Parenting Perspective:
Feeding

by Dianne Witter
Reprinted from Arthritis Today

Whether you choose to breast-feed or bottle-feed your infant, you will want to make the process as easy as possible during those first hectic months. Because women with some systemic forms of arthritis tend to have flares after giving birth, breast-feeding may be particularly difficult for them. If you are taking any medications, check with your pediatrician before breast-feeding.

If you feed your baby formula, you may want to minimize mixing and pouring. The easiest - and the most expensive - type of formula is ready-to-feed, which comes in glass bottles, or ready-to-pour, which is premixed and can be poured directly from the can into a bottle for feeding. Another possibility is having someone prepare a day's bottles ahead of time.

To cut down on washing and sterilizing, consider using bottles with pre-sterilized disposable liners. Test different kinds of bottle nipple assemblies and find one that feels comfortable to you. Bottles and nipples can be sterilized by washing them in you automatic dishwasher. (Special baskets to hold nipples and rings in the dishwasher are available.) Also, stove-top and microwave sterilizing kits are now widely available.

When your baby moves on to "solid" food, have textured rubber jar openers or a nutcracker on hand to open baby-food jars. If it's still too difficult, have someone loosen the lids and refrigerate a day's food until it's needed. As soon as the pediatrician gives the go-ahead, encourage self-feeding with small pieces of solid food.

If it's difficult to hold you small baby for feedings, try putting him in an infant seat. Before purchasing a highchair for your older baby, test several models to find one you can operate comfortably. Once you've found one you like, ask to test a new one in case the floor sample has become loser and easier to use.