Baby Feeding

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When feeding your baby, you will have to choose between breast and bottle feeding. While there are arguments for either method, many people successfully use a combination of both. Like so many other aspects of parenting, this comes down to experimentation and what works best for both parents and baby.

If you choose bottle feeding, you must decide on a type of formula as well as bottles and nipples. There are plenty of choices in every category. Similac, Enfamil, Nutramigen, Isolmil and Carnation all make popular baby feeding formulas. Baby formula companies manufacture a variety of types of formula, which is helpful if your baby has a sensitive stomach or food allergies. With soy, lactose-free, and pre-term formulas, as well as regular baby feeding formula, you should be able to find a formula that agrees with your baby's specific dietary needs.

Many people mistakenly think that breast feeding doesn't require any supplies. However, there are a number of supplies that can make breast feeding more convenient. Breast pumps and bottles can be especially useful if the mother finds breast feeding to be too painful, but doesn't want to abandon the practice all together.

Most mothers breast feed exclusively when their baby is very small. As baby gets older, using pumped breast milk administered from a bottle can be either necessary or simply much more convenient. For example, if mom returns to work or dad wants to be a more active participant in feeding the baby, breast pumps are a necessity. They range in price, so you can get a low cost hand-held manual breast pump from Avent or Evenflo, or you can opt for a battery- or electric-operated breast pump from Ameda or Medela to make baby feeding easier. A quality breast pump should work quickly and painlessly to allow mom to express a consistent milk supply.