As you find out you’re pregnant, you’re already happy about the life growing inside of you. With that, you want to provide the best care so your child would grow healthy and strong. And it can begin as soon as you feed your child after you bring them out into this world.
Feeding a newborn baby can be scary for new mothers, especially that plenty of things happen, from breastfeeding to formula feeding and other problems that might come along the way. While there are challenges you’ll face, try to accept them with a brave heart and do what you think is the best.
Moreover, listed below are the tips for feeding a newborn baby:
1. Don’t Feel Guilty About Formula Feeding
As soon as you give birth to your child, the first method you’ll try to feed your child is breastfeeding as it’s the most natural and healthy way. However, some mothers can’t produce enough milk for their babies for various reasons. No matter how much you try to make milk, if the pump comes empty, resorting to formula milk would be the best option.
When formula feeding, look for a milk formula that provides maximum nutrition for your baby. You can look for their ingredients online, compare various brands, and see which one best fits your baby. You can look for Alula Formula Milk or other similar brands and assess which would work best for your baby. No matter how expensive the formula is, if your baby’s having stomach issues with it, you should switch to a different brand, such as Nutramigen or Alimentum, which your baby would be comfortable with.
2. Keep Your Baby Elevated During Feeding
You can just imagine how uncomfortable it’d be if you try to drink something while you’re lying flat on your bed. Apart from battling with gravity, there’ll be a huge chance of choking, which can cause harm and pain, especially if it went down the wrong pipe.
As you feed your baby, ensure you keep their body elevated as much as possible. This can be easier if you’re holding your baby since you can raise their bodies. However, if you’re breastfeeding your newborn baby while you’re both lying down on your bed, you should ensure your baby is feeding on their side to avoid choking.
3. Trust Your Baby
While it may be saddening to see that your baby is feeding too little from the bottle or your breast, you should trust that your newborn is getting enough milk they need. Their stomach is only about a size of a cherry that’ll gradually grow into the size of an egg for their first month. With that small size, a tiny amount of milk should be enough to keep them full for two hours.
As long as your baby is continuously gaining weight and producing wet and dirty diapers a day, they should be getting enough nutrition. To be specific, by the time your baby is five days old, they should be producing six wet diapers and three or more bowel movements a day. However, if you notice or feel that your baby isn’t satisfied with every meal, you should consider consulting with their pediatrician.
4. Expect That They’ll Feed Frequently
Your newborn baby will need to feed at least every two to three hours within their first month. Expect to have long sleepless nights during this period as you constantly need to get up and feed your baby. While it may be frustrating, especially if you’re already sleep-deprived, it’s a sacrifice you need to make.
Apart from your baby’s cry, you should also watch out for their feeding cues such as trying to suck their hand, moving their hands to their mouth, lip-smacking, or trying to suck on anything that goes near their mouth. In this way, you can immediately prepare to feed your baby.
5. Anticipate Inconsistency
While it might be cheerful to see an empty bottle after feeding, you shouldn’t expect that to happen every time, especially since your baby still has various eating patterns. Never pressure yourself to force your baby to finish their bottle. They’ll feed when they’re hungry and won’t leave any drop of milk behind.
During the first three months of your newborn, they’ll be having an inconsistent feeding pattern, and that’s okay. As long as they’re producing enough wet and dirty diapers a day and are gaining enough weight, you should keep your worries away and focus on providing enough love and attention to your child.
Conclusion
Having a newborn baby as a first-time parent can be stressful, especially that you need to learn plenty of things. While the fear might always be there, always trust your instinct. Moreover, you should never pressure or guilt-trip yourself about what you can’t do as it can only affect your mental health. If you’re having trouble, you can always ask for help to make you feel better.
