Bottle Questions

There are newborn-flow, slow-flow, medium-flow, and fast-flow nipples. The medium-flow nipples say 3+ months on the package. Should I switch my baby to medium-flow nipples at three months?

If you're breastfeeding in addition to pumping, it's important to stay with a slow-flow nipple as long as your baby isn't fussing about the slowness of the milk. Getting milk out of a breast takes work, and your baby may begin to prefer the ease of the bottle's nipple to your own.

If you're an exclusive pumper, I'd still stick with a slow-flow nipple until your baby starts to fuss, though there are less consequences.

The moral of the story? Don't take advice from manufacturing labels.

How much breastmilk should I put in the bottle?

Slightly more than your baby generally eats, in case of extra hunger (usually just before bedtime). Your baby's stomach is about the size of his or her fist -- that's about the size of a walnut between six weeks to six months. Most babies eat about 700 to 800 mL (23-28 oz) per day, but may eat more, especially when on a growth spurt. Let your baby's hunger be your guide. If he or she isn't spitting up excessively, is producing at least six wet diapers a day, and is growing, you're giving the baby enough milk.

How much should my baby be eating? Does it change over time?

From about twelve weeks to six months, a baby's eating habits tend to be fairly constant. Not all babies are the same, of course, so it's good to keep track of what your baby is eating (and how much you're producing). A milk consumption calculator can help. Remember, don't compare the amount a formula-fed infant gets with that of a breastfed infant -- formula-feeders eat a lot more. Chances are you'll never need to buy eight-ounce bottles.

Do bottles damage teeth?

Here's the Mayo Clinic's answer. Essentially, no -- but the sugars you put in the bottle can damage baby's teeth, particularly if your child goes to bed with the bottle (or sippy cup). Babies shouldn't have anything other than breastmilk, formula, or water for the first six months. Fruit juice isn't as good for a baby as the fruit itself, and cow's milk is too difficult to digest at an early age.

Should I put cereal in the bottle?

I've had everyone from government representatives to well-meaning moms ask me if I put cereal in my baby's bottle. The answer? Heck no! A baby's main source of food is milk until at least the nine month mark. Food earlier than this is for supplementation and eating practice. If you feed your baby cereal in a bottle, he won't be able to practice eating from a spoon, and that's the point of adding cereal to his diet.

FAQ

Now that I've broken the ice with a thoroughly businesslike entry, I'll brave the introduction. I admit it's more like a sequel, both to my first post, and to Sparrow's first post (in which he gloriously outlined his intentions for the future). Naturally, since Sparrow did things one way, I'll have to do them in another way. Time for displaying my foresight in answering non-frequently-asked-questions!

What's the difference between Fox and Sparrow, the persons?
Sparrow tends to be florid in his writing; Fox can be painfully precise. Sparrow muses; Fox pontificates. Subjects will vary widely, but Fox will tend toward specific issues like the colonization of Mars, EPing, or grammar.

What do you two DO all day?
Write! And it's not a joke. Sparrow does a lot of writing (and teaching) in his line of work; Fox edits for money and writes for sanity. Nurturing Thorn is also a big part of life, since we do not put him in childcare. That is a responsibility we share utterly.

Who is Thorn?
Thorn is our son. We've decided to refrain from using his name here to protect his privacy.

Who is Rose?
Rose is Sparrow's name for Fox. Sorry for the confusion, but the name pre-existed the blog.

What are your political views?
If you have to ask, lest your eyes melt from our horribly American liberalism or conservatism, this isn't the blog for you. We don't agree anyway.

Who painted the winged fox image on your blog?
Click on the image to find out.

Did you know there's a bird named a "fox sparrow?"
We sure do. Found out while making this blog, in fact. But we are stalwartly dual-animal here.