Feeding Your Baby
New mothers have a responsibility to their infants the moment they enter the world. They are tasked to make sure that the baby gets all that he needs to grow up healthy. The mommies have to think about nourishing, feeding, and nursing with nothing but love in their hearts. But when it comes to love, some moms think that this is only possible through breast feeding. Though this is not to discount the fact that this is still a much better option, it is not the end all and be all of love.
In fact, there is nothing wrong with bottle feeding. What you need to do is make each feeding moment a rewarding experience for both you and your baby. Oftentimes, moms are advised to slowly introduce bottles to the baby only after a given amount of time. However, this isn’t possible for all cases.
In some unavoidable circumstance, you may be forced to use the bottle early on. There can be a number of reasons for this. One, you don’t have enough milk in your body. Two, you’ve adopted the baby and are therefore not equipped to give the right supplement. In cases like these you need to find and use the right nursing bottle.
You can save yourself the hassle, such as leakage, if you just choose the right brand. Generally, a newborn infant needs two and a half ounces of milk mixture for every pound of his own
weight each day. Of course, this isn’t always the case.
Some babies eat more than others. If this is the case, you can base your decision on your baby’s appetite. Babies who are breast fed will simply take larger feeds as he needs them. Your body will also adjust to the demands.
The baby’s weight is an indicator to how well he is doing. On average, you can expect a weight gain of six to eight ounces weekly for the first three months. From three to six months, expect four to six ounces weekly. The older they gate, the less weight gain you should expect.
If your baby is gaining weight steadily, he should sleep well and excrete his wastes regularly. You should also be mindful of the schedule. Some babies do well on a rigid schedule, but you should be flexible enough to make certain adjustments when needed. After all, your baby is not a machine that you can simply switch on and off. Just modify your schedule and try to slowly introduce the routine to your little darling.
When your baby cries, you should also keep in mind that you should try to calm him down
before you make him drink milk. He will only end up swallowing air when you force something inside his mouth.
When it comes to weaning, you can do this at any time you feel he is ready. At around five to six months, he can be weaned straight to a cup because he should already know how to drink properly.
Pretty soon, your baby will also be ready for more variety in his meals. They will experiment on chewing and will put just about everything inside his mouth. As less milk is given, the food you give becomes a more essential part of their nourishment. Learn to integrate fruits and vegetables so that they grow up loving healthy food. By then, you will at least you know that during those first few years, they were getting optimum nutrition.
