As new parents, the idea of keeping your baby alive can be a daunting task. That whole eat, sleep, poop, repeat routine seems far more complex once that little human is in your home.
For many new parents, they will encounter unexpected issues which might lead to worry and stress. Whether it is restless sleep, long bouts of fussy periods, frequent spit-up, colic, reflux, or GERD, there can be some real challenges to overcome. Of course our doulas are here to help if you find yourself faced with any of this, but today we are going to address the elephant in the room. You might want to put down your cup of coffee before you read the next line…
YOU MIGHT BE FEEDING YOUR BABY WRONG!
If you are feeding your baby with a bottle in the traditional manner- in a laid back position in which the milk flows freely into your baby’s mouth leading them to gulp, gulp, gulp, you may be inadvertently contributing to some of the parenting challenges you are facing.
Rather, you might want to try Paced Bottle Feeding.
This is not some crazy, new fangled way to feed your baby. Think of it more as adjusting a few small details.
Sit with your baby in an upright position more akin to the manner in which you sit at the dinner table.
Rather than holding the bottle with the nipple full of milk, hold the bottle more horizontal, tipping it just enough to allow milk into the tip of the nipple.
Tickle your baby’s lips until they open their mouth wide. Allow the baby to latch onto the nipple of the bottle and give them a few moments to suck.
Look for a suck, suck, swallow combo two, three maybe four times. After that, remove the nipple from the baby’s mouth. This will give your baby time to take a breath, rest for a moment and establish their need for more milk.
Offer the nipple again and repeat until baby declines anymore.
Be sure to burp every ounce or so and switch the side you are holding the baby on halfway through the bottle
Want to see it in video? Use your Firestick Remote to pull up King of Prussia Doulas’ Youtube channel and watch our video or click here to view it now.
There are many benefits to Paced Bottle Feeding:
- It teaches your baby to only eat as much as they need rather than succumbing to that which adults force upon them. This has lifelong benefits including the potential to reduce the risk of both childhood and adult obesity by allowing your baby to recognize and honor their hunger and fullness cues.
- Reduce fussiness caused by an overfull tummy, trouble digesting, pain from reflux, and gas.
- Elevating your baby means they are closer to you and are better able to focus on your face which increases bonding.
- Reduce the risk of what many call nipple confusion, but what is actually nipple preference. Humans are lazy by nature and will take the path of least resistance. If the baby has to work to get milk from the breast, but milk simply pours into their mouth from traditional bottle feeding, they typically prefer the nipple that drips freely.
- Reduce the amount of spit up, and thus the wasted pumped milk or formula.
If you still find the baby is struggling with GERD, reflux or colic, you might consider trying the Bare Air- Free bottle from BittyLab as it has been scientifically proven to reduce the struggles of these conditions. Many of the principals of paced feeding are similar to how these bottles are used. If you want to try these bottles at a discount, use *code the “Bare-159”.
As always, if you would like in-person help, we are available to walk you through this method. Give us a call. We’re happy to help.
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