There is a lot that parents have to learn especially when it is their first baby. The learning can get all the more difficult as you are unable to decide what is fiction and what is fact among the plethora of advice you are given. It can get quite tiring, even more so since this stress is combined with taking care of a newborn.
If you remember, many of us use to play a game in childhood wherein a statement was passed through telephone conversations multiple times, getting twisted with each transfer. Many misconceptions regarding parenting are the same. Bottle-feeding is one such topic which is plagued by myths. Most of the parents bottle-feed their babies. Some use bottles occasionally while others use it exclusively for feeding the baby.
Let us discuss some of the things you should know about bottle feeding and compare facts with fiction.
1. The myth states that all bottles are the same for the babies.
This is untrue. All bottles are not the same. Parents tend to get quite worried when their babies reject bottles. This could be even more worrisome of the mother is scheduled to go back to work, and yet the baby refuses to feed on bottle. According to Katie Ferraro, who is a registered dietician in addition to being an infant feeding specialist and a part of faculty of the University Of California San Francisco Graduate School Of Nursing as an associate professor of nutrition, the baby needs some time to get used to this new method of feeding.
If you have to go to work, give it at least a couple of weeks to make the transition from breastfeeding to baby feeding bottle.
2. The myth is that you can either feed your baby with formula milk or breast milk.
People seem to think that parents can use either of the two options exclusively. However, you can use the combination of the two to feed your baby. Give him or her formula milk sometimes while breastfeeding him at other times.
This is beneficial since the baby acquires all the advantages that breast milk offers. At the same time, his caloric and nutritional requirements are fulfilled via the formula milk, as has been stated by Ferraro.
3. It takes a lot to clean the bottles according to the myth.
Parents tend to be stressed about how they will have to clean the bottles daily. However, it is not much different from washing the dishes every night. Some bottles can be washed via the dishwasher, using the top rack and thus cleaning them is quite simple.
If you are unsure about sanitization via this process, you can take a look at Dr. Brown's that makes things easier. It explains how you can use the microwavable steam sterilizer to get rid of bacteria from the bottles. As much as four bottles can be dealt with at the same time, and you can also sanitize the Sippy cups and similar other items using the process.
4. According to the myth, bottle-feeding can lead to colic in babies
It is widely believed that colic is caused by indigestion. It could be that there are air bubbles that make their way to the baby's system as he feeds on the bottle causing indigestion. You can use bottles by Dr. Brown's come along with Dr. Brown's bottle warmer car adapter to deal with this problem. These bottles are the only ones that do not cause this problem. This is because an internal vent system is present in the bottle that does not allow the formation of air bubbles as the negative pressure is eliminated.
5. As per myths, you can use only bottles during the first year.
You can use sippy cup once your baby reaches six months of age, as has been explained by Ferraro. The babies do not require water at this age. However, my commencing with feeding them at the age, their speech development is enhanced, and the habit of eating independently is also promoted.
