I want to start by mentioning that Mother's Milk is the Best for the Baby..

Sharing my story about why i had to switch completely towards Formula Milk, because there may be a lot of Moms facing similar issues and might not know how to go about it.


I used to feed the baby every hour.. But for some reasons she used to cry a lot and was not gaining weight..

After my visit to my Gynac, i discovered that I am not lactating enough and she is not getting sufficient milk.. Then started my struggle of feeding her through bowl and spoon while parallely i tried all sorts of medicines, powders and food items to increase my milk but nothing worked..She hardly used to drink with spoon and used to spit most of it.. After lot of thinking and discussions, i finally decided to start with bottle feeding to my 15 days old little girl... Turned out it worked wonders for us..She accepted it properly, started gaining weight and almost stopped crying..

I would never suggest to shift towards complete Bottle feed but then there are some Mothers like me who are left with no choice or those working moms who are bound to start bottle feed.. I just want you all to know that if it is done properly there is no harm at all.. No need to feel guilty about it...

Here I am Sharing everything you need to know about Bottle Feeding Formula milk..



HOW TO START PREPARING

1.Consult you Doctor first, ask them about the Best formula milk of your locality and ask them all about the quantity to be fed to your Baby.
2.Try to purchase Vented or Glass Bottles to avoid colic issues in the baby.
3.Purchase a good Baby bottle washing liquid and a good quality brush for cleaning the Bottles
4.Clean the bottles properly with Bottle Washing Liquid and then sterilise them well, either on gas or by using an Electric Sterlizer.

HOW TO PREPARE THE MILK AND START THE FEED

1.Always use Boiled water at a luke warm or normal temperature to prepare the milk, It would be better to get them habitual of normal temperature milk so it gets easy for you if you are travelling or for some reasons cannot warm the water.
2.Do not touch the nipple of Bottle, once they are sterilised or leave the cap open even for a while, the nipple catches infections really quickly.
3.Read the instruction carefully on Formula milk's box and prepare the milk with proper measurements.
4.Formula milk rottens after half an hour so if the baby is not ready to drink it, dispose of the milk after half an hour and also never re use the bottle without sterilising.
5.Try to feed the baby early in the morning when you feed for the first time, so you can rush to Doctor if something goes wrong.
6.Consult your Doctor soon if you think the Formula milk is not suiting the baby.
7.Always cover the Bottle with Bottle covers while feeding.
8.Keep a difference of atleast 2 hours between the feeds as its heavy to digest.
9.Do not force feed if the baby is pushing the bottle out of the mouth.
10.Babies may do green poop after being fed by Bottle, its totally normal.


HOW TO AVOID COLIC ISSUES WHILE BOTTLE FEEDING

1.Make sure to Burp the Baby 2-3 times after every bottle feed.
2.Keep the Baby's head little higher than the body while feeding by giving support of your hands or knees.
3.Use Colic free bottles to avoid less flow of gas to the baby through bottles.
4.Try to keep the nipple completely filled with milk by keeping the bottle slanted to avoid bubbles or gas formation.
5.Give the Baby Tummy time (make the baby lie on its Stomach) or press the knees towards stomach in cycling motion to release the gas.
6.Consult your Doctor for Gas drops, because babies do face colic issues when fed by bottle.
7.Try to stir the milk instead of shaking it to avoid formation of bubbles in the milk.

You will need to follow these steps seriously because babies do face major Colic issues during initial 3-4 months.. but its all sorted within time and proper feeding techniques

HOW TO MANAGE THE BOTTLES WHILE TRAVELLING

1.Purchase a good company's compact steriliser, which you can carry easily while travelling.
2.Carry bottle washing liquid and brush to clean the bottles.
3.Arrange Mineral water wherever you are and boil it in the Warmer then cool down its temperature before preparing milk.
4.Carry Formula milk powder, if required in extra to avoid any emergency situation.
5.Get multiple bottles, so you wouldn't have to wash them again and again.
6.Carry a steel bottle that maintains the temperature of liquid in it, to carry baby's water for making Formula milk.



PROS AND CONS OF FORMULA FEEDING

PROS:

1.Keep the baby's tummy filled for longer duration.
2.Can easily feed in public places.
4.Anybody can feed the Baby, giving Mommy some free time.
4.Can keep a check on the quantity of milk being fed to the Baby.
5.Formula fed babies accepts solid food comparatively faster.

Cons:

1.Moms might feel the lack of personal touch.
2.Formula milk is expensive.
3.Preparation procedure is long.
4. Can cause colic issues.
5. Does not provide the same health benefits like breast milk


I would again remind all the Moms out there that Mother's Milk is the Best for the Baby for first 6 months but there is no shame in feeding your baby Formula milk for any xyz reasons.. Talk properly to your Doctor about this, research well about the best products and just go for it.. Because its your choice !!

I Hope this post helps you to get a clear picture about feeding Formula Milk through bottles..You can leave your queries in the comments section, I will be happy to help in the Best possible way i can ..