Understanding Bad Shopping Habits

Posted on: 24 September 2015

While exclusive breastfeeding is recommended for the first 6 months of an infant's life, some women find that they are unable to breastfeed due to problems producing milk or issues with a baby's latch which prevents him or her from obtaining enough milk through breastfeeding. Other mothers may choose to incorporate breast milk and formula to allow other people to help with feeding the baby, or to make feeding easier when maternity leave is over. Today baby formula provides all of the nutrients  that a baby needs to be healthy and grow. If you are pregnant, it is a good idea to be prepared to bottle feed with formula even if you plan to breastfeed, as you never know if breastfeeding may not work out. Use the following tips to make bottle feeding work for you and your newborn:

Have a Variety of Bottles Available

In theory a baby bottle seems like a simple thing, but today their are a number of different bottles on the market with a variety of features. No matter how good the reviews are on a particular brand of bottle, every baby is different and what works for one may not work for another. The main difference between different bottles is the nipple; infants usually find one type of nipple they like best, and they may refuse other types of bottles that don't please them. You can prevent having a screaming, hungry baby who won't take the bottle you're offering by having several different brands on hand; your sweet baby will most likely find one that he or she prefers to drink from. No matter what brands of bottles you decide to buy, make sure that they have a slow-flow nipple designed for a newborn.

Take Advantage of Free Baby Formula Samples

Baby formula can be quite expensive, and it can be hard to determine which brand to use. While most cow's milk formulas have similar ingredients, there is no one size fits all, and one baby may grow and thrive on a certain brand of formula while another baby may have extreme digestive distress from the same brand. Luckily, formula brands love to send new mothers samples, so you can get several different types of formula to try for free. Once you find the brand that works best for your baby, you can also request coupons to help offset the cost. 

Understand the Basics of Preparing a Bottle

Before using a bottle for the first time, it should be sterilized, and some mothers choose to sterilize bottles between every feeding. When making a bottle with formula, ensure that your hands are clean and you are using filtered or boiled water. Follow the directions from the manufacturer carefully, and make sure that the ratio of water to powder is precise so your baby receives all of the nutrients he or she needs.