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Through the first five days after birth, maintain a 2.5-3 hour flexible routine. Do understand that a newborn is an incredibly sleepy little creature and you will need to wake him in order to get him the nutrition he needs. You may need to undress him to his diaper or use a cool washcloth to wake him up in order to eat. Full feedings (as opposed to snacking) will give him more of the nutrients he needs and will also encourage deeper and more restful sleep for him; full feedings are hard to achieve if your baby is not awake.

Bottle feeding will also provide the nutrition your baby needs if you choose to do it. Additionally, dads are able to take part in the feeding routines and thus bond more deeply with their babies when bottles are used. The most important thing to consider is the correct-sized hole in the nipple. Too big a hole and your baby will choke, sputter, and throw up. Too small a hole will lead to your baby’s frustration, hunger, and discontentment.

As with breastfed babies, 1.5-3 ounces of formula should be sufficient for your baby at a feeding for the first several weeks of life. If you make a 4 ounce bottle, your baby will generally stop when he’s full. As he grows, you will need to increase the amount of formula he receives; he will tell you if he’s not done when the bottle is empty via continuing to suck and frustration at not getting anything!