Bottle feeding is excellent bonding time for parents as well as for grandparents and/or siblings. When a child is breastfed they have more bonding time with the mother, however, when a baby is bottle fed they have the opportunity to form a close bond with other family members as well because whoever is feeding the baby will have the opportunity to hold them while feeding.
When it is time for your baby to eat this is more than the time to satisfy the baby’s hunger it is also the time to hold them close, look in their eyes and talk to them one on one. Bottle feeding is an important time to experience the emotional and physical bond that is often missed by the father, grandparents or siblings when the mother is breastfeeding. You should hold the baby close while bottle feeding and talk to them throughout the feeding.
Siblings are usually excited when the new baby comes home and sometimes will feel left out when the baby gets a great deal of attention. Allowing the other children to feed the baby will help reassure them that they are still loved and will give them the chance to bond with their new brother or sister. When teaching children to help feed the baby, choose a time when the baby is not extremely hungry, have the sibling sit in a comfortable chair, show them the correct way to hold the baby, suggest the child offer the baby the bottle, encourage them to make eye contact with the baby, stay with the child during the process and praise them for all the help they have given you.
During each feeding it is important that the baby be held until finished. Laying the baby down with a bottle can be dangerous for choking. When possible rock the baby while feeding to help them remain calm during the time they are eating.
