My son had trouble latching the first three weeks, so I pumped and supplemented during that time. Whenever I share this story with friends and family, Demo likes to brag about being the one that gave our son’s his first bottle. It’s quite amusing given the fact that he had no prior knowledge about babies (he’s an only child and has never been around babies before). I have a picture of him bottle feeding our son, and he’s not even holding the bottle while he makes the “thumbs up” for the camera!
Once Tristan finally latched, he pretty much refused the bottle. With Jazzy, she was a natural; she latched on the moment they placed her on my chest. So bottle feeding was never a thing that Demo had to deal with. Now fast forward to August 2017, my sister made me the proud auntie to the cutest baby boy. Even though we both had experiences from raising our little cousins, when it came time to care for our own kids, we felt unprepared. One thing for sure, when it came to bottle feeding, we were quite knowledgeable about the do’s and don’ts. So today, I’m sharing some tips for the first time parents out there!
Bottle Feeding Tips For First Time Parents | Philips Avent
I think the whole process of bottle feeding can be quite daunting and even a little overwhelming for first-time parents. Today’s I’m listing a few tips I’ve learned along the way that I think will be super useful for new parents.
Don’t use the Microwave
When my little cousins were babies, my aunt would use the microwave to warm up their bottles. The issue? The bottle would get heated, but the milk would still be cold. I find the best solution is to heat up some water, pour it into a cup large enough to fit the bottle. Always be sure to test the milk before giving it to the baby.
Find a quiet place
My kids were never distracted when it came time to eat. However, my nephew is the total opposite, any amount of noise will distract him from his bottle. Finding a quiet place to feed your baby will ensure they are not distracted.
Ezra: “who needs food when there are all these exciting things going on around me?”
To sanitize or not to sanitize?
To be honest with you, one of the reasons I really wanted both of my kids to be exclusively breastfed is because I really truly hated the bottle cleaning part of bottle feeding. Because baby’s immune system is more fragile in the first year, it’s recommended that you sanitize at least for the first few months. A rule of thumb, if you wouldn’t drink the water that you are washing the bottles with, then sanitizing is a must! Where we live, our tap water is drinkable, so hot water and soap work fine for washing bottles.
Take turns to feed the baby
Bottle fed babies mean that both mommy and daddy can do the feedings. Not only it’s an excellent way for Papa to bound, but it also gives mom a chance to enjoy some much needed time alone to do things like take a shower and eat! lol
Finding the right bottle for your baby’s needs.
When it comes to finding the right bottles for your child, Philips Avent got you covered. I use Philips Avent bottles with my son and when I attempted (but failed) to get my daughter to use a bottle. The Philips Avent bottles have always been my first choice and one that I trust. The bottles are BPA free, easy to use and clean.
The Philips Avent Anti-Colic Bottles with AirFree Vent is designed for less air ingestion as nipple stays full of milk, not air. If your baby tends to be more gassy, using the right bottle can significantly help reduce gas, colic, and reflux. You can actually see the little bubbles being stopped with the AirFree Vent!
Now time for some exciting news! Philips Avent is giving you the chance to win a Philips Avent Anti-Colic Bottles with AirFree Vent Essentials Gift Set.
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Disclosure: I am part of the PTPA Media Brand Ambassador Program with Philips Avent, and I received Compensation as part of my affiliation with this group. The opinions on this blog are my own.
Great post . I wanted to exclusively breastfeed, but my milk was slow in coming. So had to supplement with formula. My go to bottle was Avent. Received a set at baby shower. This particular set is even better because Ezra is so gassy this one holds the bubbles inside. Was perfect.
I used Avent with my oldest son when I had to transition back to work, and he loved them, and so did I. I think that it did make quite the difference. When you’re breastfeeding, you want a bottle that will be as close to your breast as possible and these made the cut.
Sharing in the feeding responsibilities is such an amazing chance for dad to get that magical bond started nice and early on. These tips are exactly what I’d tell a new parent as well
We always heated in a separate container in the microwave and then poured it into the bottle when it was at the right temp.
These really are great tips for the bottle feeding parents who are new to this. I love that there are many bottles on the market, but admit when I had to bottle feed I went for Avent brand. They just are wonderful.
We loved our Avent bottles. With my last daughter, my big girls were so thrilled to be able to help feed her. I loved that they could help out and bond too.
I breast and bottle fed my 3 babies. I always used advent bottles they are the best
We love philips avent! Those are the bottles we used! They have so many amazing products!
These are really great tips to share with new moms! Although I didn’t bottle feed my children, I had Avent bottles on hand to be prepared in case that was the route they preferred. I read tons of reviews and was confident in their bottles.
Love avent products
As first time parents due in 3 months time this information is very useful and helpful. We will definitely have Avent bottles top of our baby registry list.