Are you depriving your children of much needed love and attention.....?

Question

when you prop their bottles instead of holding them while they eat?

I have never, even after three kids, ever propped a bottle. My neighbors have been propping the bottle for their daughter since she was about 2 months old. I went over there last night and they had her lying on a blanket on the floor with a bottle propped up with a blanket under her chin, shes 4 months old now. I can't imagine not holding my baby and looking into his eyes while he eats. She said she props it because that is her time to do things around the house, I think that the bonding time while feeding your baby is much more important then getting a few things picked up while they are eating.

Do you prop a bottle or not, why or why not?

i am not upset about miss nazi, simply asking a question, don't get your panties all bunched up.

Answer 1

Nope. I've been known to prop a boob while I surf the net, though!

Answer 2

I never propped my childrens bottles either. I hate to see babies with a bottle propped and milk running down it's little face and no one cares. I used feeding time as a time that just me and my baby could spend together. She has just stopped taking a bottle and while I do not miss washing the bottles and making the formula, I do miss our special time. I also hate to see parents that put a bottle in a baby's mouth every time that they cry. I have a friend that has a 5 mo. old and she weighs more that my 1 year old. She said that her baby uses about 14-16 cans of powdered formula a month. She weighs like 25-27 pounds and is in 12 - 18 mo. clothes. She is always eating. I tried to talk to her about it but she will not listen. She also almost always props her bottle.

Answer 3

I was a holder and I totally agree with you, it's a time for bonding. I also have four kids and there were times that I had to prop to attend to another child. It always just a short time. I get upset when I see a baby with a bald spot on the back of their head. I felt like the baby is sitting in a seat more than being held :( Infancy is such a short period of life and our actions then will have an affect later be it positive or negative.

Some mothers(scratch that , all mothers!) need others as an example. Be the best example you can for your neighbor. That's really all you can do.

Answer 4

I always breast fed, so I never did prop a bottle.

I believe that the bonding comes from holding your child, looking into their eyes as you feed them, gently rocking, maybe even singing or talking to them, not by laying them on a blanket on the floor with a propped bottle. I do not know how you could aproach your neighbor, but she IS depriving her child of early bonding.

I believe that sometimes, like if you are trying to fix dinner, and are alone, proping a bottle would be ok, and maybe even necessary, but not all the time, and when you aren't doing something else. I sometimes wished I could hand my breast over to someone else, so I could cook dinner without a kid attatched.

Answer 5

Well I don't because I breastfeed *lol*. But propping a bottle is an even bigger problem it increases the risks of ear infections, chocking and can increase the amount of gas swallowed (and who wants a cranky gassy baby!).

Seriously I don't get it a breastfed baby eats 8-20+ times a day (and trust me mine was 20+ times after the first month). Formula fed babies eat what 4-8 times a day after the first month? (Assuming 4-8 oz bottles and a maximum of 32oz of formula per day as recommended by most sources).

Answer 6

No, I never did. Any chores that need done will still be there when your baby is done eating. I loved holding my babies and how they would always hold onto my fingers while they ate. There is no excuse for a person to prop a bottle, I don't care what needs done. They're only little once, people ought to enjoy those babies while they can.

Answer 7

While it is optimal to hold a baby close during feeding times, the truth is, babies have been drinking out of propped bottles for many years and have turned out OK. I have been a mom for 28 years to 4 kids (now ages 28, 25, 22, and 10) plus I have been a child care provider in my home for 20 years. While it is not my usual practice to prop a bottle, I admit I have done it out of necessity occassionally. At one time I cared for twins whose parents wanted them on the same schedule and found it most convenient to put the babies in their car seats on the couch then sit in a chair facing them while holding a bottle in each hand for them. I itched to hold them to feed them, but I found it impossible to hold both and feed both at the same time. So, I did it the way their parents wanted me to and they did just fine because that is what they were used to. There was plenty of other times to sit and hold them and talk to them. I loved to rock and nurse my own babies or feed them their bottles and feeding bottles to my daycare children is one of the highlights of my job. It is really hard not to judge other parents who do things different than you. While I agree that holding and feeding a bottle to a baby is ideal, other parents find bottle propping to be what works for them. While it is not my own choice, I think parents who prop bottles can be very loving and attentive and bond with their babies just fine. Over my years of being a mom, I have encountered numerous parents who do things different than I do. I have learned to accept that everyone "parents differently". Sometimes I have been in contact with parents whose parenting methods just set me so on edge that I had to limit my contact with them. Perhaps this is what you will have to do with your neighbors. Remember that "this, too, shall pass". In just a few short months their daughter will not be drinking from a bottle anymore and will be using a cup instead.

Answer 8

I hate this, my SIL does this too , I can't stand it. Unfortunantly you can't do anything about but know that you are a better mom then her. Its just lazy, I love feeding time, that is the bonding time I get to spend with my daughter. I do not prob a bottle up, I have done it once only because my other daughter had an accident, so for a whole 2 minutes it was proped up, But that was it. Other then that, NOPE!!

Answer 9

Nope, I never used bottles...and it's a bit tricky to "prop a boob" lol

Answer 10

Some people should never have children. In our practice we discourage this action, as baby can choke, and your right no bonding happening.
She is very lazy, but what can you do. some poor kids are not raised, but dragged up. She probably smokes too,& inside the house.