10 Best Vehicle For New Parents

Best Vehicle For New Parents in 2023

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How to Feed an Infant for New Parents

New parents are often anxious when it comes to their newborn. This guide will ease some of your anxiety by giving you tips on feeding an infant.

How to Feed an Infant

As a new parent, it is important that you feel comfortable feeding your new baby. The following guidelines will help you to understand how to feed your infant as well as when you should feed your infant. As part of this process, you should understand that your infant should only be fed breast milk and/or iron fortified formula that includes Probiotics, unless otherwise instructed by your baby's physician (Gaines, 2020).

Probiotics are natural bacteria that are produced by breast milk. This bacterium is added to some formula brands and aids in digestion when breast milk isn't used. Probiotics are linked with a healthy digestive system in all stages of your child's growth and therefore it is important to consider using a formula with this addition (Gaines, 2020).

It is assumed that you will properly sanitize any bottles and nipples you use for bottle-feeding. You should also choose bottles and nipples that are designed for an infant in your baby's age range. In addition, you should follow all manufacturers' directions when preparing the formula. Do not take any shortcuts or change the recommended amount of formula versus water.

Instructions

If you are breastfeeding, you will initially feed your baby 10-12 times a day, which equates to every two to three hours. You should feed your baby on demand, do not try to institute a schedule at this age; it is not healthy for your baby. When bottle-feeding your baby will eat less "because formula digests more slowly than breast milk does" (Feeding your newborn, 2020 para. 7).

The first thing that you need to do for a successful feeding is to ensure that both you and your baby are comfortable. If you are breastfeeding, your comfort is even more important because if you move around too much, you can disrupt your baby's feeding. The following are ways that you can hold your infant for breastfeeding.

When bottle-feeding, your baby should be positioned at a 45◦ to prevent air from getting into the stomach. Using a pillow under your arm will support your baby's head while providing you with additional comfort.

When bottle feeding, you should always keep the bottle as upright as possible. This prevents air from getting into the nipple, which is important because when your baby sucks air it can cause gas, which leads to discomfort (and possible screaming and crying).

Some bottles are designed to ensure that no air gets to the nipple. Do not prop up the bottle with a pillow as this can cause milk to sit in the baby's mouth, which can lead to tooth decay and/or ear infections. In addition, feeding you baby is an opportunity for bonding and when you use a pillow, you are not allowing that bonding to occur (Feeding your newborn, 2020 para. 10).

When breast-feeding for the first time, start on the breast with which you are most comfortable. For each subsequent feeding, start on the opposite breast than the prior feeding started; this will encourage increased milk production. Ensure that your baby is latched on to the entire nipple and not just the tip. They will not get enough milk and your nipples will become sore and cracked from their increased effort to get the milk if they don't grasp the entire nipple.

If bottle feeding, you need to be aware of the signs that your baby is getting too much milk. Signs include gulping, gasping, moving the head around, the baby making an effort to pull away, or the baby cries and will not eat. Check to make sure the nipple holes are not torn or too big. In addition, ensure that the nipple itself is not cracked.

Burping your baby ensures that they do not get painful gas. When bottle feeding, you should stop to burp your baby when the bottle is half-empty. When breastfeeding, take a break every ten minutes to burp your baby. To burp him, place a burp rag on your shoulder, lift the baby high enough on your shoulder that the nose is above your shoulder. Ensure that his head is supported and gently pat your baby on the back until he burps. Some babies burp faster and easier than others, so keep that in mind and do not give up.

When your baby is done eating he will let you know by pulling away from the bottle or your breast. Do not attempt to force him to eat more simply because there is more formula left or your breasts still feel full of milk. Let your baby decide when he is done.

Other signs that your baby is done eating are that he spits out the nipple, turns his head away from the bottle or the breast or fights against feeding by crying and/or pushing away. Before you end the feeding, try to burp the baby and then try again, if he still does not eat, you can feel confident that he is done eating.

Conclusion

Virtually every new parent feels indecisive and worried when it comes to the care of his or her infant, especially if this is a first child. While you should trust your instincts, do not be afraid to ask questions, research information and even take classes. All of these methods can give you confidence when it comes to feeding your infant.

If you ever have any doubts about how you are doing in terms of feeding your infant, call your pediatrician. Your pediatric office can answer any of your additional questions or even schedule an appointment if you think that your baby is not eating right. The key is not to panic, staying calm and confident will ensure that you take all of the right steps to feed your baby the way that you should.

References

Feeding your newborn (2020) retrieved on August 9, 2020 from /healthy-baby/PR00057/NSECTIONGROUP=2

Gaines, S. (2020) Probiotics: a new infant formula feature retrieved on August 9, 2020 from