Overwhelmed and the baby's not born yet? If this is your first baby and you haven't been around infants much then you may have questions about feeding a newborn.
I know I was when my son came home; everyone in the family had their own ideas about how the baby should eat. I was so confused. First things first are you going to breastfeed your baby? It is best according to doctors but let's be honest some soon to be mommies um, this freaks them out a little. Some mommies have to go back to work soon after the baby is born and they just don't have time to pump their milk and opt for a bottle.
Regardless if you decide to breastfeed or give a bottle your baby has to be fed no matter what in the in-laws or society may think. Your doctor is the best resource to let you know how much milk or formula your baby needs on average. Each baby is different and yours may or may not drink as much as the neighbors baby at the same age, but there is a guideline. Generally infants can eat every one to two hours, their tummies are so small and don't hold much, and yes breastfeed babies can do it too trust me. You will feel like all you are doing is feeding, changing, and preparing your baby bottle, and well you are, welcome to being a mommy!
I had to deal with in-laws thinking there was something wrong with my son because he nursed every two hours or so in the beginning. My pediatrician assured me it was normal and remember it doesn't go on forever.
If you're breast-feeding it's important that your baby latches on to your nipple correctly. Some women sit up and others lie down to breast-feed. Personally I would hold the baby while breast-feeding then later after you become more comfortable with your baby and she or he is a bit older if you want to breast-feed lying down then it's up to you.
If you are bottle feeding hold the baby slightly upright, not completely flat in the crook of our arm. Place the nipple in the baby's mouth let your newborn drink from the bottle, make sure to keep the bottle upright so there isn't any air. Keep a gentle grip on the bottle you don't want to cram the bottle their throat and you want to be able to remove the bottle quickly if they seem to get to big of a swallow and start to choke.
Burp your newborn after 1 to 2 ounces (or per doctor instructions) as your baby gets a bigger you can burp them after they drink a bit more. Soon it will be 4 ounces then 6 to 8 ounces and you will wonder where did the time go? A question you will ask throughout your entire baby's life.
How will you know when your baby is hungry? Your baby will give off different signals letting you know they are hungry it could be full-blown screaming, some babies like my son would cry and suck his wrist. Others might not make as much noise and just get fussy and seem agitated. If it has been one to two hours since their last meal they may be hungry again, if they start to drink them give up after a few swallows and spit out the nipple or breast then something else might be causing the crying. Check the diaper first if its dry, then try burping them again in case gas has built up in their tummy this worked for me. Trust me you will learn to tell the cries and signals apart after a short time.
It's okay to feel nervous feeding your newborn; you are holding something so precious you don't want to make any mistakes. Let me tell you from experience you will but you two get to learn together.
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