a qualified lactation consultant, an infant feeding specialist or any other medical expert that specializes in infant feeding and care. Whatever method you choose should be properly evaluated by any one of these practitioners before you try it out. The tips given below is specially meant for bottle-feeding infants who are not up to 6 months from their date of delivery, however it is still useful for infants leaving wholly on bottle-feeding.
Babies shouldn't be bottle-fed on a schedule. You should only feed them when they are hungry.
Bottle-feeding should not be done when the baby is lying down as this can induce or facilitate an ear infection. It is not a good practice for mothers or infant care providers to only hold the babies when feeding them as they can get used to eating only when they want to be held. The best practice is to hold them in an upright position when bottle-feeding to allow the food settle properly
It is helpful to switch babies midway through bottle-feeding. The best practice is to switch them from one side to the other in order to make their eyes develop faster and become more sensitive. Apart from the baby, switching sides is also beneficial to the mother for breastfeeding.
Since the bottle-feeding is used to either replace or supplement the conventional breastfeeding, babies should be bottle-fed for the same amount of time as normal breastfeeding. Ideally this should take anywhere between ten to twenty minutes. The quantity of the substance(milk) in the bottle should be enough so that the feeding will not be interrupted. Time is important because unlike adults, infants use time to gauge their satisfaction even before their bellies becomes over-filled.
Avoid trying to force the bottle into the babies mouth as they feed. Bottle-feeding should be done gently, so that the baby can "suck" the nipple rather than being forced.
Finally the baby should be fed mimicking a breastfeeding pattern. While feeding, the mother or care provider should pause frequently just like traditional breastfeeding. This helps to prevent guzzling of bottle by infant.
The list is not exhaustive but the tips mentioned above should get you started. Always make sure everything is done under the supervision of an expert.
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