This is rare in bottlefed babies. Your baby should be fed on demand and not at set times; demands may vary from day to day. If your child consistently seems fretful after he drains each bottle, he may well e hungry. Offer him an extra 2 fluid ounces (60 milliliters) of formula. If he takes it, then he needs it.

If your baby demands frequent feedings but doesn’t take much, the nipple hole may be too small, so that he is having difficulty sucking the formula and is tired before he gets enough.

At first your baby won’t be able to sleep for more than two or four hours at a time without waking with hunger. Once he reaches a weight about 11 pounds (5 kilograms), try to stretch the time between feedings until you are getting about six hours of undisturbed sleep at night. Although your baby will have his own routine, it’s sensible to try to time his last feeding to coincide with your own bedtime, which should be as late as possible. You may find that your baby will still wake up and demand the early morning feeding, no matter how hard you try. If this happens you’ll just have to be patient and look forward to when he drops it.

• Bottles and lids
• Plastic knife
• Measuring spoon from formula package
• Funnel
• Nipples and rings
• Caps
• Measuring cup

Measuring Using the measuring scoop provided with the formula, measure out the required amount. Use a knife to level off each scoopful, and do not pack the formula down into the scoop.

Mixing Put the required amount of formula into the mixing cup with the boiled and cooled water. Never add extra formula or the mixture will be too concentrated and could be dangerous. Stir the formula and water until you are sure that there are no lumps or residue and the mixture is smooth.

Storing Place the clean nipples upside-down in the bottles; secure with the screw-on rings and put on the plastic caps. Refrigerate the bottles immediately, putting them on a tray to keep them upright.

The hole in the nipple should allow the milk to flow in a steady stream of several drops per second when the bottle is inverted.

If the hole is too large, your baby will get too much too fast and splutter; if it is too small, your baby will get tired from sucking before she is satisfied. To make the hole in a nipple bigger, insert a fine, red-hot needle gently through the hole to melt the rubber (stick one end of the needle into a cork and hold it over a flame to heat it).

Sculpted nipples that are shaped to fit the baby’s palate and allow her control over the flow are best.

Using a ready-made formula is more straightforward than mixing your own, but strict rules of hygiene should still be observed.

• Before opening the can, scrub the top, paying particular attention to the cutting edge
• Use a very clean can opener or can punch to open the formula
• If you are not using all of the formula, store the extra in the refrigerator in a clean jar, not in the can. Formula can be stored in the refrigerator for 24 hours
• Don’t reuse any formula that your baby has left in the bottle; it will have been contaminated with her saliva

Most formulas are based on cows’ milk, but you can buy soy-based formulas for a baby who finds cows’ milk unsuitable. Some formulas are available both in powder and ready-to-use forms.

Ready-to-use formula comes in cans or ready-to-feed bottles and is ultra-heat treated (UHT), which means it is sterile and will keep in a cool place until the “best before” date. Once the can has been opened, the formula will keep for 24 hours in a refrigerator. Ready-to-use formula is more expensive than powdered formula, but it is convenient, and useful when you are traveling. If you use powdered formula, it is essential to make it up precisely according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Some parents are tempted to add extra powder to make the formula “more nourishing,” but this will lead to your baby getting too much protein and fat, and not enough water. Similarly, if you add too little powder, your baby will not be getting the nutrients he needs for healthy growth.

Cleaning the bottles Use a bottle brush and warm soapy water to remove all traces of milk from the bottles. Rinse them.

Cleaning the nipples Rinse the nipples thoroughly. Remove all traces of milk by rubbing them with salt.

Soaking the equipment Half – fill the sterilizing unit with cold water, and dissolve a sterilizing tablet in the water. Put the bottles, nipples, measuring cup, and spoon into the unit, then add enough cold water to fill it. Submerge all the equipment and leave for the required time. When you are ready to use the equipment, rinse and drain it.

It is wise to practice with your feeding equipment before you go into the hospital, so buy it well in advance of your delivery date. Large department stores and drugstores sell bottlefeeding packs that have all the essential equipment.

I always found it most convenient to sterilize and make up a full batch of bottles, and refrigerate them until needed. After the feeding, rinse the bottle in warm water and then put it aside. It is a good idea to continue sterilizing all formula-feeding equipment until your baby is 12 months old.

Most sterilizing units hold only four to six bottles. Your newborn baby, however, will be taking around seven feedings over 24 hours, so you may have to sterilize and prepare the bottles twice a day – morning and evening – to ensure you have enough formula ready for whenever he is hungry. The number of feedings will decline as your baby grows, so you’ll have to prepare only one batch a day.

The one thing you cannot give your baby if you bottlefeed from the start is colostrum, so even if you’re not intending to breastfeed your baby, you will be giving him a good start if you put him to the breast in the first few days. If you decide not to do this, the hospital staff can take care of your baby’s first feedings; he will probably be given sugar water a few hours after delivery.

One of the good things about bottlefeeding is that the new father can be involved at feeding times. Make sure that your partner feeds your baby as soon as possible after the birth. This way he can get used to the technique and won’t be afraid to handle the baby. He should open his shirt so that the baby nestles up to his skin when he feeds, and gets to know his smell.

Disposable bottles

Bottles that take disposable liners are convenient, especially when you are traveling. The liner is collapsible, so air does not enter the bottle as your baby draws the milk and there is less likelihood of gas.