264 chapter 12: Caring for your baby
Feeding the baby from a bottle
Feeding a baby with a bottle is never safe unless you can
answer “YES” to all these questions:
• is there is a constant source of clean water in the
community?
• is there is a constant supply of fuel to boil the water?
• do you or your family have enough money to buy several new bottles
and nipples?
• do you or your family have enough money to buy enough infant
formula, tinned milk, or clean animal milk for at least 6 months?
• do you or your family know how to properly clean the bottles and
nipples, and prepare the other milks?
When you give formula or animal milk, everything must be kept very clean. The
cup, spoon, bottle, rubber nipples, and any containers used for milk or formula
should be washed thoroughly and boiled for 20 minutes before each use. Prepared
formula, tinned milk that has been opened, and animal milk should never be left at
room temperature for more than 2 hours. They will spoil and could make the baby
very sick. Formula can sit in a cold refrigerator for up to 12 hours.
Helping the Baby Burp (wind)
During feeding, some babies swallow air,
which can make them uncomfortable. You
can help a baby bring up this air if you can
hold it on your shoulder or chest and rub its
back, or rub its back while it sits or lies on
your lap.
If you have only one arm or
limited strength in one arm, hold
the baby on your knees with the
baby facing away from you and
your good arm across its chest.
Then rock forward and backward
until the baby burps and relaxes.
A Health Handbook for Women with Disabilities 2007