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| artificial feeding |
The formulas given here are intended for average healthy babies. In case the baby does not thrive on these formulas, it is necessary to make a change and a physician should be consulted.
It is always best to underfeed rather than to overfeed at the beginning, and radical changes in the formulas should not be made.
The change from one formula to another should be gradual, and this is best accomplished by adding each day or every other day to the mixture one more teaspoonful of top milk of the required strength and taking away one teaspoonful of water. This may be regulated to suit the demands of the baby so the change may be made quickly or slowly.
If the baby seems hungry, cries after nursing, or does not sleep, the formula should be strengthened in quality. The constituents of the formula and the quantity of the nursing should never be increased at the same time. The food should not be increased if the child seems satisfied, sleeps well, and is gaining from six to eight ounces a week.
If the infant vomits large quantities immediately after nursing, it is probably because too much food is being given, or the opening in the nipple is too large, and the food is being taken too rapidly.
If the vomiting is persistent, and occurs at longer intervals after nursing, or if it is accompanied by pain, and if there is regurgitation of food, it is due to indigestion, and the food should be weakened.
Oftentimes there will be slight symptoms of indigestion for the first day or two that a new formula is used. This need cause no alarm. It simply means that the infant’s stomach is adjusting itself to the new food.
Each bottle should be warmed immediately before being taken. Bottles for the night feedings should be kept on ice until needed and then warmed. They should never be kept warm through the night. The temperature of the milk should be tested by allowing a few drops to flow from the opening in the nipple upon the back of the hand. It should be about body temperature. The opening in the nipple should be of such size that the milk comes through drop by drop and not in a stream.
The nurse should hold the bottle during the feeding. It should be held in such a way that the flow of milk is continuous. The duration of the feeding should never be less than fifteen minutes. If it is desired to interrupt the feeding, the nipple should be removed from the baby’s mouth, and when the bottle is empty it should be removed at once.
The baby should not be allowed to fall asleep during the nursing. After the nursing is finished, the baby falls naturally into a sound sleep, but the habit of sleeping for a few minutes and then waking for more food should not be allowed. The baby should not be moved or taken up directly after nursing and should never be played with at that time.