This is the fifth post in the blog series on Basic Baby Care. Click here to read the introduction to the series. The other posts have been on how to change a diaper, how to hold a baby, clipping baby’s nails, and how to help a baby fall asleep. Often times, the first baby a new father feeds is his own. I’ve witnessed new parents struggling with holding a baby as they feed the child. To some, feeding a baby might seem like second nature. To others though, it can be a stressful experience.
Bottle Feeding
I’m not going to get into how to feed baby solids – you’ll probably have that figured out by the time you get there. Here are some tips for bottle feeding.
- Sterilize everything that touches the baby’s mouth. The bottle, nipples, and the rings. Dishwashers were made for people with babies.
- After putting the breast milk, regular milk, or formula in the bottle, I set the filled bottle inside a coffee mug full of hot water to warm up the bottle. Before giving the baby the bottle, make sure you test the milk on your hand to see if it is too hot.
- Hold your baby (think the Virgin Mary hold again from the
How to hold a baby” post) and keep the bottle up, so that the baby isn’t sucking down air, which could give them a stomach ache. - Always burp after feeding. The baby, not you.