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Baby Feeding


Baby Bibs	Bottles & Teats	Breast Pumps	Dummies & Teethers

First Dinner Sets	Food & Bottle Warmers	Highchairs and Seats	Nursing Pillows

Sterilisers

Recommendations for Baby Feeding

The Department of Health supports the World Health Organisation's (WHO) recommendation that breast milk is the best form of nutrition for babies because it provides everything that a baby needs for optimal growth, development, and health. Exclusive breastfeeding is recommended for the first six months (26 weeks) of life in order to protect your baby from illness and infection.

Six months is the recommended age to start weaning babies (gradually introducing solid foods). While weaning your baby, you should carry on breastfeeding and/or bottle feeding beyond the first six months. If you are unable to follow these recommendations, or you choose not to, make sure that you get advice from your GP or health visitor.

Mothers' nutrition

As well as maintaining a balanced and nutritious diet during pregnancy, it is very important for you to maintain a healthy diet while you are breastfeeding your baby. During the first days, weeks, and months of life, your baby is totally dependent on you for their nutritional needs. Although you do not need to follow a special diet to be able to breastfeed, you should make sure that you have a balanced, varied diet, and that you drink plenty of fluids (at least eight glasses of water a day). This will ensure that both you and your baby are in the best of health.

Breastfeeding requires at least an additional 500 calories per day. Much of this energy can be derived from fat stores laid down during pregnancy. However, remembering to eat when you are hungry, and to drink when thirsty, is essential. Ideally, you should ensure that your diet includes milk and milk products, meat, poultry, fish, eggs, pulses, fruit and vegetables, bread and cereals, and some fats and oils.

If you decide to bottle feed your baby, it is still important that you eat a healthy, balanced diet, particularly during the first weeks and months of parenting. This will ensure that you are healthy and well rested throughout the period when the demands of feeding and caring for your baby are high.

How to bottle feed

A young baby's immune system is not as strong or as well developed as an adult's, and they are much more susceptible to illness and infection. If you do decide to bottle feed your baby, its vital that you ensure meticulous hygiene standards when preparing feeds, and that all equipment is cleaned and sterilised thoroughly before use.

Bottle feeding using formula milk

If you decide to bottle feed your baby using infant formula milk, you need to make sure that you clean and sterilise the bottles and teats after each use, to reduce the chances of your baby getting sickness and diarrhoea. You should also follow the manufacturers instructions on the packaging carefully. The ratio of powder to liquid has been calculated to give your baby the right amount of food and water, in order to prevent them becoming constipated or dehydrated.

Cleaning and rinsing equipment

Sterilising bottle feeding equipment is essential for at least the first 12 months of a baby's life. A baby's immune system becomes more resistant to germs after the age of 12 months. Cups and mugs need only be sterilised for six months, and after this time they just require careful cleaning. Bottles must be sterilised for longer because they have areas that are hard to clean properly, such as the teats. Even if a tiny amount of milk gets trapped inside the bottle, bacteria can start to grow.

You should clean the bottle and teat using hot soapy water as soon as possible after a feed, using a clean brush that reaches to the bottom of the bottle to remove all traces of milk. All equipment should be rinsed thoroughly before sterilising it.

Steam sterilising

Steam sterilising can be carried out using a microwave steriliser, or a purpose made steam steriliser. You should make sure that you follow the manufacturers instructions carefully:

pour the specified amount of water into the steriliser, place the bottles and teats into the steriliser, and put the lid on. Switch on the microwave or steam steriliser for the recommended length of time,

ensure that you only put in equipment that is safe to heat. Bottles, teats and so on must be placed upside down to make sure that they are fully sterilised,

be careful of steam when removing the lid, and

use sterilised equipment straight away (it needs to be re-sterilised if it is not used immediately). However, microwave sterilisers can keep feeding equipment sterile for up to three hours if the lid is kept on.

Cold water sterilising

Cold water sterilising is an effective method of sterilisation, and provides a good standby method for when you do not have a microwave or steam steriliser available. When cold water sterilising, you should follow the manufacturers instructions carefully:

put the equipment into a container with cold water and a sterilising tablet for the prescribed length of time (usually at least 30 minutes),

check that there are no air bubbles trapped in the bottles or teats, and that they are totally submerged in the solution by using a floating cover or plate,

wash your hands before removing the equipment from the container, and

change the sterilising solution every 24 hours.

Boiling

You can also sterilise equipment by boiling it in water for at least 10 minutes. Boiling is another useful standby method of sterilisation. However, teats tend to rot faster, and you must ensure that whatever you sterilise in this way is safe to boil.

Making up formula feeds

To make up formula feeds:

clean the kitchen surface that you are going to use,

it is very important that you wash your hands,

if you are using a cold water steriliser, shake off any excess solution from the bottle and teat, or rinse the bottle with cooled boiled water from the kettle,

stand the bottle on the clean surface, but make sure that you keep the teat and cap on the upturned lid of the steriliser, not the work surface,

boil the water using a kettle, and after it has boiled, let it cool for no more than 30 minutes. Fill the bottle to the correct level (as specified by the formula manufacturer), and always put the cooled, boiled water into the bottle first,

using the scoop provided, loosely fill it with milk powder and, using a clean knife, level it off without compacting it. You should only use one scoop of powder to 30mls (1oz) of water,

add the milk powder to the water in the bottle,

holding the edge of the teat, put it on to the bottle, screw the retaining ring into place, and cover the teat with the cap, and

shake the bottle until all the powder has dissolved.

It is best to feed your baby using freshly made formula milk because using formula milk that has been stored may increase the chance of your baby becoming ill. If you need a feed for later, you can put boiling water into a sterilised flask or bottle, and make up fresh formula milk when required.

Feeding your baby

To cool your baby's milk, hold the bottle, with the cap covering the teat, under cold running water. You can test the temperature of the milk by squeezing a little bit on to the inside of your wrist. Make sure that you keep the teat full of milk when feeding your baby, otherwise they will take in air. Always throw away any left over milk.

Bottle feeding using expressed breast milk

You can express (squeeze) breast milk into a bottle, either by hand, or using a manual or electric breast pump. This allows you to give your baby all the health benefits of breast milk, while also being able to share the feeding with your partner or other carer. It can be a particularly useful feeding method if you are returning to work or going out for the evening. You must sterilise the bottles, teats and pump in the same way as if using formula milk. Expressed breast milk can be kept in a fridge for a maximum of 24 hours, or stored in a freezer for up to 3 months for later use. It should never be re-frozen once thawed.

Combining breastfeeding with bottle feeding

Some women find that combining breastfeeding with bottle feeding is a convenient option for them. However, if you decide to breastfeed your baby, you should avoid introducing bottle feeding during the first six weeks of life, as it can confuse your baby, cause feeding problems, and can interfere with the establishment of breastfeeding.

Any breastfeeding is good for both you and your baby, and you should continue to breastfeed for as long as possible. Also, if you decide to breastfeed, it is important to maintain it for a sustained period because if you stop, it can be very difficult to start again.

If you decide to bottle feed your baby from birth, you can switch to breastfeeding if you decide to do so within the first few days. However, if you are considering breastfeeding, it is best to try it as soon as possible after birth. This will ensure that your baby receives the benefits of colostrum, the thick, yellowish milk that is produced during the first few days after birth, and is particularly rich in disease fighting antibodies. Starting to breastfeed soon after birth will also help your body to adjust to the process of breastfeeding, and it will help you to establish a routine.

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