Bottle-feeding a Baby
There are many different reasons for a mother to choose not to breast-feed her baby. Having decided to bottle-feed, a mother should not feel guilty about her decision. Millions of infants reared on formula have grown up healthy.
Combination Feeding
It is important that from birth breast-fed babies learn to drink from a bottle. The baby can be offered plain, boiled water from a small bottle to pacify him or her between nursing times. A baby of three or four months who has never had a bottle will obstinately refuse one when the mother decides to wean. Such a baby’s stubborn resistance, countering the mother’s insistence, can make for a frustrating time.
A woman who wishes to breast-feed and to return to work outside the home generally finds this no problem if the baby has had experience with a bottle. She can then leave a bottle of formula with the baby sitter to give to the baby as a lunchtime substitute for the breast.
A mother’s breasts soon adjust to a new schedule, as does the baby. It is important that the bottle is offered at the same time each day. The working mother should eat a nutritious lunch and drink plenty of liquids.
Choice of Formula
There are many types of formulas available on the market. Some require the addition of water; others are ready for use directly from the can. A mother may continue using the same type that the baby first received in the hospital, or a physician may suggest an alternative.
Condensed milk is not suitable for babies. Pasteurized cow’s milk should be introduced only after the baby is six to twelve months old. The milk should then be diluted according to a physician’s instructions.
As an aid to the baby’s digestive system, it is sometimes necessary to add slightly more water to the formula than the instructions suggest.
