The moment when your baby was born was a special moment that will stay engraved in your heart forever. However, after that emotional moment, you will realize that your responsibility as a parent starts from there on. The most challenging part of nurturing is feeding the baby. If the food your baby is consuming is not good enough or does not have the nutrients that your baby requires for growth and development, then it will be a big problem.
You need to give your baby the right food to ensure that the immunity system develops properly. However, Feeding a Baby is a confusing thing for many parents. Therefore, in this article, let’s discuss some of the important tips that will help you to feed your baby properly.
8 Simple Tips That Can Help You a Long Way In Feeding The Baby
You have to consult with the doctor if the baby is not gaining enough weight or lacks interest in eating. Apart from that, your baby will eat the exact amount of food he or she requires.
Here are a few tips that can help you a long way in feeding the baby:
1. Be Instinctive While Feeding the Baby
A lot of parents panic because of their baby’s eating. They think that their baby is not eating enough food. Most parents pick up a six-monthly baby food chart and try to replicate what is instructed there. However, you should understand that your baby is aware of how much food he or she needs to consume. Therefore, if you keep on looking at how much your baby eats or how often the baby eats, then you will be panicking more.
Instead, you should start focussing on the following things:
- Consistent weight gain of the baby
- Happiness between feedings
- Minimum of 6 wet diapers by the end of the fifth day after birth
- Minimum of 3 bowel movements in a day
2. Expect Variable Eating Patterns Of The Baby
You cannot expect your baby to eat the same amount of food every day. During the period of development, your baby might require more food than in the initial days. The growth of the babies generally increases during the second or the third week after birth and also, during the sixth week after birth. At this time, your baby will need more food.
Your baby will also want to eat more often during this period. Knowing how to feed baby solids is important, but understanding the eating patterns of the baby is even more important.
3. Understand When To Feed The Baby
A newborn is more likely to eat quite often. The frequency of feeding is important for a newborn. Hence, it becomes important for parents to create a baby feeding schedule. Most of the babies, during the initial days, will look to eat about 8 to 12 times a day. The feeding must be done at an interval of 2 to 3 hours. You need to be aware of the early signs of the baby’s readiness to eat or hunger.
Here are some of the signs that might indicate your baby wants food:
- Movement of the hands to mouth
- Sucking the fingers and fists
- Lip-smacking
- Crying and fussing
The more often you feed your baby regularly, the less frantic your baby will become.
4. Use The Time To Increase The Bond Between The Child And The Parent
After a specific time, you might switch to feeding a newborn baby with a feeding bottle once you find out how to feed a newborn baby with a bottle. The time when you feed your baby, you tend to hold him or her close to you. So, it is a very intimate phase for you and your baby. Hence, you should use this opportunity to build a bond with your child. The important values of a relationship such as trust, comfort, and security could be infused during this feeding period. Hence, you should utilize it to its fullest.
5. Prefer Breastfeeding or Infant Formula
There can be no doubt that breast milk is the appropriate food for newborn babies. An exception to this would be a rarity. Hence, you should be aware of how to feed a newborn baby by breast. But, at times, breastfeeding could become difficult. At that time, you can give your baby infant formula as food. You need to understand that your baby doesn’t need healthy juice or water or other kinds of fluids in the initial days.
6. Ask the Doctor about Vitamin D Supplements
Breast milk will not give adequate vitamin D to your baby, which is important for the absorption of important nutrients like phosphorous and calcium. These nutrients help in making the bones of the baby stronger. Therefore, if you are looking to consult with your doctor about starting a baby on a solids chart, you should also ask the doctor about the vitamin D supplements for your baby.
7. Always Find A Good Position For Feeding The Baby
There are so many things to learn about how to find a feeding position. When it comes to a bottle feeding baby, make the baby sit on your lap in an upright position.
You might also have some problems while breastfeeding your baby. A good breastfeeding position is important for the baby to latch well. If you feel pain while breastfeeding, it means there is some issue with the position of the baby.
8. Look for Help When You Need
Always don’t hesitate to get help whenever needed. Learning the basics of breastfeeding will help to get rid of so many issues. Also, if your baby is not gaining weight, then you should ask your doctor to help you out on this matter.
While Feeding Baby, you should be aware of several things which are mentioned in this article. Even after that, if you feel any trouble or want to clarify any doubts regarding the eating habit of your baby, then you need to consult it with your doctors because if your mind is filled with confusion then you will never be able to take proper parenting decisions. So, clarify your doubts by asking them to a doctor.
