If you start immediately to breastfeed your baby with the bottle or if you decide to stop breastfeeding, please read our guide.
Breastfeeding has many advantages: good for your child and is the most practical solution because it lets you get the milk ready anytime, anywhere. But do not let anyone make you feel guilty if you decide not to breastfeed. In the early months of life, your child must avoid any kind of stress. The formula also guarantees the right nutrition for your child and, instead of breastfeeding, you will get help from your partner.
Clearly breastfeeding with bottle feeding will require a bit more organized because you prepare the milk, wash and sterilize the bottle. Before deciding, talk to your pediatrician or your doctor.
If you decide to go with the bottle feeding, do it gradually unless the change does not happen in the early days of the child. A sudden change could mean an accumulation of milk in the breasts, a problem that causes annoying problems such as mastitis.
Equipment:
- At least six bottles and teats six. It is useful to try some of the many models available in the shops and choose the most suitable for your child.
- Sterilization: chemical or steam (or microwave electric)
- Brush for the bottle
- Formula: choose the type suitable for your child, ask advice to your friends or your relatives. If you think your child does not like the type of milk you choose, ask your pediatrician.
Other instruments:
- Pitcher
- Bottle
- Bags of formula
- Thermal Bag
Preparation
When preparing the formula for your child, please follow the instructions. Add too much milk powder changes the water composition and this means that you give your child too much protein, fat, carbohydrates, and salt. You can buy bags of pre-measured to give you the certainty of it right proportions. The artificial milk ready is clearly much more practical, but also much more expensive.
Always pour water first and then add the powder to get the composition right. Using a sterile knife to level the powder in the measuring cup. Shake well to dissolve all the powder.
Children prefer to drink warm milk rather than cold. You can cool the milk too hot dipping in a pot of cold water. If you kept the bottle in the fridge, heat it by immersing it in a pot of hot water. In any case, shake the bottle well and check the temperature by pouring a few drops of milk on her wrist. Remember to be lukewarm.
The infant formula, ready or prepared with the powder, can be stored in the refrigerator for 24 hours. Be sure to cool the milk quickly freshly prepared (e.g. by soaking in a pan of ice water) and put it in the fridge if it is to be used later.
Never store hot milk. It is necessary to cool it and store it at low temperatures (e.g., in a cooler) and then heats it when you breastfeed your baby. You can also pour boiling water in a sterile bottle and prepare the milk when it is time for feeding. In stores, you’ll find pockets of heat to the formula that are useful for keeping the right temperature.
Important: it is not advisable to warm the bottle in the microwave. The bottle may heat unevenly and be dangerous for the child.
Breast-feeding with bottle feeding
- Get your child in his arms and tilt the bottle so the nipple is always full of milk. In this way prevent it from swallowing air, which is often a cause of colic. Sometimes the milk will end in an instant, and sometimes they suck calmly to prolong feeding.
- ISE ends of the teats sticking together, preventing the milk out, remove it for a few seconds the baby’s mouth to allow it to resume its original shape.
- If the child is agitated, crying or refusing the bottle, you may need to burp. Then gently lift and place it upright.
- Learn to recognize when your child no longer wants to eat: You’ll notice that not more greedily suck and if you try to remove the bottle does not complain. Give more milk is not to say lengthen the interval between feedings.
- Do not let your child drink from a bottle only because it could choke.
- After feeding discard the remaining milk. Do not keep it or heat it again.
How to clean the bottle
The hygiene of bottle is essential. Follow these rules to ensure maximum hygiene:
- All equipment used must be sterilized after each feeding until your child turns one year to reduce the risk of gastrointestinal infections.
- Rinse the bottle with cold water, then wash it with hot water using a brush and very little detergent. Then again, rinse the bottle and teat always with hot water. Before sterilization, the bottles and teats must be clean. Check the light to verify that there are no traces of milk that would neutralize the effectiveness of sterilization.
- You can use a chemical sterilizer or a vaporizer, but in any case, follow carefully the instructions on the product instructions.
- After completing the steps correctly, the bottles will remain sterile for 24 hours if refrigerated. To dry the bottle sterilized using a clean cloth.
- Before touching the bottle and sterilized to prepare the milk, wash hands thoroughly.