Bringing up Baby.

If you are sure that the milk supplied to you is not already diluted, then the following dilution is recommended. Durimg Baby’s first month, dilution should be 1:3 i.e. one part of water and three parts of milk. Now gradually reduce the water; by two to four months, dilution can be 1:5. When the baby is four months old, the milk can may be given undiluted. It is better to add a little sugar to cow’s milk to increase the calorie content. The quantity of sugar can vary according to Baby’s taste.

The choice of milk for your baby depends on availability. Both cow’s and buffalo’s milk should be boiled before use. Boiling the milk destroys bacteria and makes the milk easy to digest. The high fat content of these milks can be reduced by boiling the milk, cooling it and remove the layer of cream from the top.

With bottle feeding, you need to organize yourself well. Keep the Baby’s things seperate on a table-top covered with a clean cloth. First thing in the morning, sterilize all the baby’s feeding equipment you plan to use during the day. The best way to do this is to wash all the bottles, tops and teats, with soap and water. Use a bottle brush(keep one brush only for this) and turn the teat inside out. Use a little salt on the brush when cleaning the teat; this will act as an abrasive and will remove milk and grease that can harbour bacteria. Wash all other articles, you will be using. Put them all in a large, stainless stell vessel filled with water and boil for ten minutes with the lid on. After boiling, leave to cool untill needed. Remove the bottle and teats as you require them with a sterilised pair of tongs, making sure you use a sterilised bottle for every feed.

Before you begin bottle-feeding, you should get the necessary euipment for it. You will need bottles, teats and a vessel for sterillising them. The major risk in bottle feeding is infection; everything connected with feeding must be kept scruoulously clean. A good way to avoid infection is to sterilise everything the baby will come in contact with during feeds.

There are different types and sizes of bottles in the market today. A good one to get is the boilable, polycarbonate, plastic variety. This is light and unbreakable; it is also plastic variety. This is light and unbreakable; it is also clear, enabling you to check if it is really clean and how much milk it contains. You need at least two bottles, a small one for water and fruit juice, a bigger one for milk.

In choosing a teat, pay attention to the size of the hole. Turn the bottle upside down to check this. The hole should be big enough to let the milk out in a series of quick drips, at a steady stream. If the hole is too big, the excessive flow milk can choke the baby. And if it is too small, the baby will swallow as much air as milk. This can make Baby uncomfortable.

You might want to bottle-feed if you have to get back to work or if you want a more flexible schedule. There is absolutely no reason to feel guilty about giving your baby cow’s or buffalo’s milk, or one of the specially prepared milk mixtures available today. These have been made as much like human milk as possible.

It is true that the love and nestling you give with the feed is as important as the milk. But you can give it as well with the bottle as with a breast-feeding. With bottle-feeding, the baby’s father can get involved too. This can be a source of great joy and satisfaction to him and a much-needed stretch of step at night for you if he takes over the 2 a.m. feed in the early days.

Always, while feeding hold the baby in a semi-reclining position with his head well supported in the crook of your arm. The baby’s head should be kept up to avoid any risk of choking. Keep the bottle tilted and make sure the milk fills the teat and the neck of the bottle; this will prevent air from getting in. Never leave the baby alone, with the bottle in mouth, especially if he is sleeping. He can choke while feeding.