Seated comfortably and holding your baby, hold the bottle so that the neck of the bottle and the nipple are always filled with formula. This helps your baby get formula instead of sucking and swallowing air. If he doesn't waste energy sucking air, he's more likely to take enough formula. Air in his stomach may give him a false sense of being full and may also make him very uncomfortable.

Your baby has a strong, natural desire to suck. For him, sucking is part of the pleasure of feeding time. Babies will keep sucking on nipples even after they have collapsed. So take the nipple out of the baby's mouth occasionally to keep the nipple from collapsing. This makes it easier for him suck, and lets him rest a bit.
Never prop the bottle and leave the baby to feed himself. The bottle can easily slip into the wrong position. Remember too, your baby needs the security and plea sure it gives him to be held at feeding time. It's a time for your baby and you to relax and enjoy each other.

What the infant drinks is the most important source of nutrients for the first year. We recommend breast-feeding or infant formula, because either will provide balanced nutrition for optimal growth and development.
It is important that you never feed the baby the concentrated formula directly from the can. It must always be diluted according to the recipe on the can, because the concentrate is too rich and contains too many substances, such as salts, which might harm the baby if fed in the wrong concentration.

BURPING

Burping helps remove swallowed air. Burp or bubble him by holding him up right over your shoulder, and patting or rubbing his back gently. Or place him face down over your lap and gently rub his back. Baby can also be burped by holding him in a sitting position (baby leaning slightly forward) on your lap, with your hand supporting his stomach.

The size of the burp is determined by how much air the baby swallows, therefore a baby may burp very little or not at all. If he is happy do not be concerned if he did not burp.

HOW MUCH FORMULA

The amount of formula your baby takes will vary. Babies have a right not to be hungry sometimes, just as you and I, and you can't make a baby want to eat.

Most babies feed for about 15 to 20 minutes. You will probably find that some times your baby will take all of his bottle and sometimes he won't. Don't worry. This is normal. As your baby grows and gains weight, he will need more formula. When your baby takes all of his bottle pretty regularly - and sometimes cries for more - it may be time to increase the amount of his daily formula.

COW'S MILK

Cow's milk should NOT be given until the infant is 12 months old. When it is introduced, the total amount given should not exceed 24-32 ounces per day. Cow's milk given too early or too much is associated with anemia and gastrointestinal problems.

AFTER FEEDING

After you have fed and burped your baby, place him in his crib. After bottle feeding, rinse bottles and nipples with cool water. Squeeze water through the holes of the nipples. Washing can be done later.

WATER

Most infants do not need water. The exception may be on very hot summer days.

TEMPERATURE TO FEED FORMULA

Formula can be fed, straight from the refrigerator, at room temperature, or warmed. If warming is desired, remove a bottle from the refrigerator and warm it in a pan of hot (not boiling) water for a few minutes. You may also use a bottle warmer.

Test the temperature of the formula by shaking a few drops onto the inside of your wrist. It should feel warm but not hot.

NEVER USE A MICROWAVE OVEN TO WARM A BOTTLE! Severe throat burns have resulted due to the uneven heating that may occur.

TEST NIPPLES REGULARLY

Testing nipples regularly will save time when you are ready to feed your baby.
Nipple hole should be the right size to help baby suck easily. When the nippleholes are the right size, warm milk should drip as rapidly as possible without forming a stream.
If nipple holes are too small, baby may tire of sucking before he gets all the formula he needs. If holes are too large, baby gets too much formula too fast, and may not get enough sucking to satisfy his needs.
To enlarge holes that are too small, use a white-hot needle. An easy way to prepare the needle is to put the blunt end in a cork and heat it in the flame of a match or a cigarette lighter.