Brilliance in a Bottle Sweepstakes and Dr. Jana’s Tips for Feeding Newborns

{I wanted to share these tips with you from Dr. Laura Jana and this big sweepstakes on behalf of Playtex. I was not compensated for this post. I thought many of you would be interested in this!}

DR. LAURA JANA’S EXPERT TIPS FOR FEEDING YOUR NEWBORNNew parents are filled with joy and excitement upon bringing home their newborn, yet this time can also be overwhelming. To help address the anxiety that new moms face during this time, Playtex partnered with Dr. Laura Jana, a renowned pediatrician and co-author of the awardwinning, newly released second edition of the book, Heading Home With Your Newborn: From Birth to Reality.

A recent survey by Playtex found that nearly half of moms-to-be are concerned about establishing a healthy feeding routine for their baby.1Here, Dr. Jana provides some simple tips to help new parents adjust to parenthood and the important role they play in feeding their newborns.

Comfortable Feedings: Feeding your baby is one of the first and most important things you’ll do as a new parent. One way to help ensure both you and your baby are more relaxed and comfortable during feeding sessions is to register for or purchase a comfortable feeding chair. Armrests can provide both extra support and, in some cases, even extra storage. Some women also prefer to prop their feet up on a nursing stool or ottoman to help relieve stress on their legs and back. Many nursing moms also find nursing pillows to be very helpful. These are specially-designed pillows that typically encircle your waist and can ease the strain on your back, shoulders and neck and spare you some unnecessary aches and pains.

Baby “Supply Kit”: Once you’ve gotten comfortable with your feeding routine, you may find it useful to create a “feeding supply kit.” This isn’t a formal kit, but rather a set of practical feeding supplies that you can easily take with you from room-to-room. This will allow you to have everything you need – burp cloths, a blanket or nursing cover up, a bottle of water for you, for example – all within arms reach when you sit down to feed your baby. It’s also useful to have extra diapers, wipes, a change of clothing and a diaper changing mat ready to go so that these inevitably necessary items will be handy regardless of the room you’re in.

Babies, Bubbles and Burping:  Many moms hope to allow others to participate in the feeding experience and even continue breastfeeding after returning to work. This is great because it allows babies to get the benefits of breast milk even longer. Angled bottles, disposable nurser bags, and bottles with built-in vents, or flow and control systems are all designed to help decrease the amount of air that babies swallow. Consider using a bottle, like the Playtex®Drop-Ins®system, that keeps air from mixing with the milk, meaning less air in babies’ tummies.

Moms on the Go:  For nursing moms who plan to return to work, and even for those moms who simply want more flexibility with feeding, a breast pump can be a perfect item to consider purchasing or putting on your registry. In general, the more pumping you plan on doing, the more you want to invest in a good quality, double pump. For added convenience, there are now electric pumps available that actually allow you to pump directly into bottle liners that can then be used for storage and feeding – all without having to transfer any breast milk! For nursing moms returning to work, it also may be helpful to talk with someone in HR about your company’s breastfeeding policies and accommodations. Ask about a private place you can go for pumping, and talk to any co-workers who are also moms for additional tips on how they made pumping work for them in the workplace.

For more helpful information on caring for your new baby from Dr. Jana and Playtex, check out her book, Heading Home with Your Newborn: From Birth to Reality and visit www.Playtexbaby.com.

While there, be sure to enter the “Brilliance in a Bottle” Sweepstakes. The grand prize winner will receive $2,500 to complete their registry, an in-person meeting with Dr. Jana and a copy of her book. Additional prizes include $100 gift cards, PlaytexBaby Bottles Gift Sets, phone sessions with Dr. Jana and copies of Dr. Jana’s book.

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Must be 18 or older to enter (19 if Al or NE, 21 if MS). Void outside the U.S. 50/D.C., elsewhere and where prohibited.

SEE OFFICIAL RULES: http://www.playtexbaby.com/Promotions/BrillianceInABottleSweepstakes/Rules.aspx

You can also connect with other moms-to-be and enter to win great Playtex products on our Facebook page at: www.facebook.com/PlaytexBaby.

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1The Heading Home with Your Newborn Survey was conducted from November 8-14, 2010 as a self-administered online survey by Richard Day Research, a national, independent market research firm, on behalf of Playtex. Results for this survey are based on interviews with 1,015 mothers ages 18 and older. The survey included 505 expectant mothers and 510 mothers of infants ages -12 months old. The sample is weighted to reflect the age, region, race and ethnicity of this population as estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP). With a pure probability sample of this size, one could say with a 95 percent probability that the results based on the total sample of mothers have a sampling error of +/- 3 percentage points. Results based only on the sample of expectant mothers or mothers of infants would have a sampling error of +/- 4 percentage points.

Darcy Zalewski

Darcy is the founder of “Life With Darcy and Brian,” where she combines her love for education, board games, and crafting to create engaging learning experiences for kids. Her creative projects and writing have been featured in outlets like The Toy Insider, CafeMom, Mom.com, Parents.com, Country Living, and The Pioneer Woman.