Ask:
I see many parents or caregivers prop the baby's bottle with a blanket instead of holding the baby to feed him or her. Will it have any long-term effects on the baby?
Answer:
I don't think so. As long as it isn't the ONLY way you feed your baby. Young babies need the interaction and bonding that feeding time gives. HOWEVER, sometimes you have a screaming three year old who needs attention, too. So if it is something you have to do, you have to do it. I think with more than one child it is bound to happen. I know it is a big no-no in my MIL's daycare, though. And I would not like it if I were paying another person to take care of my baby and they couldn't feed the baby without propping, I would be upset.
Answer:
I did it to one daycare baby once and felt severly guilty, as like lexiskaties mom said I would not one someone to do that to my own child, after that I made sure all my ducks were in a row with the other kids before I sat down with the baby and her bottle!
Answer:
I think if it's occasional it is fine. I've been in the daycare situation where the child gets hungry and i'm making lunch.....I propped so i wouldn't burn a meal.
I've also seen shows where there are triplets or more and the babies are screaming.....you do what you have to do.
Answer:
I think as long as you are watching that baby very close. Never leave that baby's side or god forbid the room. I think maybe sometimes...especially if you are juggling kids and you need to have your hands free. I would never even think about doing it other then in a baby seat with the baby propped up well. I would be more comfortable with doing something like that when the baby is old enough to hold their neck up.
This brings back a horrific tragic memory. I was working in the hospital and was called to the ER because they were having a baby come in who was not breathing. It was a 5 or 6 month old baby boy. I remember it was Thanksgiving. We worked on him for a long time but he died. The mother left the baby in the playpen with a bottle and left. When she went back to check on him 30 mins later he was not breathing. It was very sad...he was a beautiful little boy...ugh...so sad, I cried, the nurses cried...it was awful.
Heather
Answer:
Originally Posted by heather61172
This brings back a horrific tragic memory. I was working in the hospital and was called to the ER because they were having a baby come in who was not breathing. It was a 5 or 6 month old baby boy. I remember it was Thanksgiving. We worked on him for a long time but he died. The mother left the baby in the playpen with a bottle and left. When she went back to check on him 30 mins later he was not breathing. It was very sad...he was a beautiful little boy...ugh...so sad, I cried, the nurses cried...it was awful.
Heather
Did the blanket smother him? That is very sad. Yes if your going to prop you cannot leave the room at all.
Answer:
What I heard was the baby had a history of being premature. The Doctor said he probably started choking and aspirated milk into his lungs...vomitted ....or was spit up and yes... basicly sufficated. We don't know how long it happened before the mom found him. She called 911.. They had a faint pulse when EMS arrived but he was blue and not breathing...then they had to do CPR...then nothing when he got to the hospital. We tried our best.
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That's too bad.
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My SIL does this with her babies (she has 4 kids) and i would get so angry with her because she did it out of pure laziness, she would leave the baby in it's infant carseat and prop the bottle while she sat in the recliner watching t.v., like it's that hard to hold the baby while watching t.v.?? Anyway, i think sometimes it's unavoidable, like with triplets or keeping a meal from burning, but i definitely wouldn't want someone to do it everyday at every feeding.
Answer:
I have 3 babies who all couldn't nurse due to milk protein allergies that were discovered within the first month of nursing. From that point on they were all on bottles and I never gave them one without them being in my arms. My hubby never gave a bottle to one of them without holding the baby, too. We just always wanted that to be special time.
My sil hasn't held my nephew while he drinks a bottle since he was able to hold it himself. I hate that, but there are a lot of things about her choices with him that I disagree with.