How do you prepare a bottle? As simple as following the instructions on the can (at least) or the recommendations of health agencies. And how is the bottle given? It seems as simple as putting it in the baby's mouth and waiting for him to eat it, however, there are certain tips that can be taken into account to be given in the best possible way.
1. The powder is mixed with hot water
Although we have already commented on other occasions, and extensively, it makes no sense to talk about how to give the bottle in the best possible way and ignore these recommendations that are already given by WHO, the NHS (National Health Service of England) and the latest guides of the Generalitat de Catalunya, covering the latest evidence in this regard: the water in the bottle must be heated before mixing it with the powder.
According to the aforementioned official bodies, the best way to prepare a bottle is:
Adequate hygiene
Wash our hands and prepare the bottle on a clean surface. The bottle does not need to be sterilized, but previously it must have been washed properly and left to dry without touching rags or anything like that inside.
Boil water
The water is not boiled because you have to remove impurities or anything like that, it is because the powder is not sterile, and to eliminate possible pathogens from dust, the water has to be hot. The reason for boiling the water is to bring it to 100ºC (when it boils we know that it is at that temperature) to calculate the time needed from then on. At 100 degrees we cannot dust because it would agglutinate and harden, and also bacterial spores would be activated, so you have to wait for the water to be between 90ºC and 70ºC.
It is considered that 30 minutes is the maximum time that can be expected to prepare a bottle, because after that time the water will be below 70 ° C. Before 5 minutes it will be too hot, so the window of time to mix the dust with the water is between 5 and 30 minutes.
Dust in the right proportion
Once at least those 5 minutes have passed, we put the powder in the right proportion: a small bowl for every 30 ml of water, and stir the mixture. Then we cool it in contact with cold water and make sure it does not burn before offering it.
Since it is prepared there are two hours of margin for the child to take it ... after two hours you have to throw it away, because the proliferation of bacteria already makes it an unsafe milk for the baby.
If this seems like an exaggeration ...
There are many fathers (and mothers) who say they will not follow these directions because they think it is not necessary and that it is an exaggeration (there are health professionals who think alike). In this case, the WHO says that if you don't have the possibility of heating the water (it doesn't say "if you don't want to" ... it says "if you can't"), it recommends preparing it with water at room temperature and give it to the baby immediately.
2. Use a bottle "for breastfeeding"
In recent years, various bottles have appeared on the market intended to mimic as much as possible the type of suction that is carried out when breastfeeding a breast and the flow that the baby receives. Although the goal is that a mixed breastfeeding can be done without risk of the baby getting confused when breastfeeding (with the other bottles there are babies who try to imitate the suction they make of the bottle when they are then taken to the tit and begin to hurting), they can be beneficial for babies who are not going to breastfeed, precisely because they can eat like teat babies: on demand and sucking in a very similar way.
And is that the bottle also has to be given on demand, without looking at the clock and without trying to finish the baby. With a bottle whose flow depends on the sucking of the baby, it is he who decides at any time whether to suck more or less, and therefore who decides whether to eat more or less, and when to stop (even if he wants to be forced, if he does not suck, milk will not drop).
This is important because their satiety and hunger are respected, and at a time when we have an epidemic of childhood obesity, It is worth avoiding to limit your stomachs (If we do, we run the risk of "stunning" your feeling of satiety and cause them to need more and more food, without really needing it: what we know as making their stomachs big).
On the other hand, the type of suction that mimics breastfeeding strengthens the jaw muscles that prepare the baby for both chewing and speech, and help the ear canal form so that there is less risk of otitis. Check if there is a difference that it is estimated that breastfed babies perform 10% more sucking movements than non-breastfed babies. Although 10% may seem small, they are many times that they will eat every day, every week and every month, and that in the long run can make a significant difference.
3. Give the bottle as if it were the breast
As if it were the chest and you would devote your attention, of course. Especially in the first months, while awake, it is worth the time to eat pleasant for both of you, and that is why it is recommended that you give the bottle as if you were breastfeeding: talking to the baby, looking at him, smiling at him and changing arm when making a stop (Although it may cost to give the bottle with the other hand, it seems that this way the other cerebral hemisphere of the baby is stimulated).
4. That is, above all, mom
Babies are born closely linked to mom, so it is ideal that she, especially, is responsible for feeding bottles, as with breastfeeding (only mom can breastfeed). Thus, it is possible to continue with those ties between mother and baby, the bond, and the reciprocal affection between the two.
If at any time it is better for the father to give it to him (for whatever reason), nothing happens either; but the ideal is that it is not a diversion (now dad, now grandmother, now cousin, now uncle ...), but a moment of connection with the baby, of affection and of making him feel confident and safe. Come on, that there aren't many people feeding the baby so that the relationship of trust is established above all with mom, and failing that, with dad.
5. Try different brands of milk
If your baby is one of those who drink artificial milk without many problems (you did not have to change milk until you gave the one that was doing well), it is recommended that every time you buy a boat, you get one from a different brand. This way you will try other flavors and, as with breastfeeding, you will have more diversity on the palate in preparation for the moment you start trying new flavors (this is indicated, at least, by the experts who have prepared the new feeding guides of the Generalitat from Catalonia).
If instead, as I say, it cost a little to find the milk that suits you, it is better not to make many inventions, because they could return the symptoms (there are children who have constipation with some brands of milk, or who make poop too liquid, or that cause many gases, etc.).
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