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Formula Supplementing Tips

Formula Supplementing Tips

Feeding your baby by formula supplementing may have you puzzled as there are so many options and types of formulas on the market. A Newborn Care Specialist will present to you the research discovered by professional pediatricians comparing the 6 categories of formula (Cow’s Milk-Based, Soy-Based, Hypoallergenic, Lactose-Free, Organic, and Formulas for Babies with Special Needs).

After making an educated decision and finally choosing a formula, your Newborn Care Specialist will discuss these topics in regard to formula supplementing your precious little one:

  • bottle types
  • nipple sizes
  • how often to formula feed
  • how much formula to supplement
  • best baby bottles to use if you plan to breastfeed in conjunction with formula feeding
  • physical signs of your infant getting enough nutrition with formula
  • guidelines for weight gain
  • signs of underfeeding and over feeding
  • safe formula supplementing tips
  • formula guidelines
  • bottle temperature
  • converting ccs and ml to ounces
  • water usage in formula
  • how to clean and sterilize bottles and equipment
  • the Kangaroo Care method
  • and any supplementing questions you have
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Best Breastfeeding Position

Best Breastfeeding Position

Natural breastfeeding using the laid back breastfeeding method also known as the Turtle Method position can stimulate your baby’s pressure points to nurse and heal your breasts while getting a deeper latch! It is also a safer way for your baby to breastfeed if you fall asleep while feeding your baby.

With the Turtle Method, newborn babies can stabilize themselves naturally. This means your baby can already instinctively control certain parts of their body, and will naturally help manipulate your breast to suit their own feeding behaviors. The Turtle Method position gives your baby control of your breast by flexing his or her hands and fingers and then moving them to sculpt your nipples. This position makes it more suitable for them to feed, and it also releases scar tissue in your breast which eliminates the need for pumping because of inverted or flat nipples.

When your baby is faced down on your stomach in the Turtle position, they are touching certain pressure points with their knees, pelvic area, and feet while also allowing gravity to pull them into your chest instead of gravity pulling your breasts downward. Plus, being on their belly counts as tummy time toward their essential development!

The Turtle Method allows your baby to breastfeed much better than when they are laying on their back breastfeeding in your arms because they won’t involuntarily reflex backward when you guide your baby’s head toward your chest with your hand. When your baby is laying on their back in your arms, it is a gravity-fighting position and there is a shallower latch… ouch!

In addition, being on their stomach while in Turtle position actually allows your baby to help release the fluids in your own body which you received from IVs and also from engorgement as your milk comes in. This is due to your baby’s body pressure pushing against you while you lay in a reclined position. With your baby facing down, their body helps through this reverse pressure technique to decrease the swelling and fluids in the breast and draw out the nipple for easier feeding.

In terms of safety, the Turtle Method allows your baby to be fully resting on your body without the requirement of your arms. You don’t have to worry about your baby’s safety. However, if you fall asleep while breastfeeding your baby in your arms as they lay on their back, your baby would have no support.

Quick Turtle Method Tips:

  1. Lay back or recline in a chair and place your baby on your tummy, diagonally across your body with their cheek on the upper part of your breast. You should be fully reclined. If your baby starts slipping, you’re not laying back far enough. The natural curves of your body will support your baby sans props, and gravity will assist in a deep latch while your baby receives skin-to-skin contact.
  2. When your baby’s pressure buttons are pushed, their coordination improves. This was identified at Prague School by Scientists as Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization or DNS. To activate your newborn’s internal GPS so that your baby knows where they are and what they need to do, they need to feel their entire front against you and touching you with their complete body. This full frontal contact activates their pressure buttons located on their wrists, ribs, inside of their knees, and tops and bottoms of their feet, stabilizing their spine, which gives them better control over their own movements, so they can feed more effectively.
  3. Lastly, adjust your breast.
Breastfeeding Positions
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Breastfeeding Tips

Nourish Birth Breastfeeding Tips

Breast care and breastfeeding go hand-in-hand. A Newborn Care Specialist can help expected and new mothers with breastfeeding by discussing and demonstrating:

  • nutritional support for increasing milk supply
  • milk storage
  • nipple care and breast wellness
  • bottles for breastfed babies
  • nipple sizes
  • how often to feed
  • how much to feed
  • physical signs of your infant getting enough nutrition
  • guidelines for weight gain
  • signs of underfeeding and over feeding
  • safe breastfeeding tips
  • the most popular breastfeeding positions
  • best breastfeeding positions for c-section births
  • bottle temperature
  • converting CCs to ounces
  • choosing and using a pump
  • how to clean and sterilize bottles and equipment
  • benefits of nursing
  • the Kangaroo Care method
  • and any questions you have
Related Topics

* Read about better Breastfeeding Positions such as the Turtle Method in which newborn babies can stabilize themselves naturally. This means your baby can already instinctively control certain parts of their body, and will naturally help manipulate your breast to suit their own feeding behaviors.

* Bonding with your newborn baby can happen immediately after birthing through a method called Kangaroo Care. This promotes psychological and physical well-being for both your newborn and for you as the mother. Kangaroo Care includes skin-to-skin contact and exclusively breastfeeding.

* Learn the 15 Breast Milk Nutrition Secrets

* Compare the composition of Breast Milk vs. Formula

* Educating yourself with evidence-based information is important, and without judgment is so important for your psychological and emotional well-being.  It can be stressful if you feel alone in this, but you’re not.

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Tummy Time Instructions

Nourish Birth Tummy Time Instructions

Tummy time enables your newborn baby to receive several essential developmental benefits as your newborn engages their entire body to lay the foundation of all of their sensorimotor skills for their entire life.

How exactly do you do tummy time? Follow the timeline below and read the tummy time tips. It’s never too late to start tummy time exercises, and to give your baby all the tools they need to reap the tummy time benefits.

Tummy Time Timeline

  1. From birth to 3 weeks: Tummy time should start the day baby comes home from the hospital, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). A good time to play with your newborn in this position is after a diaper change or nap. Begin by placing your baby on your chest (practice Kangaroo Care), as often as possible and preferably skin to skin while you are laying down. In the first few weeks, try tummy time for 1-2 minutes, 2-3 times a day, at different times of the day. Your newborn can build up to 10-15 minutes a day.
  2. Around age 3 weeks to 1 month: One to two times daily, hold your baby upright with their belly against your upper chest and their head resting against your shoulder. Gently support your newborn’s neck and head with your hand. As they lift their head they are strengthening their neck and back. This simple exercise allows babies to develop the ability to move their face out of a blanket or mattress in case they accidentally roll to the stomach. When you do place him on his tummy, gently lift his head a tiny bit. Show him how to slowly swing his face to the side. Place safe objects and toys close to your newborn. Move them from side to side in front of her face. This encourages her to move, lift and turn her head.
  3. At age 2-3 months: It is easier for your newborn if you place your hand under their chest during the tummy exercise. This helps to lift your baby a tiny bit. Always put both of their arms in front to help them start learning how to use their arms to push up.

Tummy Time Tips

  • Supervise your newborn during tummy time. Never leave your baby alone. As they get stronger and start moving more, clear away dangerous objects like tables with sharp corners.
  • If your baby doesn’t like tummy time on the floor, do tummy time on a rolled-up towel or your lap. You can later transition to the floor.
  • Newborn babies have limited strength and poor head control. They tend to cry. Thus some parents fear and avoid it. Begin with brief sessions, a few minutes at a time. The key is to stay consistent. Then gradually increase the time as they grow through tummy time. Prepare to be amazed how quickly your newborn will gain strength and develop their vestibular system. They will improve coordination, sensory, oral and motor skills, all while they build self-confidence.
  • Get down on your baby’s level, interact by talking eye-to-eye. Sing songs, stroke their back, and tickle their hands. Engage in facial expressions, smile, and encourage touch. This enables your child to feel safe and secure in tummy time, ultimately enjoying the experience and benefits of learning to move and play.
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Choosing A Formula Supplement

Nourish Birth Choosing a Formula Supplement

Choosing how to supplement your baby’s diet with formula can be puzzling. Currently there are 6 major categories of formula on our market shelves today. They include:

  1. Cow’s Milk Based Formulas
  2. Soy Based Formulas
  3. Hypoallergenic Formulas
  4. Lactose Free Formulas
  5. Organic Formulas
  6. Formulas for Babies with Special Needs

It is important to make an educated decision on the type of formula supplement you will feed to your baby. Hiring a Doula or Newborn Care Specialist includes discussing and educating the mother with in-depth research done by industry professionals on the advantages and disadvantages of each category of formula.

For example, did you know in cow’s milk based formulas, the proteins are made more digestible by adding more lactose which makes it similar to breast milk, and butterfat is replaced by vegetable oils? And did you know that although there is a category of hypoallergenic formulas, that no formula is NON-allergenic, and that the specialty formulas just have degrees of lesser stimulation of the allergic response or a sensitivity to the protein in the formula?

We will discuss Dairy Allergy Vs. Dairy Hypersensitivities, soy formulas, iron-fortified formulas, and the importance of choosing a formula without artificial DHA/ARA. It is imperative that all parents be made aware of the potential risks of feeding their babies formula with DHA/ARA, and then given a list of formulas which have DHA/ARA without the use of hexane (a neurotoxin) in the manufacturing process.

After choosing a formula, we will discuss the available forms of your preferred formula supplement (powder, ready-to-use, ready-to-pour, or concentrated liquid) and how to prepare formula properly for your precious little one.

Lastly we will discuss:

  • bottle types
  • nipple sizes
  • how often to supplement with formula
  • how much to supplement with formula
  • physical signs of your infant getting enough nutrition
  • guidelines for weight gain
  • signs of underfeeding and over feeding
  • safe formula feeding tips
  • formula guidelines
  • bottle temperature
  • converting ccs to ounces
  • water usage in formula
  • how to clean and sterilize bottles and equipment
  • the Kangaroo Care method
  • and any questions you have

Book your Virtual Newborn Care Consultation for fast solutions on feeding and other concerns you may have.

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Bonding Naturally with Your Baby

Nourish Birth Kangaroo Care Skin to Skin

Bonding with your newborn baby can happen immediately after birthing through a method called Kangaroo Care. This promotes psychological and physical well-being for both your newborn and for you as the mother. Kangaroo Care includes skin-to-skin contact and exclusively breastfeeding.

Kangaroo Care is excellent for both parents, however. Studies show lowered testosterone levels when fathers experience skin-to-skin with their babies. All babies and all parents benefit from Kangaroo Care, regardless on the feeding method.

Kangaroo Care is wonderful for mothers who have problems breastfeeding, too, when needing to feed their newborn formula and/or through a tube. Having your baby suck and nuzzle on empty breasts can help stimulate your milk production. In fact, practicing skin-to-skin contact with the mother stimulates a specific part of the newborn’s brain, causing the baby to instinctively move to the breast, self-attach, and feed. This increases the baby’s physical development. Secondly, kangaroo care causes the baby to gaze at his or her mother, ensuring emotional and social development.

This should begin right after giving birth and is always a great benefit at any time during the first few weeks. For an infant in need such as a premature baby, it can be used continuously day and night however it is beneficial any amount of time it is experienced.

Kangaroo Care Bonding Benefits are amazing!

  1. Acceleration of your baby’s brain development occurs with bonding through Kangaroo Care, lowering levels of cortisol, the hormone produced when undergoing stress, after just 20 minutes of skin to skin contact.
  2. Your baby gets better sleep with lowered cortisol levels as well.
  3. Research shows a baby’s digestive system can be restored to perfect balance after one hour of skin-to-skin contact.
  4. Your baby will also cry less and be calmer through this bonding tool because your heartbeat and warmth remind them of the safe, familiar world they were once in when inside your womb.
  5. Thermal synchrony phenomenon occurs as the temperature of your chest increases to warm your cold baby and decreases to cool your overly warm baby.
  6. Antibodies will pass through your skin to your baby and strengthen your baby’s immune system.
  7. Kangaroo Care naturally stabilizes the newborn’s respiration and oxygenation, increases glucose levels (reducing hypoglycemia), regulates blood pressure and heart rate, and increases the quiet alert state.
  8. When you begin bonding skin-to-skin with your baby immediately following birth, they are more likely to breastfeed than a baby who has been swaddled immediately after birth. Furthermore, the more your baby breastfeeds, the sooner your milk comes in and the better your milk supply will be.
  9. Researchers have found that preterm infants who experience Kangaroo Care have longer periods of sleep, gain more weight, decrease their crying, have longer periods of alertness, and earlier hospital discharge.
  10. Babies held skin-to-skin by their fathers are proven to have higher temperature and glucose levels compared to those of babies left alone under warmers.
  11. Depriving babies of skin-to-skin can lead to ADD, colic, and sleep disorders.