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Should Baby's Bottle Be Propped?
Two Moms and an Expert Sound Off
By Lisa A. Goldstein
Sometimes the last thing you want to do is give your baby a bottle. This is why bottle propping – putting something like a receiving blanket under the bottle to hold it up – is appealing. Hands-free feeding equals more time for Mom. But is this practice safe? This is an issue that elicits strong opinions.
"I am a mom of two, with my youngest being 9 months old," says Robin Kelman of Lafayette Hill, Pa. "I am a proponent of propping up a bottle if need be. As a busy working mom with a toddler and newborn, sometimes I need to feed the baby on the go. I would rather do this than make her cry and wait at a time when she is hungry. If there is something wrong with this, I am anxious to hear the other side."
Kelman stumbled upon bottle propping out of necessity. She was constantly on the go and had to think of something. When she realized she could prop the bottle and her daughter, Madden, could drink it without a problem, she did it a lot more often. "I've propped the bottle in the car, stroller and even at home so I could get ready for work," Kelman says. "As long as the baby was happy, I see nothing wrong with it."
Madden spit up a lot in the first seven months, so Kelman always had a burp cloth or two on her. The burp cloths ended up being used for bottle propping as well. Kelman also used a diaper pack (a soft cover diaper holder) or blanket – really, whatever worked. "I would prop it up so it was at the right feeding angle, and so that air wasn't getting into the nipple," she says. "However I needed to rig it, I did. Madden was happy. I was happy."
When Kelman started propping the bottle, Madden's feedings lasted 25 to 30 minutes, and at times, the bottle would be propped for the whole feeding. Kelman says Madden didn't mind when the bottle was propped. "I made sure that I also gave her quality feedings with me holding her as well," she says.
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Re: Should Baby's Bottle Be Propped? by Kelli on 01/08/2009 01:42AM
I used to prop my baby's bottle. I was always right there, but sometimes it was just a necessity. Don't get me wrong, I loved to hold my baby while she ate, but sometimes propping does give you a little extra time to relax. But stay close by!
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Re: Should Baby's Bottle Be Propped? by MOM on 05/19/2009 04:54PM
When I had to go to the bathroom or go downstairs to answer the door, I had to prop the baby's bottle, but I woul not leave her unattended for too long. I always held my baby while she drank her milk even in the middle of the night. I had many sleepless nights due to her feedings. Never leave your child unattended for too long.