← The Care and Feeding of Children / A Catechism for the Use of Mothers and Children's Nurses
Chapter 30
Directions for Feeding Infants
How should the bottle be prepared at feeding time?
It should be taken from the ice chest, and warmed by standing in warm water which is deep enough to cover the milk in the bottle; it should then be thoroughly shaken and the nipple adjusted; the nurse should see that the hole in the nipple is not too large nor too small.
How may the temperature of the milk be tested?
Never by putting the nipple in the nurse's mouth. Before adjusting the nipple, a teaspoonful may be poured from the bottle and tasted, or a few drops may be poured through the nipple upon the inner surface of the wrist, where it should feel quite warm but never hot; or a thermometer may be placed in the water in which the bottle stands. A dairy thermometer should be used, and the temperature of the water should be between 98° and 105° F.
What is a simple contrivance for keeping the milk warm during feeding?
A small flannel bag with a draw string may be slipped over the bottle.
In what position should an infant take its bottle?
For the first two or three months it is better, except at night, when it may be undesirable to take the infant from its crib, that it be held on the nurse's arm during the feeding; later it may lie on its side in the crib provided the bottle is held by the nurse until it has been emptied; otherwise a young infant readily falls into the bad habit of alternately sucking and sleeping, and often will be an hour or more over its bottle.
How much time should be allowed for one feeding?
Never more than twenty minutes. The bottle should then be taken away and not given until the next feeding time. Under no circumstances should an infant form the habit of sleeping with the nipple in its mouth. A sleepy infant should be kept awake by gentle shaking until the food is taken, or the bottle should be removed altogether.
Should an infant be played with soon after feeding?
On no account; such a thing frequently causes vomiting and sometimes indigestion. After every feeding the infant should be allowed to lie quietly in its crib, and disturbed as little as possible.