Some helpful advice – from one mum to another!
Vicki Scott is Philips AVENT’s baby feeding and wellbeing advisor. She is a qualified midwife, nursery and maternity nurse and breastfeeding consultant, with nearly 20 years professional experience.
More importantly, she is also proud mum to two-year-old Poppy and regularly draws on her own personal experiences. Yes, she knows firsthand what you’re going through!
Vicki will be posting monthly updates with top-tips and topical features that will help take the stresses and strains out of life for you and your little ones.
Frequently Asked Questions & Answers
Philips AVENT feeding and wellbeing advisor Vicki Scott lists her most frequently asked Questions & Answers on Feeding, Sleeping and Wellbeing:
Feeding
Q. I really want to keep breastfeeding. Is there any way to make it more flexible?
A. It’s fantastic that you want to continue to breastfeed and there are ways to help combine breastfeeding with your other commitments. Many women find that once they master this new skill, they find it easy, convenient and a wonderful bonding experience for both them and their child. Expressing is a convenient way of ensuring that your baby still receives all of the benefits of your breastmilk when you can’t be there to give the feed. It can also help mums to continue to breastfeed for longer. It’s best to wait a few weeks after the birth to allow breastfeeding to become established before you start expressing, unless a healthcare professional recommends otherwise. Expressing is really easy. Philips AVENT offers you two types of pump: manual and electronic. Both allow you to express your milk directly into a feeding bottle for storing in the fridge or freezer. Expressing is also a great way of getting someone else involved in feeding your baby. It’s important that your baby’s feeding technique at the breast is good, and that your milk supply is given time to fully establish first. You can gradually start introducing bottle feeds so there are no sudden upsets if you are planning to go back to work or want to go out and can't be there to feed.
Q. How long can breastmilk be safely stored in the fridge and in the freezer?
A. Breastmilk can be expressed in advance and stored for in the fridge for 24 hours and in the freezer for 3 months. If storing in the fridge, place it towards the back and not in the door so it stays at a constant temperature. In the freezer, the Via System of breast milk storage containers keep your milk in top condition, and you can feed your baby directly from them too by attaching an Airflex teat.
Q. What is the best bottle feeding technique?
A. Make time for your baby’s bottle. Get comfortable and spend some close contact with your baby during and after the feed. Encourage your baby to open his mouth wide by touching the teat of the bottle to his lip. As he opens his mouth, gently introduce the teat making sure baby’s tongue is down. Baby’s lips should be around the wide part of the teat at the bottom (this is an important benefit of the Philips AVENT Airflex design). You are looking for a natural jaw movement and a wave-like pattern of tongue movement, which encourages a natural suckling behaviour. Tilt the bottle so that the teat is always full of milk – this avoids your baby swallowing air as he feeds. He will naturally release the bottle when he needs a break – or may fall asleep.
Q. When should I start to wean my baby and how do I get started?
A. When you wean your baby onto solid food very much depends on the baby. It is recommended that breast milk is the main form of nutrition for baby for the first six months, and that mums delay introducing solids until around then, but some babies are weaned earlier. However, you should not wean earlier than four months. I always begin weaning with baby rice, mixed with baby’s usual milk, so expressed breast milk or formula milk. Mix the rice to a soft, dropping consistency and then offer to baby mid-morning just after he has taken most of his milk feed. Give him the rest of the milk feed at the end. Offer small amounts of rice on the edge of a soft, weaning spoon. Once your baby is happily taking rice mid-morning, start to introduce simple, single fruit and vegetable purees. Most babies love pear, apple, carrot, sweet potato and squash to begin with. Gradually move onto other fruits and vegetables such as parsnip, potato, broccoli, apricot, peach and plum. All foods should be cooked (ideally steamed), and blended to a fine puree at first. Wait a few weeks before offering uncooked mashed foods like banana, avocado and mango.
Q. Is it really necessary to sterilise my baby’s bottles and feeding equipment?
A. It’s really important to be as hygienic as possible when dealing with newborns and babies up to one year of age as their immune system isn’t properly developed to fight off bacteria. Poor cleaning of breast and bottle feeding equipment can lead to tummy upsets and diarrhoea. You should continue to sterilise all of your baby’s milk feeding equipment until she is a year old. First you must wash all feeding equipment, including breast pumps and soothers, using a mild detergent either by hand or in your dishwasher to get rid of the milk residue and dirt you can see. Then you must sterilise the washed items to ensure that the harmful bacteria you can't see are killed off.
Q. Can I put my bottles in the dishwasher?
A. Bottles and breast pumps can be washed in the dishwasher. However, for your baby’s first year bottles and breast pumps still need to be sterilised properly before use. The Philips Avent electronic steam sterilizers include a dishwasher rack for use to keep small items together in the dishwasher.
Sleep
Q. When should I start a sleep routine? What is the best way to encourage my baby to sleep well at night?
A. Some parents start a structured sleep routine when their baby is just a few weeks old. As baby’s sleep and feed so frequently in the early weeks, I normally suggest introducing a routine gently in the first month or two, be prepared to be flexible. A more structured routine can be achieved by around two to three months. Give your baby some ‘cues’ for sleep, such as a darkened room, a lullaby, a swaddle or sleeping bag and a special ‘bedtime’ toy such as a bunny or teddy. When they are a little older you can introduce a bedtime story. If your baby is struggling to settle to sleep, return and comfort him, but leave before he falls asleep. The really important thing to remember about teaching your baby good sleep habits is that while you are there for comfort and reassurance he should do the going to sleep bit by himself. Be patient and consistent in settling method – babies need repetition to learn new habits.
Q. Once baby’s asleep I constantly fret about whether he’s okay. Will I hear him if he wakes, is he too hot or too cold? How can I get some peace of mind?
A. A baby monitor is the best way to keep an eye or an ear on baby when you’re not in the same room. Parents often want to hear every snuffle or murmur their baby makes. A monitor may also help your child to develop a good sleep pattern as you don’t need to go in their room unnecessarily as the monitors allows to listen in remotely. The Philips AVENT DECT 499 Baby Monitor uses DECT technology, offering guaranteed zero interference. You’ll be able to hear the slightest noise from your baby with crystal clear clarity, but it won’t pick up any other baby monitor. It also has a built in thermometer so you will always know the temperature in your baby’s room which is very useful as the colder nights approach.
Q. I have heard that soothers can help my baby at night, can you please elaborate?
A. Sucking /suckling is one of the natural, physiological methods babies use to soothe themselves-some need to do this more than others. Giving your baby a soother can take some of the pressure off you and help keep your baby content. My advice to parents has always been to avoid giving a soother to your baby every time they go to sleep, as this can lead to bad sleep associations. Controversially, the Foundation for the Study Of Infant Deaths(www.fsid.org.uk) is recommending that babies be put to bed with a soother day and night-this is following research from America which seemed to find this reduced the risk of Cot Death. No such advice has yet been issued by the Department of Health. If you chose to follow this advice it is advised to allow time for breastfeeding to become established before offering a soother.
Q. My baby keeps waking at night and I don’t think it’s for food. Any advice?
A. If you have ruled out food, it’s worth checking that your baby’s room temperature is not unsettling him. The ideal temperature for his room is 18-21 degrees but this can be difficult to maintain! If the room is warmer then the baby may need fewer layers of clothing, and if the room is cooler, you may need to add a layer of clothing or a blanket. Most babies are wakeful for periods during the night-if your baby settles himself to sleep at nap times he should be able to learn to go back to sleep by himself when he wakes at night too-don’t rush in at the first squeak-give your little one a chance to try to go back to sleep first. If he doesn’t know how to go to sleep by himself-work on this first (see earlier question).
Wellbeing
Q. I’m worried about returning to work and what I will do if my child is ill and cannot attend childcare?
A. This worry is a common problem. In my experience working mothers tend to overcompensate in the workplace, making them very valuable and conscientious employees indeed. The best thing to do is talk to your employer so they understand your situation. Many employers are flexible and will have policies in place to help you achieve work/life balance and will understand when childcare emergencies crop up. If they are a larger company, you may even be lucky enough to have access to an emergency childcare provider. See what they can do to help you. The other thing you can do is to think about your personal network and who you may be able to call on to help you out. Try not to get too stressed and to some degree accept that children do become sick, it’s their way of building up their resistance and immunity.
Q. I’m missing my pre-baby life and need some time out but can’t see how I can get any. What do you recommend?
A. Make fun plans as a family so that life is not all work. You and your partner both need time to yourself too, separately and as a couple. Ask around locally for known and experienced babysitters who could help you out for a regular night out. Grandparents can be very eager and able babysitters, they probably did a good job of raising you after all! Sound them out to see if they would come and stay for the day, night or weekend. You probably deserve a lie in and maybe a weekend away could be just the thing to restore your sparkle.
Q. My baby often has sore throats and dry skin. I’ve heard humidifiers can help, is this true?
A. Babies are susceptible to colds and infections. If the humidity in the room is too low the body’s mucus membranes do not function optimally and become irritated. This means that your baby's resistance to infections from bacteria and mould is reduced. A humidifier not only makes the air quality more comfortable, but significantly, it helps protect your baby's health by increasing your little one's resistance to infection by protecting your baby from irritation of the mucus membranes. This can help avoid conditions such as dry and itchy skin, chapped lips and a dry, sore throat. I recommend the Philips AVENT Ultrasonic Humidifier. Especially great during the winter months when we often have the central heating on all day, and the windows closed-the air in the home can be very dry.