BOTTLE-FEEDING OF NEWBORN BABIES
If you are bottle-feeding, you must have clean water and refrigeration available. Be sure to clean the top of the can before you open it, and follow the directions carefully when you’re preparing the formula. Some formulas are concentrated, so you must add water. Others are “ready to feed,” and if you dilute this type the baby will not get enough to eat
Bottles and nipples must be cleaned and sterilized through the baby’s fourth month. After that, only the nipples must be sterile. To sterilize, clean the nipples with soap and water, making sure the hole in the top is not clogged with dried formula. Then boil them in water for 15 minutes. Bottles should be cleaned first and then sterilized. After four months, the bottles can be washed in hot water or in a dishwasher.
Hold and rock the baby when you’re bottle-feeding. Do not prop the bottle up and leave the baby alone to eat. Human contact is important to the baby’s development, so don’t rush the feeding time. However, try not to spend more than a half-hour to 45 minutes on each feeding.
Whether you are breast-feeding or bottle-feeding, remember that your baby’s appetite is generally a reliable measure of how much he or she needs to eat. A characteristic, demanding cry will let you know when the baby is hungry. After a few weeks or months you’ll probably be able to identify that hunger cry.
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