How to participate?

• Take a picture of your baby with you and/or your family during your holidays.
• Caption the Picture with a nice title.
• Send your picture to contest@baiboo.com.my with subject Our happy holidays.
• E-mail should contain:  your Full Name, IC-Number, Phone Number, E-mail address, Baby’s full name, DOB of Baby, Date and Place the picture was taken. Don’t forget to attach the Picture.
• Please read the Rules and Regulations carefully before sending in your picture.

We at BaiBoo-Family Service will upload your Picture to the BaiBoo-Family Service Facebook Page and Fans of the page are invited to like  the best pictures.

PRIZE

1 (one) Bepanthen gift hamper (value RM150+) courtesy of Bayer Healthcare.

RULES & REGULATIONS

1. General Rules: This contest is open to all residents in Malaysia, who are 18 years of age or older and to the parents or legal guardians of a child that is between 0-48 months (0-4 years) of age at the time of entering the Contest.

To participate entrant have to send a picture with following details: Full Name, IC-Number, Phone Number, E-mail address, Baby’s full name, DOB of Baby, Date and Place the picture was taken.

Attention: Don’t send us any naked pictures of your baby. Neither front nor back. By naked we understand the intimate parts exposed. This censorship is to protect you, your baby and us. Pictures violation this rule will be deleted without exception.

2. Contest Period: The Contest will begin on September 2nd, 2010, at 12:00 a.m. and all entries must be received by September 20th, 2010 at 11.59 p.m.

3. Entries: A maximum of one entry (picture) is permitted per person. Multiple entries will be automatically disqualified. Entries with missing information will be disqualified. No correspondence will be entertained.

4. Winner selection: Fans of the BaiBoo-Family Service Page in Facebook are invited to “like” the picture they think should be eligible for the final round. Deadline for “liking” will be September 22th at 11:59 a.m. BaiBoo-Family Service will choose the winner from the 20 pictures that have been “liked” most.

5. Winner Notification, Acceptance and Price Collection: The Prize winner will be notified by e-mail on or around September 24th, 2010. Return of e-mail prize notification as undeliverable may result in disqualification and an alternate winner may be selected. Winners may waive their right to receive prizes. Prizes are nonassignable and nontransferable. No substitutions allowed. Sponsor reserves the right to substitute prizes of equal or greater value.

Winner has to come and collect the prize from BaiBoo-Family Service’s office in Kuala Lumpur. If the price is not collected within 30 days after the e-mail notification was sent, the winner forfeiture of his or her interest in the prize and the winner’s will be disqualified. BaiBoo-Family Service reserves the right so select an alternate winner.

6. Participation: By participating, entrants agree to be bound by the Official Rules and the decisions of BaiBoo-Family Service, which shall be final and binding in all respects.

Except where prohibited, participation in the Contest constitutes entrant’s consent to the publication of his or her name, biographical information and likeness in any media, including, but not limited to BaiBoo-Family Service, social networking websites, internet, advertisements and/or publications, etc. for any commercial or promotional purpose, without limitation or further compensation.

By participating, entrants agree to be bound by these Official Rules and the decisions of BaiBoo-Family Service. Sponsor reserves the right to disqualify persons found tampering with or otherwise abusing any aspect of this Contest as solely determined by Sponsor. Should the Contest be terminated prior to the stated expiration date, Sponsor reserves the right to award prizes based on the entries received before the termination date. No correspondence will be entertained.

7. Disclaimers: By entering, participants acknowledge and agree that the Sponsor, BaiBoo-Family Service and their respective corporate parents, subsidiaries, and affiliates, and the officers, employees and agents of each of them (collectively, the “Contest Entities”) will not be liable for losses or injuries of any kind resulting from any participant’s acceptance, possession, use and/or misuse of any prize(s), travel to or from any prize-related activity, participation in the Contest, printing, mailing or distribution errors, or any malfunctions of the telephone network, computer Internet system, computer dating mechanism, computer equipment, software, or any combination thereof. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Contest Entities will not be responsible or liable for any injury or damage to any participants or third person’s computer and/or its contents, related to or resulting from the Contest. Sponsor reserves the right to terminate, suspend or modify the Contest if, at its sole discretion, it determines that for any reason the Contest is not capable of running as originally planned, or fraud, technical failures, printing, mailing or distribution errors, or any other unanticipated causes or occurrences have compromised the fairness or integrity of the Contest.In the event the Contest is terminated prior to the stated end date, Sponsor reserves the right to award all prizes in a random drawing from among all eligible entries received as of the date of termination.

8. General Release: By entering the Contest, contestants release BaiBoo-Family Service, any other promotional sponsors, and each of their respective affiliated companies, directors, officers, employees, representatives, partners and agents from any liability whatsoever for any claims, costs, injuries, losses or damages of any kind arising out of or in connection with the Contest or with the acceptance, possession or use of any prize (including, without limitation, claims, costs, injuries, losses or damages related to personal injuries, death, damage to, loss or destruction of property, rights of publicity or privacy, defamation or portrayal in a false light).

9. Sponsor: BaiBoo-Family Service Contest is sponsored by Bayer Healthcare, whose decisions regarding the selection of winners and all other aspects of the Contest shall be final and binding in all respects. Sponsor will not be responsible for typographical, printing or other inadvertent errors in these Official Rules or in other materials relating to the Contest. If you have any questions regarding this Contest, please contact BaiBoo-Family Service.

This contest is brought to you by

Tell us YOUR STORY and stand the chance of winning a gift Hamper.

How to participate?

• Write your story about your breastfeeding experience. (It can be a funny situation you had, OR what did you fell when you breastfeed for the first time, OR why you choose to breastfeed, OR what challenges / problems you faced, OR what solutions you have, OR tips you have for other breastfeeding moms etc.)
• The story should be minimum 100 and maximum 1300 words.
• It can be written in English or Malay.
• Send us your story to contest@baiboo.com.my with subject My Breastfeeding Experience.
• E-mail should contain your Full Name, Phone Number, E-Mail Address, Title of your Story, Story and a picture of you, Name & DOB of your baby. You can attach your story as word or pfd file.
• Please read the Rules and Regulations carefully before sending in your story.

PRIZE

5 (five) Gift hampers (value RM 80+) including: Nappy Kleen, Eucerin Products, Baby First TV – Cognitive Beginnings CD to be given away.

RULES & REGULATIONS

1. General Rules:

• This contest is open to all residents in Malaysia, who are 18 years of age or older.
• To participate entrant have to send story about their breastfeeding experiences and following details: full name, contact number, e-mail address, Name & DOB of your baby, picture of participant.
• Story must not be longer than 1300 words and not shorter than 100 words. Attention: Don’t send us any stories copied from the internet. Stories violation this rule will be disqualified without exception.
• Participants can only submit one story. Entrant who submits more than one story will not be eligible for this contest.

2. Contest Period: The Contest will begin on August 25th, 2010, at 11:00 a.m. and all entries must be received by September 8th, 2010 at 11.59 p.m. The 5 best stories will be published in BaiBoo’s Webpage including a picture and the name of the winner.

3. Winner Notification, Acceptance and Price Collection: The Prize winner will be notified by e-mail on or around September 15th, 2010. Return of e-mail prize notification as undeliverable may result in disqualification and an alternate winner may be selected. Winners may waive their right to receive prizes. Prizes are nonassignable and nontransferable. No substitutions allowed. Sponsor reserves the right to substitute prizes of equal or greater value.

Winner has to come and collect the prize from BaiBoo-Family Service’s office in Kuala Lumpur. If the price is not collected within 30 days after the e-mail notification was sent, the winner forfeiture of his or her interest in the prize and the winner’s will be disqualified. BaiBoo-Family Service reserves the right so select an alternate winner.

4. Participation: By participating, entrants agree to be bound by the Official Rules and the decisions of BaiBoo-Family Service, which shall be final and binding in all respects.

Except where prohibited, participation in the Contest constitutes entrant’s consent to the publication of his or her name, biographical information and likeness in any media, including, but not limited to BaiBoo-Family Service, social networking websites, internet, advertisements and/or publications, etc. for any commercial or promotional purpose, without limitation or further compensation.

By participating, entrants agree to be bound by these Official Rules and the decisions of BaiBoo-Family Service. Sponsor reserves the right to disqualify persons found tampering with or otherwise abusing any aspect of this Contest as solely determined by Sponsor. Should the Contest be terminated prior to the stated expiration date, Sponsor reserves the right to award prizes based on the entries received before the termination date. No correspondence will be entertained.

5. Disclaimers: By entering, participants acknowledge and agree that the Sponsor, BaiBoo-Family Service and their respective corporate parents, subsidiaries, and affiliates, and the officers, employees and agents of each of them (collectively, the “Contest Entities”) will not be liable for losses or injuries of any kind resulting from any participant’s acceptance, possession, use and/or misuse of any prize(s), travel to or from any prize-related activity, participation in the Contest, printing, mailing or distribution errors, or any malfunctions of the telephone network, computer Internet system, computer dating mechanism, computer equipment, software, or any combination thereof. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Contest Entities will not be responsible or liable for any injury or damage to any participants or third person’s computer and/or its contents, related to or resulting from the Contest. Sponsor reserves the right to terminate, suspend or modify the Contest if, at its sole discretion, it determines that for any reason the Contest is not capable of running as originally planned, or fraud, technical failures, printing, mailing or distribution errors, or any other unanticipated causes or occurrences have compromised the fairness or integrity of the Contest.In the event the Contest is terminated prior to the stated end date, Sponsor reserves the right to award all prizes in a random drawing from among all eligible entries received as of the date of termination.

6. General Release: By entering the Contest, contestants release BaiBoo-Family Service, any other promotional sponsors, and each of their respective affiliated companies, directors, officers, employees, representatives, partners and agents from any liability whatsoever for any claims, costs, injuries, losses or damages of any kind arising out of or in connection with the Contest or with the acceptance, possession or use of any prize (including, without limitation, claims, costs, injuries, losses or damages related to personal injuries, death, damage to, loss or destruction of property, rights of publicity or privacy, defamation or portrayal in a false light).

7. Sponsor: BaiBoo-Family Service Contest, whose decisions regarding the selection of winners and all other aspects of the Contest shall be final and binding in all respects. Sponsor will not be responsible for typographical, printing or other inadvertent errors in these Official Rules or in other materials relating to the Contest. If you have any questions regarding this Contest, please contact BaiBoo-Family Service.

Your breasts hurt and you have already heard of abscesses? So you fear the worst? Don’t panic! There are a number of alarm signals to consider first.

• The first signs of a breast engorgement: in the breasts there is too much milk because the baby drinks less, or has been weaned too quickly.  Express some milk from the breast under a warm shower and you should feel better.
• Further signs are inflammation of the lymphatic nodes (red lines on the breasts) or mastitis (inflammation of the breast glands, a reddening and swelling on one side of the breast). Both can be treated through rest and with warm compresses (small towel soaked in warm water).
• And if it’s the scary abscess? Abscesses do not appear without warning: you will have a fever, swelling in the armpits and pus in the milk. Whatever it is, there is no cause for alarm: if you don’t breastfeed for a few days, your milk production should not be affected. Seek your doctor’s advice.

• If your nipples are cracked, leave few drops of milk to dry on the nipples after the feed.
• Make sure that your baby is lying in a proper position. Maybe the pain was caused by a wrong position of the child.
• If you don’t see any injury on your nipples, but they still hurt, check your baby’s oral cavity. If there are white spots that don’t go away, it’s a fungus. In this case, you both have the “Candida Abicans” fungus, more known as Candida. Nothing dramatic about this since it’s a fungus that can be cured easily. Talk to your pediatrician and use the medicine prescribed by him after you breastfeed. It should heal very fast.

You will have to produce a lot of liters of milk, so make sure you take enough “raw material”. This period is therefore not the time to diet. Breastfeeding alone will help you to lose weight. The rule for this period is: eat well and drink a lot.

Compared to your regular diet, you must take about an additional 500 calories a day.

What should you eat? Eat what you like to eat. Your baby will discover the same tastes because your food intake has an influence on the breast milk.

So, do not immediately cut out certain foods. However, if your baby makes a face every time you eat for example garlic or asparagus, take this food out from your diet. The baby also has a right to his own preferences. And since the baby draws out your bodily fluids, remember to also drink sufficiently after breastfeeding to restore balance in your body.

Your doctor will most likely prescribe you additional vitamins and iron supplements.

Breastfeeding should be a joy for you, and not only feel as an obligation. And you can maintain this joy as long as is good for your everyday life and body.

Some babies stop the habit of breastfeeding by themselves.  Even if you are an absolute champion in breastfeeding, know that breast milk only provides sufficient nutrition in the first 6 months. After this, you can still breastfeed, but your baby will need solid foods to supplement his diet. 

It is thought that breastfeeding is the most natural thing in the world, but sometimes it is not that easy.

There is a rule of hygiene: before each breastfeeding you must wash your hands. Hold your baby in a position that won’t leave your arms and back sore. Add support around you with plenty of cushions and pillows. Many women find the cradle position works well, although it really depends on what is most comfortable for you. Get yourself and your baby in a relaxed position before you start feeding. Pay attention to how your breasts feel when your baby latches on. He should take in a big mouthful of breast, the areola. If latching on hurts, break the suction – by inserting your little finger between your baby’s gums and your nipple – and try again. Once your baby latches on properly, he will be able to do the rest.

Remember to change the breasts, to achieve balance. With each breastfeeding, the milk quantity that you have is being determined, and it should be equal for both breasts. If you do not remember and have to crack your head trying to figure it out, use a trick to remember with which breast you should start the feeding (put a safety pin on the strap of your bra on the breast with which you should start).

Some women adjust to breastfeeding easily, encountering no major hurdles. But many new mothers find it hard to learn – so if you’re feeling discouraged, remember that you’re not the only one. If you feel like giving up (or just want professional advice), contact a breastfeeding counsellor (most hospitals have them).

Breastfeeding takes practice. Give yourself as much time as you need to get it down to a fine art. If you’re having a bad feeding day, tell yourself that tomorrow will be better. And keep in mind that any problems you are having are likely to be temporary. By the time of your six-week check, you’ll probably be breastfeeding without giving it a second thought. If not, don’t hesitate to ask for support.

Did you know?

• Make sure your baby is latching on to the full areola and not just the nipple, because if he just sucks on the nipple it will get sore and hurt very fast.
• Apply wet and warm compresses 3-5 minutes before breastfeeding to help the milk to flow.
• Make sure the baby can breathe properly while breastfeeding.
• Ideally you should alternate the breast each time you breastfeed; at the beginning of a feed your baby sucks stronger and your breast adapts the production of milk to the sucking of your baby.
• Most common reason for sore nipples is wrong latching.
• Always wash your hands before you start to breastfeed your child.
• Don’t use alcohol or other products on your breast because they could lead to irritation.
• To avoid infection and sore nipples, rub some drops of your own milk around the nipple area after you breastfeed and let them dry.
• Don’t bottle-feed your baby additionally because this would lead him to drink less breast milk and thus less milk will be produced.

How long each breastfeed should take?

Breastfeeding differs from child to child. Some children drink slowly, some faster. Some babies gulp; others enjoy drinking in stages. There are babies who are happy with one breast, and others who drink from both breasts. There is also no “norm” for the babies. On the other hand, you must not prolong the breastfeeding time indefinitely; this makes little sense. Feeds can take as little as 5 or as many as 40 minutes.

What to eat during breastfeeding

Common problems in breastfeeding

Painful nipples

Painful breasts

Breast Engorgement

After the euphoria of the birth and discharge from the clinic, coming home is not always easy. You feel overloaded and you find breastfeeding complicated and tiring. You have the impression of not being able to go out and being “locked” at home. Or maybe you also think you have too little milk and are uncertain if the baby is drinking the right amount of milk. But let’s take a calm look at things.  Relax during breastfeeding. Remain calm. Imagine how lucky you are to be able to breastfeed – even if it scares you a bit and you wonder how you will manage everything!

If your baby is crying, it’s probably hungry. Therefore, you only have a choice: breastfeed it. But you will also have to learn to tell the difference: after several weeks, the baby crying doesn’t mean exclusively that he is hungry. It can also be that his diapers are wet, he is tired, or simply that he wants to be cuddled. You will learn when to do what by paying good attention.

Generally, a newborn needs to be breastfed every 3-4 hours. As time goes by the time between feeds will increase (since the milk the baby drinks changes and the baby also drinks more at each feed).

Most babies develop an individual regular drinking pattern. In the next few pages you will find a table which shows the theoretical number of meals per day according to the baby’s age. You can check there, but remember that these are average figures. Maybe your baby drinks more often or less often, or maybe more in the mornings and less in the evenings. It will – like all people – have its own rhythm.

Also your body will adapt to the rhythm of your baby. Maybe you will experience how your breasts swell and the milk is coming, when your baby is crying (and even a few minutes before the baby gets hungry). Sometimes you will be waiting impatiently for it to wake up, after its feeding time has passed for a bit, as your breasts are already ready for feedingThe most important thing if you are breastfeeding is that you are relaxed.

Breastfeeding is a magical experience, but it takes a bit of getting used to. You are a bit afraid and wondering how it works? Don’t worry breastfeeding is something that can be learned.

Breastfeeding offers a lot of benefits:

• Human breast milk is the healthiest form of milk for human babies and has all everything that is important for the development of the body and the brain of the baby.
• At any stage, even if your baby is premature, the nutrients in your breast milk re adapted to the need of the baby.
• Your milk contains antibodies that support the health of your baby and help to prevent diseases and allergies.
• The colostrum (the milk that is produced in the first days after the baby is born) helps the baby to eject the meconium.
• Breast milk is sterile, has always the right temperature, is always available and doesn’t cost anything.
• Through breastfeeding the mother and baby experience deep bonding.
• In the first weeks after the delivery, breastfeeding helps the uterus to get back to its usual size. It can be accompanied by contractions and pain, but it helps the mother to recover faster from the delivery.

Be aware that it is very important that the mother follows a balanced and healthy diet while she breastfeeds.  Nicotine, caffeine and alcohol are absorbed by the body and go directly to the milk so you shouldn’t smoke, drink coffee or alcohol while you are breastfeeding.

Also inform you doctor that you are breastfeeding. Any medication, that may be prescribed for you, can be transmitted into your milk this may harm the baby.

How to breastfeed?

How to choose a breast pump?

How to overcome breastfeeding problems?

Benefits of breastfeeding for child and mom.

Is it safe for my unborn baby if I wear a seat belt?

Research shows that unborn babies have the best chance of surviving car accidents when mom uses her seat belt properly. There is no evidence that suggests seat belts can harm unborn babies.

Seat belts greatly reduce mom’s risk of injury in a car accident. If mom stays unharmed, there is a good chance her unborn baby will, too. But if mom is hurt in an accident, her unborn baby could also suffer. Maternal injury during a car crash is linked with:

• Premature birth
• Low birth weight
• Placenta abruption (when the placenta separates from the uterus before birth)
• Distress of the unborn baby
• Death of the fetus

Studies show that the use of a seat belt reduces the risk of injuries and these poor outcomes.

10 Tips on how to travel safely in a car

The key to keep you and your unborn baby safe is to proper buckle up preferably using the three-point restraint system that gives the maximum protection.

1. Place the lap portion of the seat belt under your belly and across your upper thighs.
2. Place the shoulder portion of the seat belt between your breasts.
3. Make sure there is no excessive slack anywhere on the seat belt.
4. Always wear the lap and shoulder portion of the seat belt.
5. Never take the shoulder part of the seat belt off and place it behind you.
6. Do not place the lap portion of the seat belt across your abdomen.
7. Keep the airbags turned on at all times. Experts say the benefits of an air bag outweigh any risks to a pregnant woman and her baby.
8. Adjust your seat. Keep your seat as far back from the dashboard as you can – at least 10 inches if possible.
9. Keep trips in the car brief. Limit time spent in the car to five to six hours at most each day. Taking breaks at least every two hours. Get up and walk around, stretch your legs and wiggle your toes often. This helps lower the risk for blood clots and eases swelling in your ankles and feet.
10. Call your doctor right away if you are involved in a car crash, even if it’s minor.

If seat belts are not worn correctly, women are at increased risk for abdominal injuries and uterine rupture. Check your seat belt to make sure it’s not too loose or too high.

Storage recommendations for breast milk are based upon a small number of studies that have examined the safety and nutritional value of breast milk that is stored under a variety of conditions. These recommendations apply to breast milk intended for full term healthy infants. Women with premature infants should discuss breast milk storage recommendations with their doctor.

Breast milk that is pumped may be safely stored in the refrigerator or freezer. It can even be left at room temperature (approximately 77 to 79º F or 25 to 27º C) for up to four hours. This is in contrast to infant formula prepared from powder, which should not be left at room temperature after it is prepared.

Refrigerator storage — freshly pumped breast milk can be safely stored in a standard refrigerator that maintains the temperature at 35 to 40º F (1 to 4º C) for up to eight days. The coldest part of the refrigerator or freezer is best, generally towards the back and away from the door. Milk can be stored in an insulated cooler with freezer packs, not ice.

Freezer storage — freshly pumped or refrigerated breast milk can be stored in a freezer that maintains the temperature at 0 to 4º F (-18 to -20º C) for 6 to 12 months. The freezer in a mini-refrigerator does not adequately maintain this temperature range and is not recommended. Pumped milk can be stored in a deep freezer chest (-4º F or -20º C or less) for six to 12 months. The coldest part of the freezer is best, generally towards the back and away from the door.

Thawed breast milk can be safely stored in a standard refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Milk that was frozen and then thawed should not be refrozen.

Breast milk storage containers — Breast milk should be placed in a sealed, clean, glass or rigid plastic bottle designed for storing food products. Although plastic breast milk storage bags are not recommended for hospitalized infants due to the loss of some nutrients, plastic bags can be used to store breast milk for healthy infants.

Milk should be stored in small amounts (one to four ounces) and labelled using permanent ink and a waterproof label. The label should indicate the date the milk was pumped. Milk from different pumping sessions may be combined; the milk should be cooled in the refrigerator before it is combined. Milk that is warm or refrigerated should not be added to frozen milk. The milk should be labelled with the date the milk was pumped. The oldest milk should be used first.

If milk smells or tastes spoiled — some expressed breast milk tastes and smells spoiled (or soapy, in some cases) within hours to days after it is pumped, even if it is stored at an appropriate temperature. A possible cause of this is a higher than normal level of an enzyme, lipase, in the breast milk. Lipase has benefits, although high levels of lipase break down the fat in breast milk, causing it to quickly taste spoiled. It is not known why some women’s milk contains a high level of lipase or if the milk is safe for the baby; however, most babies refuse it.

If you notice after freezing and thawing that your milk smells spoiled or rancid, you can prevent this in the future by scalding the breast milk immediately after it is pumped to inactivate the lipase. Milk should be heated to 180º F (32º C) (when small bubbles form around the edges but the milk is not yet boiling). The milk should then be quickly cooled in a refrigerator or freezer. It is not possible to reverse the enzyme’s activity in breast milk after it has been stored, thus milk that smells or tastes bad should be discarded.

Heating milk destroys some of its beneficial qualities; mothers of sick or premature infants should discuss the best way to store milk with their doctor or lactation consultant.

Preparing pumped breast milk for feeding

The way in which breast milk is handled during storage and prior to feeding can effect the beneficial properties of the milk.

Thawing and warming breast milk — Frozen milk can be safely thawed overnight in the refrigerator or in a warm water bath. To prepare a warm water bath, a sealed container of milk can be placed in a bowl or cup of warm water until it thaws. Thawed milk should be refrigerated until ready to use and can be safely stored for 24 hours.

Thawed or refrigerated milk may be warmed prior to feeding the infant, however some infants accept milk directly from the refrigerator. The warm water bath method can be used to warm refrigerated milk. Bottle-warming devices are also available for purchase; these should be used with care as they can quickly overheat the milk. Do not leave a bottle warmer unattended. Microwaves are not safe to use for warming or defrosting breast milk. They heat milk unevenly, potentially burning an infant’s mouth and destroy some of the beneficial properties of breast milk.

After warming the milk, the temperature should be tested immediately before it is given to an infant; the milk should feel lukewarm or room temperature, but never hot. Milk should be gently swirled to redistribute the cream that often rises to the top during refrigeration.

There are insufficient data to know if it is safe to refrigerate and then rewarm a partially finished bottle of breast milk. Although freshly pumped breast milk has antibacterial properties, milk stored in a refrigerator for more than a day or two begins to lose this property. Milk that smells or tastes bad should not be given to an infant (see ‘If milk smells or tastes spoiled’ above).

How much milk should I offer to my baby?

Many women who exclusively pump or pump while at work wonder how much breast milk their babywill need at each feeding.

The volume of breast milk your baby needs increases with age; infants who are exclusively breastfed require approximately 23 to 24 ounces of breast milk at one month of age and 24 to 30 ounces at six months of age. After six months, most infants begin to consume other foods, and less milk may be needed.

One way to determine how much an infant will need per feeding is to divide the infant’s average intake (eg, 25 ounces) by the number of feedings per day. For example, an infant who nurses eight times per day would need approximately 3 ounces per feeding (25 ounces divided by 8 feedings = 3 ounces). Thus, in this example, it would be reasonable to prepare 3 ounces of milk per feeding, with the understanding that some infants will consume less while others will want more.

Feeding breast milk with a bottle

Babies feed very differently from a bottle compared to the breast. Milk flow from a bottle is fast and the baby usually eats very quickly, sometimes by gulping. Many mothers feel that their infant drinks more milk when he or she is fed with a bottle than when nursed at the breast. It is common to worry that you will not pump enough milk to keep up with this volume.

Babies have little control over milk flow from a bottle while they have full control over milk flow from the breast. To minimize this problem, it may help to pace the baby while bottle feeding by taking frequent breaks. Slow flow bottle nipples are available and may help to minimize the differences in flow between bottle and breast feeding. A feeding should take 10 to 15 minutes or more, just like at the breast.

(Source: Up to date, 2010)