Congratulations on the birth of your new baby. If you have decided to bottlefeed, these guidelines will assist you. Physicians recommend feeding breastmilk or iron-fortified infant formula for the first year of your baby's life.

How to Feed Your Baby

• Feeding is an opportunity to be close to your baby. Being held gives your baby needed cuddling, attention and eye contact.
  
• To begin, your baby will probably want to eat every two or four hours.
  
• Make yourself comfortable while you are sitting. Hold your baby on your lap with his head resting on the bend of the inside of your arm.
  
• Make sure your baby's head is held slightly higher than his tummy. Keep the bottle tilted so the formula always fills the nipple.
  
• Babies will usually swallow a little air while they are feeding. Be sure to give your baby a chance to burp when he pauses during or at the end of the feeding.
  
• Babies need to be fed frequently in the first weeks of life because their stomachs are so tiny. One to three ounces of formula is all a newborn baby's stomach will hold.
  
• Feed every 2-4 hours or when hungry.
  
• Newborns should be burped after approximately every ounce of formula. As your baby gets older, you can burp him halfway through a feeding and again at the end.
  
• Your baby should have 6-8 wet diapers every day.

Preparing the Bottles and Nipples

•  Wash your hands with soap and water.
  
•  Follow your physician's directions on how to clean bottles.
  
•  Before you first use new bottles wash the bottles, nipples, rings and discs or nipple covers. Place into a large pot or sterilizer. Fill the pot with water until the items are covered.
  
•  Cover pot or sterilizer and boil for 5 minutes. Let cool to touch before removing lid. Remove items with tongs. Place on a clean towel. After initial sterilization, a good cleaning in hot, soapy water, or a cycle through the dishwasher is sufficient.
  

Preparing the Formula

•  Bring water to a rolling boil. Let cool to almost room temperature. Mix concentrated liquid formula or powdered formula.
  
•  Every carton, bottle and can of formula is marked with an expiration date. Make sure that you use it before the date.
  
•  Always shake and wash the top of the liquid formula cans before opening.
  
•  Do not add more or less water than directed when preparing formula. Improper dilution may be harmful to your baby.
  
•  Warm formula by placing the bottle in a container of warm water for several minutes. Check the formula temperature by shaking a few drops on your wrist. If it is too hot allow it to cool down to a temperature that is warm, but will not burn your baby. Do not use a microwave oven to prepare or warm your baby's formula.
  
•  Once you have warmed the formula, shake the bottle so a few drops of formula drop onto your wrist. If it is too hot, allow it to cool to a temperature that is warm but will not burn your baby.
  
•  Throw away any formula your baby doesn't drink within an hour of starting the feeding.

Sometimes questions don't arise until after you and your baby are home. Your pediatrician can answer questions about your baby's unique health needs. Also, there are a number of resources available to assist you with bottlefeeding, so please call!

-- Roper St. Francis Healthcare Breastfeeding Support Line 843-724-2953
-- Roper Hospital Nursery 843-724-2661
-- Roper Hospital Obstetrics 843-724-2630
-- Bon Secours St. Francis Hospital Nursery 843-402-1035
-- Bon Secours St. Francis Hospital Birth Suite 843-402-1033