Baby Feeding
Baby feeding for new mom
bottle feeding baby
Many moms have problems with baby feeding. Usually, this is something that is easily overcome but that does not stop a new mom from panicking when they think they aren’t going to be able to feed their baby. Some moms have to feed with a bottle for many reasons, and though this is a bit easier at first, there are things that anyone feeding a baby has to remember. Though many babies are able to be fed anyway without any issues, some have other problems.
Baby feeding schedule
• Birth to 4 months
Each baby will follow different feeding schedules. The time and frequency of feeds is determined by the baby from the beginning. The feed lengths can be fairly long for certain babies and so do the intervals between each feed. This is called baby-led feeding or demand feeding. Some babies take very little feeds on demand and fall asleep when they are being fed. In such cases, the baby should be woken up at the end of two hours and be fed.
• 4 to 6 months
Once your baby has reached four or six months, you can still continue with breast or formula feeds and start trying semisolid foods (like rice cereals or oatmeal which is easy for him to swallow).
• 6 to 8 months
At six to eight months of age, the baby is ready to try different food items. He will be teething and will want to bite anything he gets in his hand. This is a good time to start soft solids and slowly solid foods too. Breast feeding and formula feeding should be continued.
• 8 to 12 months
By eight to twelve months, your boy will be ready for breakfast, lunch and dinner. You will now know your baby feeding routine. Start with baby’s first feeds at eight months and second feeds by ten months. This is available in markets under the labels ‘baby’s first foods’ or ‘baby’s second foods’.
Baby Feeding method
Breast Feeding
Most mothers and all doctors advice breast feed as the best baby feeding. Babies must be exclusively breast fed for the first six months preferably.
One of the best tools to aid in feeding for a new breastfeeding mom is a pillow that is shaped something like a circle that does not close together. This is a great way to get the baby into proper position to reach the breast without putting strain on the mother. Baby feeding by breast also means that the nipples might end up being a little sore, and there are things on the market that are safe for baby and will offer relief for the mom.
Baby Bottle Feeding
If the mother’s milk is inadequate for six months, formula feeds can be started along with breast feeds from the third month onwards.
There are also special challenges for moms who have to use bottle feeding techniques. They must be sure the formula is at the proper temperature, and they have to watch how the baby is lying. Babies who feed this way get more air, and that means they have to be burped a little more than other babies. Those who breast feed also like to share duties with their husbands, and they may pump and use bottles for this purpose. They same rules apply in this case. Temperature must be perfect and the baby needs relief from built up gas after a feeding. The formula, if that is what is being fed to the baby, can often cause problems too. It might take a while to sort out what is going on.
Final note
Choosing to breast feed or bottle feed is ultimately the choice of the mother. When feeding any baby, it is always a good idea to have them as upright as possible. Though this might not seem quite as natural, it is a good idea in the case of acid reflux. Some infants have this and the parents simply don’t know it. They just think they have a cranky baby that cries a lot. If a child seems especially bothered after baby feeding, it could be reflux or it could be gas. Either can be treated, but the baby with reflux is going to have a hard time remaining calm.
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