Feeding

Feeding My son is formula fed and we use the Dr. Brown bottles. These are the bottles that we chose because they aim to limit colic, gas, and spit up. Our son still has issues with spit up but thankfully has never had colic. These bottles have a venting system in them to try and prevent bubbles. Yes, more parts to wash but totally worth it. We first used the 4 oz bottles but now use the 8 oz bottles as our son is drinking 5 oz at each feeding. The Dr. Brown formula pitcher has been a big help as well. My husband makes the pitcher in the morning and distributes the 5 oz into each bottle. He then puts the bottles into the refrigerator. These bottles must be used within 24 hours or they need to be dumped. When our son is hungry, one of us grabs a bottle, puts it in a shaker cup filled with hot water, and warms it for a few minutes. During this time, the other parent usually changes his diaper to both clean him and distract him while the bottle warms up. I can discuss how to make bottles blind if you are interested but everyone has a different method. My method literally changes each day as our needs change. During the day, we take turns feeding our son. At first, we would burp more frequently but now we usually burp him halfway through and at the end. Not being able to see, I just guess by the weight of the bottle and based off of how much I think he has already drank. When burping, give your child a pacifier. This has been a savior in our lives. This prevents him from getting upset while allowing him the opportunity to burp without fussing or screaming for more formula. In the evening, for his last feed before bedtime, after changing his diaper, we swaddle our son in his room and feed him in the glider in the corner. This allows him peace and quiet while eating and sets the stage for sleepy time. He is very calm and I think this lets him know that after he eats, it is time to go to beddy. Sometimes I tell him a story or read a book or sing but most of the time we are pretty quiet and whisper. My husband and I have a pretty neat team effort. One of us will do the feeding right before bed but I do the middle of the night feeding and he will do the morning feeding. Our son only gets up once each night, as of now. So, in the night, my husband changes his diaper as I run downstairs and warm up the bottle. Then, I go back upstairs and feed him and put him back to bed. In the morning, my husband wakes up with our son and changes/feeds him so that I can try and get just one more hour of sleep. It is a great trade off and we both kidn of keep our sanity this way. As he gets older, I know that I will have more tips and tricks to share with you.