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kaniamazdar
Bottle-feeding basics
- Do I need to sterilise my baby's bottles?
- How do I make up formula milk?
- How can I make sure my baby is drinking comfortably?
- How often should I feed my baby?
- How can I safely warm a bottle of milk?
- Can I make up a feed to store in the fridge for later?
If you're planning to formula feed your baby, you'll have plenty to think about. For a start, you'll need to learn how to sterilise the equipment and make up a bottle. You'll also need to know how to give your baby her bottle, and how often, and how to cope when you're out and about.
Our beginner's guide to bottle feeding will help to get you started.
Do I need to sterilise my baby's bottle
Yes, sterilise all your baby's feeding equipment before you make each feed. Sterilising will kill germs that can gather on your baby's bottle and in her milk. These germs could make your baby ill.
Before making your baby's feed, wash all bottles, teats, retaining rings and caps in clean, hot, soapy water, and then sterilise them. Do this each time you use them.
To sterilise your baby's feeding equipment, you will need an electric steam steriliser, or a microwave steriliser, or you can use sterilising solution. You can also boil the bottles and teats in a covered pan for at least 10 minutes to sterilise them .
Before making your baby's feed, wash all bottles, teats, retaining rings and caps in clean, hot, soapy water, and then sterilise them. Do this each time you use them.
To sterilise your baby's feeding equipment, you will need an electric steam steriliser, or a microwave steriliser, or you can use sterilising solution. You can also boil the bottles and teats in a covered pan for at least 10 minutes to sterilise them .
How do I make up formula milk?
To make up a bottle of powdered formula, follow the instructions on the packet carefully. Here's what you'll need to do:
- Boil tap water and leave it to cool for no longer than half an hour.
- Pour the required amount of water into the bottle.
- Add the right number of scoops to the bottle with the scoop provided, using a clean knife to level it off.
- Put on the teat and cover and give the bottle a good shake until all the powder has dissolved.
- Test the temperature by tipping a little milk out of the teat onto the inside of your wrist. It should feel just warm, not hot.
How can I make sure my baby is drinking comfortably?
When you are giving your baby her feed, tilt the bottle slightly so the end of the teat is always full of milk, not air. You'll see bubbles inside the bottle as your baby feeds. She may feed in short bursts of sucking then rest in between. These breaks in feeding give her time to feel if she is full or not.
If you hear a lot of noisy sucking sounds while your baby drinks, she may be taking in too much air. To help your baby swallow less air, hold her so she's propped up a little. Take care to tilt the bottle so that the teat and neck are always filled with formula.
If you hear a lot of noisy sucking sounds while your baby drinks, she may be taking in too much air. To help your baby swallow less air, hold her so she's propped up a little. Take care to tilt the bottle so that the teat and neck are always filled with formula.
How often should I feed my baby?
Your baby’s appetite will vary from day to day and month to month, so try to let her set the pace. Your baby will feed as often as she needs to, as long as you learn to spot her cues and respond to them.
If your baby is newborn she will need to feed little and often, so offer a bottle every two or three hours. Let her feed for as long as she wants to. If she's had enough of a bottle, don’t force her to drink more. As your baby grows she will manage larger feeds and be able to go for longer between bottles.
As a general rule of thumb, your baby will want between 150ml and 200ml of formula per kilogram of her body weight per day. So, if your baby weighs 3kg, she'll need between 450ml and 600ml of formula over a 24-hour period to satisfy her hunger. Read more about how much formula your baby needs.
If your baby is newborn she will need to feed little and often, so offer a bottle every two or three hours. Let her feed for as long as she wants to. If she's had enough of a bottle, don’t force her to drink more. As your baby grows she will manage larger feeds and be able to go for longer between bottles.
As a general rule of thumb, your baby will want between 150ml and 200ml of formula per kilogram of her body weight per day. So, if your baby weighs 3kg, she'll need between 450ml and 600ml of formula over a 24-hour period to satisfy her hunger. Read more about how much formula your baby needs.
How can I safely warm a bottle of milk?
If you are using expressed breastmilk or ready-made formula, you can warm a bottle in a pan, jug or bowl of hot water. Leave it in the water for no more than 15 minutes. You can also buy an electric bottle warmer, which takes around four to six minutes to heat a bottle to the perfect temperature for your baby.
It's best not to use a microwave to heat a bottle of breastmilk or ready-made formula milk. A microwave heats unevenly, so it can create hot pockets which could burn your baby's mouth.
It's best not to use a microwave to heat a bottle of breastmilk or ready-made formula milk. A microwave heats unevenly, so it can create hot pockets which could burn your baby's mouth.
Can I make up a feed to store in the fridge for later?
It's best to make a fresh bottle of formula each time your baby needs a feed. Milk powder is not sterile, and bacteria may survive in milk even though you use sterile water to mix it. Even if you store formula milk in the fridge, bacteria can build up over a few hours.
Having said that, there may be times when you just have to make up a feed in advance. This may be the case if you have twins, or if you're out shopping and you don't want to make a feed where there's lots of bacteria whizzing about. Ready-made cartons are expensive, so you may not want to rely on them each time you have to organise feeds ahead.
So, on those occasions when you really need to, prepare one feed in advance. Do this as safely as possible by putting the feed in the fridge or a cool bag as soon as you've made it. Make sure you use it within four hours if it's been stored in a cool bag, or within 12 hours if it's been in the fridge
Having said that, there may be times when you just have to make up a feed in advance. This may be the case if you have twins, or if you're out shopping and you don't want to make a feed where there's lots of bacteria whizzing about. Ready-made cartons are expensive, so you may not want to rely on them each time you have to organise feeds ahead.
So, on those occasions when you really need to, prepare one feed in advance. Do this as safely as possible by putting the feed in the fridge or a cool bag as soon as you've made it. Make sure you use it within four hours if it's been stored in a cool bag, or within 12 hours if it's been in the fridge
Posted in: BOTTLE FEEDING
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