How to teach a child to the bottle: tips for parents

Young mothers have to master a huge amount of new information that they learn from a doctor, from the Internet or from more experienced girlfriends. But sometimes this information is contradictory, doctors say one thing, and experienced mothers insist on another, based on practical experience. For example, consultants on breastfeeding sharply against various pacifiers, nipples and bottles, explaining that the baby subsequently begins to abandon the breast. But sometimes there are moments when it is vital to teach a baby to a bottle. What situations are we talking about, let's try to figure it out.

When do you need to teach a child to a bottle

In nature, animals do not need any additional devices to feed a calf. Normally, a person doesn’t need a bottle — and the baby can get food and drink from breast milk.The body is so arranged - the front milk in the breast of a woman is more liquid, almost like some water, so that the crumb can quench the thirst immediately after applying. The back milk, which has to be sucked out with difficulty, is thicker and more fat, it contains all the vitamins and nutrients. If the mother does not experience any problems with breastfeeding, does not leave the baby for more than two hours, then the bottle may never be useful to him. These kids along with the lure get water and other drinks from drinking bowls and even immediately from the cup, bypassing the bottle training stage. However, such ideal situations occur extremely rarely, and often the mother simply has to accustom the child to the bottle.

1. Artificial feeding. There are many cases in which the baby has to switch to artificial or mixed feeding. First of all, mothers who simply do not have breast milk or very little suffer. This happens very rarely, do not rush to switch to the mixture, try to establish lactation, and only after long unsuccessful attempts you can switch to artificial feeding. A bottle may be necessary if the mother received complications during childbirth and has to be treated with potent drugs.In this case, the milk quickly burns out, to restore lactation is almost impossible. And if there are some reasons for artificial feeding? The absence of a mother for more than five hours is already a weighty reason for accustoming to a bottle.
2. Medication. Almost all babies in the first months of life suffer from colic. In the fight against gas and intestinal imperfect work, pediatricians recommend various drugs and decoctions that cope with excessive flatulence. Most often in the fight against a sick tummy they use dill water, which must be given with the help of a bottle.
3. Doping As noted, in normal baby does not need to drink water, but there are situations when additional fluid is simply necessary. First, it is about the disease, especially with the temperature. To cope with a viral infection is possible only with the help of a large amount of fluid. Secondly, to drink often, but in small portions should be in case of poisoning - this is a way to protect against dehydration. Thirdly, drink should be given to children who grow in a warm climate or are constantly in a hot room.

Whatever it was, but almost all mothers have to accustom the crumb to the bottle, because the child needs to be watered and reassured even on the street, where it is not always possible to bare the breast and proceed to feeding. But how to do it right?

How to teach a child to the bottle

Some mothers wonder why they should teach them, because babies usually start sucking water or a diluted mixture from a bottle without any problems. But, unfortunately, not all babies behave this way, Mom’s warm and soft breasts are much nicer and sweeter, so many women have to pretty much try for the baby to take the nipple.

1. If you urgently need to teach a crumb to a bottle, do not offer him a pacifier on a full stomach. The baby simply does not understand what you want from him and will spit out an unfamiliar object from his mouth. Wait until the baby gets hungry.
2. Do not rush to immediately pour into the bottle a bitter medicinal decoction. First, you can accustom the child to the bottle with the help of water or a mixture that has a taste similar to breast milk. As soon as you put the nipple from the bottle in the baby’s mouth, gently press down on it to make the baby taste like.It happens that the parents decide to give the child a fermented milk mixture to normalize the stool, but when an acidic product gets into the mouth, the kids immediately refuse the bottle, and for a long time, retaining unpleasant associations.
3. If you have prepared water for the crumb or a mixture, carefully monitor the temperature of the prepared liquid. It should not be cold or hot, only warm and comfortable for the baby.
4. In some cases, the child’s failure of the breast is due to the presence of an appetizing breast next to it. That is, the baby is more likely to start sucking on a bottle that his dad or grandmother will offer him. If there are no helpers around, the mother should plant a baby in such a way that there is no breast in the access area.
5. And, of course, you should not accustom the baby to a bottle in emergency situations - in an unfamiliar environment, when the child has a stomach ache or teeth are cut.
6. It happens that the child stubbornly pushes the tongue unfamiliar object from the mouth. You can go for a little trick - to coat the nipple with your own breast milk or a mixture of habit. The baby will feel the familiar taste, will start to suck, the treasured liquid will flow from the bottle.

And further.If training does not require speed, do everything gradually. First, show the child an empty bottle - let him examine it, play, touch. Then put in a mixture of it, breast milk or water, apply it to your lips. If the baby refuses, do not insist - offer a bottle tomorrow. Patience and love will help you overcome this temporary difficulty.

What pacifier to choose a bottle

The choice of nipples is incredibly important, especially for those who are on mixed feeding. The fact is that the milk from the nipples flows easily, without much effort. Kids quickly get used to the "lazy" method of feeding and refuse to breast, because it must be thoroughly sucked to get tasty mother's milk. To avoid this on a mixed diet and keep lactation, you need to acquire anatomical nipples, the shape of which resembles the mother nipple. There is a rather small hole in such nipples, it does not allow the baby to be lazy, he will also suck well the mother's breast. To make it convenient and comfortable for a child to drink from a bottle, you need to choose the right nipple for him.

1. Material. Nipples can be made of latex, rubber, rubber, silicone. Each nipple has its own advantages and disadvantages; silicone products are the safest and most durable.
2. The size. The baby's mouth is growing every day, so when choosing a nipple you need to take into account the age of the crumbs. All manufacturers make different designations on products. Most often on the package are indicated months - 0-3, 3-6, 6-12, etc. You can also see the designation numbers - the first size for babies of the first half, the second - from six months to a year, the third - for children older than a year. In such lines you can find a zero nipple, which is designed for premature babies. When choosing a nipple, you can come across such a designation - S, M, L, etc.
3. The form. As it was noted, the choice of nipples is especially relevant for babies on mixed feeding, so that in the future the baby does not refuse the breast. Such crumbs offer an anatomical pacifier - it is as close as possible to the shape of the maternal breast, flattened on one side. In addition, there are standard nipples, resembling an oblong shape. You can also choose the baby orthodontic nipple shape, which will save the bite of the child.When the baby is accustomed to the bottle, the choice of the shape of the nipples is very important, you can offer the crumbs different nipples, because he can refuse one, but love the other.
4. Hole. As is known, there can be one hole or several holes in the nipple, the size of these holes is also different. From this depends on the flow rate of the mixture. Babies of the first months of life need to pick up the bottle with one small hole. First, the baby will not choke on high speed flow. Secondly, it will teach the baby to suck intensely, the child will not forget how to suck the breast, you will manage to keep the lactation. As the child grows, the nipple is changed, purchasing products with a large number of holes. Nipples with three or four large holes are designed for thicker mixtures - porridge, kefir, yogurt, etc. However, remember that in no case you should not leave a child alone with a bottle - he can choke, you should be near.

Do not forget to change the nipples every three months, even if outwardly they seem to be whole. The fact is that the nipple material is quite porous, with long-term use, harmful microorganisms penetrate inside. Be sure to change the nipple to a new one if the opening for the passage of food becomes unusually large, otherwise the child may choke.

It so happens that the child does not want to drink from a bottle in any way, no matter what nipple you offer him. In this case, you need to be patient and look for alternative solutions. Medicines can be given to the baby with a small spoon or from a syringe without a needle.So that the baby does not choke, the medicine is injected on the cheek. If the child is more than six months old, you can gradually teach him to drink from the cup. But the little babies on artificial feeding are the most difficult - if the child does not take the bottle, you need to look for other nipples, offer a different mixture, otherwise the baby will be left without food. The bottle is a very important baby accessory, even if the baby is fully breastfed. Teach baby to the bottle, it is really necessary.

Video: how to feed a baby from a bottle