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Preparing a Feed
Infant formulas may come in several forms—ready-to-feed liquid, concentrates, and powders. Powder is the most common form. You can make formula from powder by following these simple directions*:
- Before you begin, assemble a sterilizer or large covered pan, tongs, bottles, nipples, caps, screw rings, funnel, knife, and bottle scrub brush.
- Wash your hands with clean water and soap before you begin.
- Fill a large clean pot almost to the top with drinking water and begin heating it.
- While the water is boiling, wash the tongs, bottles, nipples, caps, screw rings, funnel, and knife in hot soapy water and rinse them thoroughly.
- Put the tip of the tongs, the bottles, nipples, caps, screw rings, funnel, and knife in the heater water and boil them for 5 minutes.
- After 5 minutes, use the clean tongs to remove everything from the boiling water. Place these sterilized items on a clean surface to drain. Discard the water.
- Refill the clean kettle with slightly more water than is necessary to prepare the formula and boil it for 5 minutes. Allow the water to cool.
- If you are making formula, pour the correct amount of water and pour that amount of cooled water into each bottle per the feeding table.
- Using the scoop provided with the formula, measure a level scoop of formula. Scrape the knife blade across the top of the scoop, so the formula is level.
- Empty the contents of the scoop into the bottle.
- Cap the bottle and shake it until the powder has dissolved.
- Hold the outside edge of the nipple as you place it on the bottle. To make sure the temperature is correct, sprinkle a few drops of formula on the back of your hand.
- If your baby does not finish his bottle, discard the remaining formula.
- When you prepare a day’s supply of bottles at one time, refrigerate the prepared formula and use it within 24 hours. When you are traveling, prepare bottles with sterilized water. Cap them and carry them with you.
- When you are ready to feed your baby, add the proper amount of powder, cap the bottle and shake it to dissolve the powder.
*These instructions are specifically for formulas from Wyeth Nutrition. For other brands of formula, follow the instructions on the back of the can, or ask your health care provider.
Can I add extra ingredients to a bottle?
No. Don’t add anything extra—sugar, cereal, powder, or water—to a bottle. Formula has been specially balanced to provide the optimal mix when made up as recommended on the can.
Can I prepare several feeds at one time?
Yes. Experts recommend preparing and feeding immediately but if advance prepation is necessary you should cool bottles quickly and store in the coldest part of the refrigerator and not on the door.
How to Bottlefeed
How do I make sure that the formula is the proper temperature?
Many babies will take their formula unheated, but you may prefer to warm the formula by standing the bottle in warm water or in a bottle warmer for a few minutes.
A microwave oven is not suitable for warming a bottle. Even if you put the bottle in the microwave for only a few seconds, uneven heat distribution can produce hot spots in the milk (What you really need to know about bottle.
Before you begin feeding your baby, test the temperature of the formula by letting a few drops fall on the back of your wrist or hand. It should be comfortably warm—not too hot or too cold.
Feeding Tips and Techniques
- Before you begin, make sure that everyone is comfortable. Baby should be clean and dry. Choose a comfortable chair that supports your back and put a pillow under your arm for support.
- Hold your baby close to your body in an upright position. His head should be slightly higher than the rest of his body.
- Hold the bottle so that formula—not air—fills the neck of the bottle and the nipple. If you don’t, your baby may take in too much air with the feed and suffer from gas.
- Check that the formula is flowing out of the bottle at the right speed. If the hole in the nipple is too big, the formula will come out too quickly for your baby to feed comfortably. If the hole is too small, your baby will have to work too hard, and become tired, gassy, and left hungry.
- Never prop a bottle in your baby’s mouth, especially at bedtime. Propping a bottle allows formula to pool in baby’s mouth and can contribute to tooth decay.
How often should I feed my baby?
Most newborns eat every 2 to 4 hours and will drink 60 to 90 mL of formula every time they eat.
But all newborns set their own feeding schedules. Feed your baby whenever he cries or fusses because he is hungry.
After a few weeks, you’ll begin to notice your baby eating at regular times. Your baby’s schedule may not necessarily be the one you would choose, but it is probably best for him.
If you are uncomfortable or confused about your baby’s eating habits, talk to your doctor or nurse.
Do I need to burp the baby?
When babies swallow air during their feedings, they fuss and get cranky. This happens more often with bottlefed babies than with babies who are breastfed.
You can minimize problems by burping your baby after each 60 to 90 mL of formula.
A convenient way to burp your baby is to hold him upright over your shoulder and pat him gently on the back until he brings up the excess air.
Another effective method is to support him in a sitting position on your lap and gently rub his back.
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