Bottle Feeding your baby
Amount of formula per feed
Every can of infant formula includes a feeding
table on the label that shows you how much formula a typical baby
might need. This should be used as a guide. Don't worry if your
baby wants more or less than is shown in the table. Healthy babies
usually take the right amount of formula.
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Newborn babies need
small amounts of formula every 3 to 4 hours over the
day and night.
Most babies will demand about 6 feeds
a day, many dropping the night time feed at around the
sixth week.
By 4 months most babies have about
4 to 5 bottles (approx 200-250mLs per bottle) per day. |
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How to feed your baby
- Wash and dry your hands thoroughly. Hold baby
in the bend of your arm in a semi-upright position. Do not hold
baby in a lying position as fluid may enter the middle ear and
cause ear infections.
- Check the teat is not screwed on too tightly
as this prevents the milk from pouring out evenly and baby may
get tired and frustrated.
- Put the teat in baby's mouth. Hold and angle
the bottle so that the teat and bottle-neck are always full of
milk.
- Ensure baby's mouth is wide open to draw in enough
of the teat, so that a tight seal around the teat is formed, and
air is not sucked in at the same time.
- While baby is feeding, the teat should sit directly
in the centre of baby's mouth.
Take the teat out of baby's mouth sometimes to allow
the teat to regain its shape. Burping lets baby bring up air swallowed
during feeding. If baby wants to stop feeding too soon, they may
need burping before they can go on feeding.
Any formula left over at the end of a feed must
be discarded.
What do I do if my baby is still hungry after
a feed?
- If you think your baby is not being satisfied
by formula feeds, you may need to give larger feeds or feed more
frequently.
- Don't be tempted to start solids too early (before
4 months) and never increase the strength of the infant formula.
- You could try changing from a whey dominant formula
to casein
dominant one. This is something you should discuss with your baby's
Child Health Nurse.
- Solids should be introduced at around 6 months
but not before 4 months
What can I do if my baby is constipated?
It is not uncommon for babies being weaned
from breastmilk to infant formula to become constipated. Introducing
formula feeds gradually can reduce the chances of this happening.
If it does happen :
- Offer baby extra cooled boiled water,
about 50mLs once or twice a day.
- Check that you have been making the formula
exactly to the manufacturer's instructions, that you are using
the correct scoop, and that you are adding powder to water, not
water to powder.
If the problem persists, seek advice from
your baby's Child Health Nurse.
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