Tips to Help Feed Your Newborn as a First-time Father

Feeding a Newborn

Feeding a baby is a round-the-clock activity, because newborns need to eat about every two to three hours. If your partner is breastfeeding, you may think you can leave it up to her, but it’s better if you’re involved, too. If the baby is exclusively breast fed, your partner may prefer to nurse, rather than offering a bottle, until your baby has settled into a routine. However, you can still be involved, and this can be a good way to bond with your little one.

Supporting Your Partner During Breastfeeding

It can be taxing, nursing a newborn. Help your partner by bringing water or tea, burp cloths, and pillows to help her get comfortable. You can also offer to burp the baby once the feeding is finished. Once you are both comfortable with the baby taking a bottle, whether of breastmilk or formula, you can also take feeding shifts. Especially in the middle of the night, she will appreciate the opportunity to get some extra rest, and this will give you the chance to spend valuable one-on-one time with your new baby. Note: healthy newborns only need milk or formula, not juice, water, or cereal.

Learning Baby’s Cues

The most obvious sign that your baby is hungry is crying. However, crying doesn’t always mean hunger; it can also mean a dirty diaper or a sleepy baby. There are also more subtle indications that it is time to feed the baby. You might notice your little one mouthing or sucking on fingers or fists, smacking his or her lips, or rooting around for a bottle or breast: these are your cues to grab a bottle.

Tips for Feeding a Newborn

• Learn the schedule. Generally, newborns eat every two to three hours. However, this is not the same for all babies. Your partner can help you learn your baby’s schedule, and as the routine becomes more established, you will find that knowing when your baby needs to be fed comes naturally to you.
• Know how to prepare the bottle. Newborn babies need one to two ounces of milk, while two to four month old babies require four to six ounces. By six months, the amount increases to six to eight ounces. Freshly pumped breastmilk is ready to go, but formula must be mixed as directed to keep from disrupting the balance of electrolytes, which can be dangerous for the baby. It is not necessary to warm a bottle, but if you want to, never use the microwave. Use a bottle warmer, set the bottle in warm water, or hold it under warm tap water. Swirl the bottle to ensure even heating, then test a drop on your wrist; the ideal temperature for a bottle is body temperature, so it should feel neither hot nor cool.
• Get into the right position. Swaddle the baby, and then hold your little one, cradled in your arm, with the baby’s body at a 45 degree angle. Swaddling will make for a more peaceful feeding time by keeping the baby from moving the arms and legs and disrupting the feeding.
• Don’t forget to burp the baby. Different babies respond to different burping techniques, and you and your partner may have to try a few to get the right one. Some babies can be burped on your shoulder, while others will do better face down on your lap or across your arm. The important thing is to make sure the baby lets go of extra gas after a feeding.
• Be smart about storing milk. A fresh bottle of breastmilk can sit at room temperature for up to four hours, stay in the refrigerator for up to four days, or remain frozen for up to 12 months. However, if the baby has been drinking from the bottle, the milk is only good for two more hours. Similarly, leftover formula should be discarded, because the baby’s saliva can cause bacteria to grow in the formula.

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