This week’s podcast episode is for everyone- Bottle feeding breast milk or formula feeding alike. Learning how to bottle feed your baby whether you choose to breastfeed or formula feed is important information for parents and caregivers to have. How you give a bottle matters and we will discuss why!
How can you make bottle feeding and breastfeeding work well together? Keep breast feeding the baby on demand when you are home with them! Use paced bottle feeding! We have videos to show you how to do this as well! Scroll down on that page to see examples of paced bottle feeding.
There are so many questions though! Here are some examples:
Question: Which bottle should I use?
Answer: We are not sure! It seems as though using a slow flow nipple with a wide base might be best. We are not a big fan of “fancy” bottles and nipples. It seems as though how you bottle feed is more important than the actual bottle shape.
Question: What about nipple confusion? How should you give a bottle?
Answer: We now think that babies actually develop flow preference, not nipple confusion. If the baby needs to just swallow and do no work and if they get to eat really, really fast while bottle feeding, they may lack the patience for breastfeeding. Paced bottle feeding! seems to be the key!
Question: What about swallowing too much air in when you use paced bottle feeding?
Answer: You swallow far more air while gulping than while sipping. Paced bottle feeding let’s you sip instead of gulp!
Question: How long can I store breast milk?
Answer: The rule of the thumb is about 6 hours at room temperature, 6 days in the refrigerator, and 6 months in the freezer. If you are worried about your breastmilk being fresh, sniff it! We all know what spoiled milk smells like!
Click here for our Free Infant Feeding Calculator
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Resources of the week:
Paced bottle feeding video
Another paced bottle feeding video
Information on pacing the bottle feed
How much do you need in the bottle?
About 25-28oz in 24 hours in considered average for babies. Check out what Kelly Mom has to say also.
Check out our working and breastfeeding podcast episode!
This is the photo of the fridge at Barb’s daycare showing bottles with A LOT of milk in them. On the middle shelf you will see Barb’s son’s bottles with about 3 oz each in them-(an appropriate amount) next to 4- full 5 oz bottles next to his. That is 20 oz at least!
In The News:
Read Barbara’s Blog!
Overselling Breast-Feeding by Courtney Jung
Response from the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine
Just One Bottle Won’t Hurt-Or Will It?
Evergreen Perinatal Education Outcomes of Breastfeeding vs. Formula feeding
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