Baby Care: Glimpses from my book

Supplemental Feeding, Weaning, etc.

Supplemental Feeding:

Often, a working mother is unable to remove her milk in adequate quantity for the baby to have with a spoon and cup or a bottle in her absence. In such cases, she should supplement breast-feeding with formula feeding in the daytime (when she is away) and continue feeding on the breast at night. The mother should endeavour to find employment at places where provision is made for nursing mothers to either be able to go home in the afternoon or bring the baby and keep her in a special facility (such as a crèche), where she may go and feed her from time to time.

Weaning:

Most infants reduce their desire for breast-feeding gradually by 6-12months. This is because of their exposure to a variety of other liquids and solids after the age of 4 months. As their demand for the breast decreases, so also does the supply and production of breast milk, which gradually begins to diminish. If a mother wishes to discontinue the feeding on the breast earlier, she may replace breast-feeds with top milk (formula) so that the baby gets satisfied.

For special circumstances where breast-feeding has to be stopped urgently, please consult your doctor for advice and medication to stop breast-feeding.



FORMULA FEEDING

Whole cow’s milk or its modified form is the basis for most commercial formulas. In some countries, milk from other milch animals such as buffalo is also utilised, usually, in combination with components from cow's milk. Processing of milk makes cow's milk easily digestible by your baby, while sterilisation techniques make it totally safe for routine use. Most studies have shown that top-feeding is compatible with normal growth and development by the baby, although minor differences may exist at the micro- level.

Technique of Artificial Feeding:
The setting should be as for breast-feeding, with the caregiver and the baby comfortable, and the baby awake, alert, hungry and dry. In developing countries, where bottle-feeding is associated with an unacceptable increase in the incidence of gastrointestinal infections, middle-ear sepsis and problems of reduced breast milk formation because of the child's preference for the bottle, Pediatricians generally dissuade mothers and caregivers from using a bottle; use of a cup and spoon, or a small plastic cup (called katori) is encouraged.

The advantages of NOT using a bottle extend beyond prevention of infection: mothers who avoid a bottle breast-feed their babies longer; their babies have less gastric problems like gas or vomiting; babies wean on home-made foods much more easily; stubbornness is less seen; and babies thrive normally.

The general catch-line is: Use a feeding bottle and invite illnesses into your home!

If a bottle is, however, used, one should tilt it in such a way that milk, and not air, enter the baby's mouth. Bottle-propping is NOT recommended. Before the feed is begun, it may be better to warm the bottle/milk to room temperature, and to check the hole size in the nipple by inverting the bottle and allowing the drops to fall on the back of your hand. The speed of fall should be just enough for you to be able to count the drops.

Burping should be carried out in much the same way as after breast-feeding. Some babies spit out some milk and curd after this, and some either pass gas or stool as soon as burping has been done.

A feed may last from anywhere between 5-25 minutes; because the appetite varies between babies, some babies may not "finish" the milk in the bottle; in such cases, the excess milk should always be discarded.

Number of Feedings and Related Issues:
The number of feedings required decreases throughout the first year; from 7-8 feeds per 24 hours at 1 month of age, taken every 2-3 hours, the feeding frequency declines to 3-4 feeds/24 hurs, taken every 4-5 hourly by one year of age. With love and a bit of training, most babies will stop waking up at night by 4-6 months of age.

The quantity of milk taken at each feed may be 3-4 oz. in the first month, but it then gradually increases to 7-8 oz./feed by 5-6 months of age. By this time, the infant will have been introduced to other weaning foods too, and so more than this amount is generally not needed.

OTHER FOODS

Upon your doctor's specific advice, the baby may need supplements of Vitamin C, Vitamin D, or Iron.


This item is under development. Do read it again in a few days' time!
Thanks!