When the baby is here, it is clear to us that feeding is paramount. We want to see him strong and we always worry about more. But today we will give you the best tips for bottle feeding a baby. Especially if you are first timers, you should have a series of steps in consideration.
Because then with practice and a little instinct, everything will come out smoothly. Although it is something essential and also natural, sometimes it is not as simple as we could imagine. So, whether you give the bottle only or if you are combining with the breast, you must know everything that follows.
How to prepare to give the bottle
Although they are very basic concepts, it does not hurt to remember them. First of all, it is best that you choose a quiet place to give the bottle and that you arm yourself with patience because it is true that some babies are quite gluttonous but others take much longer. When preparing the bottle, its temperature will never exceed 37 degrees. It will be around 32 or 35 degrees at most. Remember to always shake it very well before and put a couple of drops on the wrist, because as our temperature will be around 36 degrees we will know if it is suitable for the little ones. Now we just have to sit down, take the baby in our arms and if you prefer, put a cushion under the arm that carries the bottle in case it takes a long time.
Steps to bottle-feed a baby
- The child's head must rest on our arm, but we should not lower it too much, that is to say always a little higher than your stomach to avoid digestion problems.
- He tries to bring the nipple to his mouth, gently touching his lips so that he asks for it himself. You should always choose a bottle according to the needs of your little ones, but if you have the option, try to make it have the anti-colic valve that goes on the same nipple.
- When he's almost halfway through the feed, make him burp and you will be able to change it side thus avoiding that it always gets used to it.
- If the baby already rejects the bottle, turns his head to the side, it is time to finish.
- Needless to say, once you're done, we'll burp you one more time, patting your back lightly.
- If we have something left over, we must throw it away.
How to give a baby a bottle to avoid gas
Surely you have noticed that in the previous steps, we are missing a fairly important one. So we wanted to give it that importance and talk about it separately. Because one of the most frequent problems of the little ones is that they have gas. How can we do to avoid these gases when giving the bottle? Well, try to ensure that there is always milk in the nipple, preventing air from entering and consequently forming gases. To do this, the bottle has to be tilted, in addition, you can remove it from time to time to shake it gently. That is why mealtime should be a relaxed time. Because if you are anxious or crying, surely the air enters causing the uncomfortable gases. So, we must reassure them, talking to them and giving them all the pampering that is possible. From there and after taking it, we must keep it upright for a while, to minimize these problems.
Surely applying this series of tips or steps and following with your paternal or maternal instinct, you will be able to bet on a better diet and also, to give a baby the bottle in a perfect way so that it is a moment of connection and avoiding all the discomfort for the little one.