TIPS FOR BABY FORMULA FEEDING
Written by Jana Angeles
There is no shame in feeding your baby formula milk. Maybe breastfeeding didn’t work out due to various issues beyond your control. In this article, we have put together some tips to make baby formula feeding a much better experience for you and your bub.
Evaluate the ingredients for the formula milk
When you are looking for a formula milk brand to use, always check the ingredients to see if it meets the nutritional requirements for you baby. Avoid brands that may include unnecessary added sugar and anything that may cause an imbalance in their stomachs. There are plenty of brands to choose from so avoid getting sucked into the marketing of some brands and evaluate carefully. A good place to start is to check out the reviews online and see what other consumers are saying about a particular formula milk you’re eyeing on and go from there.
Choose the right bottle
If you are going with the plastic option, make sure to check out the ones that are BPA-free. Although they may be costly, using glass bottles are another option too. Depending on what your personal choice is on the materials used, it’s worthwhile exploring and researching bottles available in the market and make a decision after carefully weighing in the pros and cons of each. You also have to keep in mind that when you’re picking out a bottle for bub, make sure that it is age-appropriate. Newborns have a smaller nipple hole for their bottles and progressively get larger when they grow older.
Warm carefully
It is not recommended to heat up formula milk in the microwave seeing as there may be hot spots in the milk that you may not be able to detect when testing drops of it on your wrist. Bottle warmers are acceptable for use when heating formula milk but you have to make sure that you avoid overheating. A safer option would be to place the bottle in a bowl of warm water or to run the bottle under a faucet with running warm water. Always test to see if the milk is safe to drink on your sensitive skin area. The back of your wrist is generally a good go-to.
Other considerations
Feed on an angle:
It is important that you don’t overwhelm your baby with formula milk while feeding. It is best to feed them on a good angle. The best way to do this is to prop them up and avoid having them flat on their back. If you angle the bottle well, this will help prevent flooding your baby with fluid or consuming too many air bubbles.
Have a burp break:
When it comes to formula feeding, you may think it’s a good idea to satisfy your baby’s hunger by giving them the whole bottle in one go. However, it’s important to have a burp break every now and then, despite their eagerness in finishing. Getting up and encouraging your bub to have a good belly burp could be a good way for them to release any air in their tummies and also gives you a bit of a break from feeding altogether.
Get comfortable:
Feeding your baby the bottle is an experience that is meant to help you bond with each other. You should never leave them alone with the bottle as it can be dangerous and may cause harm. Sitting propped with your baby can help your mind wander and think about how a human this small can give you so much joy in your heart. Feeding time is a great time to reflect and be grateful that you are able to witness such pure joy in something so simple as bottle feeding!
Don’t mind the haters:
There will be people you come across who won’t accept that you are bottle feeding. They may scrutinise this method and never understand why you would choose to bottle feed instead of breastfeeding. Just remember that you are not alone and many other women face the same scrutiny but you shouldn’t let them make you feel worthless for doing so. Acknowledge that you can’t please everyone and remember that you are feeding bub with nutrients they need on the daily.