Make Bottle-Nursing Better

A few products turn up every now and then to make a new mother's life easier, and a few of them have something to do with making bottle-feeding hands-free to allow new parents to multi-task. Feeding time, however, is an opportunity for new parents to bond with their child just as it is with breastfeeding mothers. So take advantage of these hands-free contraption if it means less aggravation, but remember that even if you go the way of the bottle, you still can make feeding a meaningful parent-child moment with these reminders.

Give your baby the full skin-to-skin contact

Strengthening the bond when breastfeeding comes naturally because the baby snuggles close to the mother while suckling. Parents who bottle-nurse can create that intimate moment by holding the bottle close to the chest and snuggling the infant against their bare arm. Infants who are bottlefed have the added advantage of having several members of the family take care of them.

Make feeding time Mom-time as well

Feeding is most definitely for the benefit of the child, but don't lose sight of the fact that it's Mommy-time as well. Even breastfeeding mothers get overwhelmed with all the experience, so they also need to have little breaks here and there, to get that much-needed rest and to savor their parenthood. You can pace your feeding throughout the day so you as the primary caregiver can also look forward to that quiet moment when you not only get to sit and rest, but also contemplate on the meaning of motherhood.

Provide pacifier for comfort sucking

Even when no longer hungry, breastfed babies root around the mother's nipples for the comfort sucking brings. Similarly, bottle-nursed infants can suck on a pacifier for comfort while being lulled to sleep, cuddled or cooed. That way, the use of pacifier is associated with being loved and cared for (and not being kept quiet because Mom needs to get busy with something else).

Be sensitive to your baby's feeding cues

Infants are understandably vulnerable, but they do not need to be fed when they are not hungry. While they do need to be fed every few hours, aim for feeding according to need instead of establishing tight feeding schedules. Watch out for infant hunger signs like licking or smacking their lips, or sucking on their finger or clothing (about to get hungry), leaning back to feeding position and rooting around your chest area (actively hungry), or squirming, moving head from side to side, and crying (very hungry).

Give the baby your full attention

It can be tempting to multi-task while the baby is busy feeding. Mothers especially have that uncanny ability to do one more thing even if both her hands are already busy with tending to the child. There's nothing wrong of course with the occasional indulgence of television or book or conversation as long as you give the infant undivided attention most of the time. Talk to her, sing to her, or simply make her feel that feeding is not just any ritual but a special one.