Feeding time

Breast is best, but not always practical or possible

So, you’ve passed out the cigars, taken pics to send to all the relatives and brought mother and baby home from the hospital. Now it’s time to get on with the nitty gritty of caring for a newborn. Feeding is one task you’re going to have to get involved with right away.

As a new dad, you’ll be astonished at how much feeding and sleeping a newborn does, in fact you’ll have very little time at first to admire your handiwork, as the baby is usually suckling at the breast or fast asleep. But feeding is one of the most important aspects of caring for a new baby and their body weight will double in the first six months. Ensuring they get the right nutrition, with hygienic bottles and as often as they need it can be a full time job for both mummy and daddy.

Breast or bottle?

Mother Nature provides a perfect solution for feeding newborns, and many women continue to breastfeed their children, at least some of the time, for several years. The choice is entirely hers and depends on the ability of her breasts to produce milk on a sustained basis, the discomfort they may feel, the baby’s preferences and, a lot of the time, practicality. But sometimes the baby decides for itself and simply refuses to breast feed, in which case you will have to change plans and switch to bottle feeding from the start.

‘Breast is best’ as they say; it provides instant milk, at any time, free of charge and at the right temperature. It’s also a very intimate bonding process between mother and child. But although your child might quickly develop an instinctive ability to suckle, it still requires a bit of learning and your wife will be given lessons by the midwife. Experimenting with different positions and methods to satisfy an irritable or hungry infant works well. Her breasts will respond to the suckling, producing more milk as the mammaries are emptied. During the first few minutes of feeding, ‘foremilk’ is dispensed, which is more watery and satisfies a thirst, this is followed by the nutritious ‘hindmilk’, so it’s best to stick to one breast per feed.

Sooner or later the baby is going to need to graduate on to a bottle. Mum might need to go back to work, or there will be times when she really needs some decent sleep and can no longer stick to the routine of feeding every three hours. Most babies will get used to alternating within days or weeks, and here’s where daddy gets to do his bit.

Modern milk formulas are virtually as nutritious as the real thing and can be mixed up fairly easily at short notice. They don’t contain the exact anti-bodies found in your partner’s immune system, so it’s a good idea to keep the baby partially on breast milk for six months or more, as this will minimise constipation, stomach upsets and the risk of bacterial infection from dirty bottles.

Babies usually signal their hunger by getting irritable, crying or attempting to suckle dads breast. Having a ready prepared bottle of milk and/or water is a good idea because they won’t have the patience to wait while you microwave a bottle or leave them alone to fetch the formula.

At first the baby will manage about two ounces of milk per feed. To prepare this you need to ensure that the bottles and nipples have been washed and steamed for hygiene, then mix half an ounce of warm water with an ounce and a half of room temperature water and add a spoonful of formula using the spatula provided in the tin. Give this a decent shake and you’re ready to go. There is an enormous range of formulas available and we’ll leave it to you to decide which one to choose, though your baby might not like being switched once he’s recognised one taste.

Sooner or later you'll have to learn the bottle feeding routine

Now, it’s important to concentrate on the bottle position to avoid choking the little fella, which can be potentially fatal. Hold the baby slightly upright and keep the bottle tilted vertical to avoid the hungry little guy sucking air, this is likely to produce belching and cause the baby to throw up a little which is quite normal. Some bottles are specially shaped to make this easier. Gently hold the bottle and let the baby do the rest, tapping the end of the bottle to encourage sucking, but be aware of them sucking more than they can keep in their mouth at first gulp, as this is dangerous. Try to encourage the baby to drink all the milk, so that their appetite is fulfilled. As the baby grows you’ll soon learn how much to increase the milk by.

Babies also need water, and you might be surprised to discover that they also feed on plain old water, which should be previously boiled and served to them at room temperature. Water is usually a good idea after the milk to rinse their mouths but also comes in handy to pacify them while a bottle or nipple is being prepared.

Burping and belching

Sounds like something you and your mates get up to down the local, but burping is very important when feeding, and could place the child at risk of choking if not done properly. The idea is to get the air out of their system and this is done by gently stroking their back or, when they get a bit bigger, softly tapping them on the back until they burp. It’s quite normal for babies to bring up a little bit of milk after a feed, but continue until they have burped several times. It’s easiest to sit the baby in your lap and lean him forward with neck and head cradled between the arch of your thumb and forefinger, while you work their back. When he gets bigger you can place his head over your shoulder and tap them that way, but it usually leaves a nice gooey souvenir on your shoulder.

Babies usually remain contented and become drowsy after a feed and gradually nod off, which leaves you to get on with watching the footie. However, remember to keep an eye on them because the period immediately after feeding is potentially the most dangerous and if you find your baby choking, hold them upright quickly and give them a firm but soft thudding on their back. There might be a few scary seconds when they can’t breathe, but persist carefully. In the worse case, lie them face down and tap their back.

Solids

After four months they can begin on solids, though they will still be getting through lots of milk. In addition to ready prepared baby food available in supermarkets, you’ll want to prepare some freshly puréed vegetables and fruit. They should be served very slightly warm and consistent in temperature throughout. Pumpkin, apple and avocado are some favourites, but you’ll want to get full advice from your pediatrician and experiment with a balanced diet. Be careful not to include too much fibre at this age, or add salts or sugars. Whole nuts and spicy additives are a no no and spices will even irritate their system when introduced via mothers milk – so keep her off the Balti and all!

At six months old they will still be drinking about 600mls of milk a day, but within a year you can introduce them to dairy milk. You can also start introducing mild cereals, raw fruit and vegetables after nine months. By then he’ll be in a feeding chair and you’ll be an old hand. Beside, you’ll have other challenges to deal with, like getting them to eat the food rather than stick their fingers in it!

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