The idea of bottle feeding your baby need not be overwhelming. There are several reasons why parents have no choice but to begin bottle feeding. Some mothers simply are not able to produce enough milk to continue breast feeding, while others choose not to do it in the first place. When making the decision to bottle feed, it is important to be aware that there are some specific steps involved.Located below are some of the things you need to do before bottle feeding your baby:

1. Find an Appropriate Bottle Nipple – Depending on the age of the child, the speed at which the milk should flow through will vary. An infant will most likely need a slow-flowing bottle nipple, whereas an older child prefer one that allows fast flow simply because he drinks much more. There are also square bottle nipples and round bottle nipples. Likewise, there are also larger and smaller bottle nipples. Choosing the appropriate shape and size may take some time and experimenting with what your child likes the best. It shouldn’t be difficult finding out what your child prefers because he isn’t likely to take to a bottle nipple that he does not want. Try not to make the mistake of assuming that your child isn’t interested in bottle feeding before you experiment with different types of bottle nipples.

2. Find an Appropriate Bottle – Most children prefer a certain type of bottle, and you are sure to discover this fairly quickly. If your child is colicky, he will need a different bottle that reduces those symptoms. A lot of babies experience gas or acid reflux no matter what. Fortunately, there are different types of bottles out there to suit every child’s need. If breast feeding, make sure to continue feeding your child when he is refusing the bottle. For parents who are having trouble with getting their child to drink from a bottle, try letting them sip from a small cup until the appropriate bottle has been chosen.

3. Find the Appropriate Formula – This particular step also shouldn’t be very difficult, but is undoubtedly one of the most important. The formula that you choose for your child has the ability to provide them with the essential vitamins and nutrition, as well as the ability to ease them of any symptoms they are experiencing as far as gas and acid reflux. Likewise, certain formulas may irritate your child’s stomach and cause allergic reactions. Any negative reactions should be taken note of in order to avoid anymore complications with formula. Also remember to notify the child’s pediatrician about any allergic reactions he may experience with certain formulas. There are organic, soy-based, regular, liquid, cow-milk based, iron-fortified, and elemental formulas to choose from.

Making sure your new baby is getting the right nutrition at all stages of growth is an important part of parenting. Understanding baby’s needs as she rapidly grows can be crucial to her overall wellbeing. From breast milk to formula to solid food, there are many things parents will need to understand when it comes to keeping baby healthy. Keeping track of baby feeding schedules is one of many things parents will need to do.

From birth, baby will need to breastfeed 8 to 12 times a day. Most of the time after the baby is born, she will be either eating or sleeping. This will keep parents busy as they try to get used to the new schedule of parenting. Starting at 3 months of age, she should be eating less, only around 7 to 8 times a day. This means baby will be sleeping for longer stretches, giving parents a much-needed break. At around 4 months, you can expect to add cereal to the breast milk and feed baby’s one to two tablespoons of fruits or vegetables.

Baby will start eating between 5 and 7 times a day at around 6 months of age. Starting at 7 months, parents will be feeding baby more cereal in their breast milk, and in addition to the fruit or vegetable, they can also expect to add meat or protein. Feeding times will go down again between 7 and 12 months as parents continue to get used to baby feeding schedule. At 12 months of age, baby will be eating only 3 to 4 times a day and will need increased levels of solid foods. Keeping baby healthy is crucial to parents, and understand the baby feeding schedule is one of many things that will help parents keep them developing normally.