Feeding Baby: Introducing the Bottle

Add as a preferred source on Google

It's quite obvious! Breastfeeding is definitely better for your baby than formula food. Research has proved it to be so and formula food still does not have the capacity to boost the immune system like a mother's milk.

But ask an expectant or a new mother what she plans to do on the issue and you might encounter an ambivalent reply. Most mothers are determined to breastfeed their babies for the Indian ethos emphasis's the selflessness of motherhood. But, the fact remains that countless mothers find it simply inconvenient. Breastfeeding can be difficult and body altering and comes in the way of the resumption of 'normal' life after childbirth.

Introducing your baby to the bottle

Experts suggest that you wait till the third or fourth week before giving your baby his or her first taste of the bottle.
If you are a working woman and are due back at work soon, begin with the bottle at least two weeks ahead. Initial glitches can be ironed out by the time you start work.

Try and get someone else - your mother or mother-in-law or your husband - to offer your baby the first bottle. It will make him less confused as he may be wondering why he has been denied your breast and been given a cold nipple instead.

Help your husband indulge in the fatherhood experience. Encourage him to bottle-feed the baby whenever possible.

Cuddle your baby close while bottle-feeding the baby. It helps bonding and physically it nurtures in the same way that breastfeeding does.
Does your baby resist the bottle?

Five techniques that just might tick:

Get a bottle nipple similar to your baby's pacifier. Dip the nipple in warm water before the feed to entice your baby to hang on to it.

Dupe your baby's taste buds. Put some breast milk on the nipple. He might start sucking when he tastes the familiar liquid.

Have patience. Let your baby play with the nipple or chew on it. Eventually, he may start sucking.

Try a different position for bottle-feeding. Face your baby, make eye contact, and be innovative. Once used to the bottle, you can revert to the usual position of feeding.

Set aside enough time to feed your baby. If he insists on refusing the bottle despite repeated attempts, don't charge into a full-fledged bottle battle. Wait for about 10 minutes. Then put him to your breast. Your baby won't go hungry, but will also not associate refusal to bottle-feed with instant gratification.

Babies are unpredictable. He might accept the bottle peacefully at the first go and then may decide after three months that he wants nothing to do with that artificial nipple. Be prepared for such occurrences.