10 Baby Formula Feeding Tips

Doctors and health organizations agreed that breast milk is the healthiest thing you can feed your baby. However, that is sometimes impossible to do, at least not exclusively, for different reasons. That is why these tips are necessary to help you know the types of milk foryour toddler, bottles to choose, and other tips.

1. Evaluate Your Formula

That it is sold in a store doesn't mean a formula is ideal for your baby. Food Babe has a great chart assessing the healthfulness of various toddler milk. Look out for sugar source and content i.e. is it corn syrup which is not a really healthy choice, or brown rice syrup which has to have being diligently tested for arsenic? Also check for unnecessary extra ingredients, and more.

2. Check Your Bottles

For plastic bottles, watch out for a BPA-free label, or better still, choose glass. Life factory, Dr. Brown's and others usually have options. They can be expensive, but it might be worth it to buy just a few and wash them more often.  Concerning nipples, ensure you have the one appropriate to your child's age. Newborn nipples usually have a smaller hole, and they get increasingly larger for older babies. This is to ensure that the baby doesn't get flooded with too much milk, too soon.

3. Get a Good Angle

When you are bottle-feeding a baby, most especially in the beginning, it is essential to not overwhelm baby with fluid. Make certain she is propped up on you at an angle and not flat on her back. Also, make sure that your bottle is at an angle because if the bottom of the bottle is too high, your baby will get flooded and if it's too low, her willpower get air bubbles.

4. Take Burp Breaks

Your baby might want to suck down a whole bottle in just one second, don't let him. Because of his tiny tummy, which is usually about the size of his fist, you have to go easy on it in the beginning. You also have to burp. In mid-feed, pop the baby over your shoulder and gently pat her mid back to get those bubbles up.

5. Get Cozy

It is not good to prop your baby with a bottle alone. Never do this as it can be dangerous for the baby and it also deprives babies of their favorite thing in the world which is you. Use this feeding time to bond, snuggle and eye-gaze with your baby. This is one of the major reasons why breast-feeding is so highly rated.

6. Switch Sides

Another way to imitate, and therefore get the advantages of, breastfeeding is to feed baby on both sides, mid-feed or every other feed.  This means that if you normally hold your baby in your left arm crook while holding the bottle with your right hand, change position and reverse it. This usually help with the development of the brain that goes along with eye contact.

7. Use Good Water

Always ensure you use high-quality water when feeding your baby. If you live in apartment building that is old, there could be lead in the pipes. In this case, let the water run for a moment before using. Also, check with your city or town and see if there are any tap water concerns.

8. Warm Carefully

Never microwave formula. This heating method can create "hot spots" in the milk which might not be detected when you test a drop on your wrist. Though bottle warmers are acceptable, apply caution with these too so as not to over-heat the milk. The safer option is to simply set the full bottle in a bowl of warm water or run it under a warm faucet. Then test it on your most sensitive skin which is usually the back of the wrist.

9. Monitor the Poop

To find the right formula can be quite tasking. If your baby is been constipated for more than a few days after you started a new formula, or if you notice "pesto poo," then it is advisable to experiment with a new product. Also watch for any sign of intestinal distress which can range from bloated belly to extreme fussiness, see if a different formula makes this right after a week or so

10. Love the Haters

If you are formula-feeding instead of breastfeeding, definitely you have your reasons. This is not anyone else's business. It is not uncommon for some people to be judgmental. Don't be bothered by them. Just be happy with the choice you've made as long as your baby is strong, healthy and loved.