Baby Care Encyclopedia

Many nursing mothers wonder whether they should start replacing some breast feedings with bottle feedings during this period, with the eventual goal of weaning the baby entirely. Your decision about when and how to wean your baby should be based on your own desires, as well as on practical considerations, such as the need to return to work. Some pediatricians recommend the introduction of an occasional bottle perhaps one a day as soon as the mother's milk supply is well established. That way, the mother can be separated from the baby for more than a few hours at a time should the need arise. In addition, a baby who gets used to a bottle early in life can give up breast feeding more readily later on. It's important to emphasize, though, that there is no single correct approach; whatever choice the parents make, the baby will be fine. If you do decide to taper off breast feedings, the process may be easier if you do it gradually. The mother will be less uncomfortable from breast eng...

Bacteria can grow easily in warm or room-temperature milk and milk-based formula. To protect babies from bacterial infections of the gastrointestinal tract, it's essential to make sure that formula stays perfectly fresh and all feeding equipment is kept clean and free from contamination. Some doctors still recommend sterilizing bottles and other feeding equipment in boiling water and using only sterilized (boiled) water for making up formula. In some areas the water supply is clean enough that stringent hygiene is adequate. Ask your pediatrician for specific advice. Even if you don't sterilize bottles, you must scrub bottles and nipples using a bottle brush and hot, soapy water. Bottles and caps (but not nipples) can also be washed in an automatic dishwasher set at its highest temperature. Here are some other hygiene tips to follow carefully: If possible, make up only one bottle at a time. If you make up several bottles at once, refrigerate them immediately with the nipples co...

Breast feeding may be the ideal way to feed your baby, but bottle feeding, too, can provide good nutrition and emotional satisfaction to parents and baby. (It also allows fathers greater participation in infant feeding.) The details of formula preparation may sound cumbersome at first, but you will soon get used to the few simple routines necessary to ensure clean, safe feeding. Talk to your pediatrician before selecting a type and brand of formula. Most brands are based on cow's milk that has been modified to make it more like human milk; some are iron-fortified. Other formulas based on soy or goat's milk may be recommended, especially if the baby doesn't seem to tolerate a cow's milk formula. It's unwise, however, to switch formulas based on a short episode of digestive distress. To be on the safe side, you should speak to your pediatrician before changing formulas, and follow that advice. Cow's milk alone is unsuitable for babies until they are at least one year old. If the bab...