Giving your baby breast milk is the best gift you can give her. However some women are unable to give their babies breast milk due to health and other reasons. If you choose to formula feed your baby, these are some of the important information you need to know.

Formula may come ready to serve in a liquid form or in a powder form that you mix with water. Discuss with your  health care provider how much formula your baby needs and the best formula for your baby. Newborns eat about 2 to 3 ounces of formula every 3 to 4 hours.

How to choose your baby’s formula

 
These tips will help you when shopping for your baby’s formula

• choose a formula that is iron fortified unless your baby’s doctor tells you otherwise
• discuss with your baby’s doctor the brand of formula for your baby
• once you find out which brand your baby want, stick to eat. Do not change back and forth
• if your baby experience symptoms such as gas, rash, vomiting or diarrhea, contact her health care provider right away. You may need to change brands or switch to a hydrolyzed or soy based formula

How do you feed your baby formula ?

• wash your hands before you prepare your baby’s bottle
• follow the instructions on the formula package. Fill the bottle with the right amount of formula using the scoop that comes with the formula.  Some formula sizes have different scoop sizes
• if the baby bottle has a plastic liner, squeeze out  all the air before you fill it to prevent your baby from getting gas
• if you use a powder formula, ask your baby’s doctor which type of water to use. Ask if you should use a sterilized bottled water  or boiled cold tap water to prepare the formula. Do not heat a  baby bottle in the microwave. It can get too hot for the baby
• tip the bottle to keep the nipple full of milk.  Put the nipple in the baby’s mouth. Do not prop the bottle or put the baby to bed with a bottle. She could choke on the formula
• wash bottles, nipples and anything you use to prepare the formula in hot soapy water

How can you make formula feeding safe ?

 
These tips can help make bottle feeding safe for your baby.

• boil bottles and nipples for about 5 minutes before you use them for the  first time.
• after use,  wash bottles and nipples in hot soapy water for 1 minute and rinse
• make sure the formula hasn’t expired by checking the  “use by ” date
• do not leave formula out of the refrigerator for more than 2 hours to prevent bacteria from growing
• do not heat formula in the microwave. Some parts may heat  more than others and may be too hot for the baby
• throw out the unfinished formula to avoid bacteria from growing
• be sure to use the right amount of water to mix the formula. Diluting the formula too much will prevent the baby from getting the right amount of nutrients. Too little water may cause dehydration or diarrhea

 
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