There is no doubt about it that mother feed is best feed for new born baby and it has every possible advantage. It is clean, the right temperature, available when it` s needed, it contains just the right balance of nutrients. It protects the baby against many infections. So there is every reason in the world to prefer it. Most intelligent mothers know all this but there are many who try it out for a while and then opt for bottle feeding.
Very occasionally there is some physical reason why a mother can` t feed her baby. Fresh cow` s milk can be given to a baby, but it contains a lot of more protein and minerals than human milk, so it has to be modified by diluting it with water, and sugar has to be added. It is also short on vitamins and it contains almost no iron.
For these reasons it is not now recommended. By the time the baby is about nine months to a year old he can digest fresh cow` s milk but it must be boiled unless it has been pasteurized. Specially-formulated dried milks are now preferred for feeding young babies, but the process by which they are prepared is all important. Until a few years ago it was not recognized that certain proprietary milks could be hazardous for some babies. They contain too high a concentration of phosphate, sodium and protein. According the department of health now recommends that these brands should not be used for babies under six months old.
The department suggests that where breast feeding is impossible, specially modified baby milks should be used. These are made to conform as much as possible to the composition of human milk. It` s unrealistic to attempt to stick to a rigid schedule, much less a four-hourly one, in the first weeks. Most new born babies need more frequent feeding than four-hourly, though overall they may not take any more milk. This disrupting situation won` t last for ever. By about six to eight weeks the baby will have settled himself quite happily to a schedule of five or six feeds a day, at roughly four-hourly intervals.
Some will even allow their mothers a reasonably undisturbed night, with no night feed to break it up. After feeding burping is really necessary. It is only air, not some mysterious gas specially compounded in a baby` s tummy. The air is swallowed as the baby gulps down his feed. To get it up, you can have the baby sitting on your lap, leaning slightly forward against your hand; or hold him more or less upright over your shoulder and rub his back very gently. Protect your clothes as some milk may be regurgitated with the air. Wind is usually worse if the baby is lying too flat as he` s fed. Check also to ensure that he is not sucking on an empty bottle.