I would like to thank Stephanie for giving me the opportunity to contribute to her blog. When I read that she was doing a series about formula and bottle feeding I was excited about the topic and asked if she would be interested in a guest article. As a mother of a child who was exclusively formula fed, I believe that accurate and honest information about formula/bottle feeding is very much needed. Many women bottle feed either by choice or circumstance, and they deserve just as much information and support as their breastfeeding counterparts. I would like to take this time to talk about a method of bottle feeding known as Paced Bottle Feeding (PBF). Surprisingly I have found very little information online about this method, and most formula/bottle feeding mothers that I know in real life have never heard of it either. I would like to introduce myself and talk about how I came to be familiar with PBF.
I am a 32 year old mother of a 2 ½ year old boy and a soon to be little girl (due in May). Like many first-time moms I had every intention to breast feed. Everyone says it's the healthiest thing for your baby, it's free and easy to do! However, after giving birth I ran into several challenges that I did not expect. I had a newborn who had no interest in latching, very little hospital support (including one downright nasty nurse who made me cry and an intimidating pediatrician) and the beginnings of postpartum depression. By the time I left the hospital my son had developed such a bottle preference that he wanted absolutely nothing to do with the breast, and would in fact scream and actively pull his head away from my breast every time it was offered. I sought the help from a local lactation consultant who came up with a plan to get my son onto the breast. However, at that point I was sleep deprived, depressed, and had no emotional or mental energy left. At just two weeks in I made the decision to switch to formula full time. Included in my Action Plan made by the lactation consultant was a sheet of paper that explained something called Paced Bottle Feeding, and I used this method with my son with a lot of success.
So what is Paced Bottle Feeding? The name pretty much explains it. It's a method of bottle feeding that allows the baby to set the pace of how she or he eats from the bottle. It follows the natural suck-swallow pattern that a baby would do if he or she were eating at the breast. One of the main criticisms I often hear about bottle feeding is that the baby just chugs down the bottle with no break, which then leads to over feeding and the inevitable regurgitation. With PBF you follow your baby's lead. They set the amount that they want to eat which can reduce overfeeding, spit ups and general upset tummies.
How does one do Paced Bottle Feeding?
Step 1: Hold your baby to an almost upright position. Newborns and small infants who do not yet have full head control will need to be assisted with head and neck support.
Step 2: Place the bottle perpendicular to the baby's mouth, and tickle the lips to see if the baby is interested. If so, insert the nipple into the baby's mouth and slowly tilt the bottle up.
Step 3: Let the baby take a few swallows (about 3-4), and then tilt the bottle back down to allow that baby to catch a break for a few seconds.
Step 4: Tilt the bottle back up and repeat the 3-4 swallows followed by a few seconds break. Continue to do this until either the baby finishes the bottle, or stops sucking and has no more interest in eating. When my son was little he would shut his lips together and move his head away. Sometimes after a bottle has been finished the baby still wants more food. That is okay! Babies are constantly growing and require more food as time goes by. Sometimes all it takes is another ounce.
So there you have it, Paced Bottle Feeding!
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