Bottle feeding a newborn baby video
Bottle feeding advice - NHS
If you're planning to bottle feed with expressed breast milk or infant formula, these tips will help you feed your baby and keep them safe and healthy.
If you decide to use infant formula, first infant formula (first milk) should always be the first formula you give your baby. You can use it throughout the first year.
Buying bottle feeding equipment
You'll need several bottles, teats and a bottle brush, as well as sterilising equipment, such as a cold-water steriliser, microwave or steam steriliser.
There's no evidence that 1 type of teat or bottle is better than any other. Simple bottles that are easy to wash and sterilise are probably best.
Making up bottles for your baby
Make sure you sterilise bottles and teats until your baby is at least 12 months old. Wash your hands thoroughly before handling sterilised bottle and teats.
If you're using infant formula, follow the instructions on the packaging carefully when you make up the feed.
See how to make up baby formula.
How to bottle feed your baby
Bottle feeding is a chance to feel close to your baby and get to know and bond with them. Babies will feel more secure if most feeds are given by you, your partner or their main caregiver.
Make sure you're sitting comfortably with your baby close to you. Enjoy holding your baby, look into their eyes and talk to them as you feed them.
Hold your baby in a semi-upright position for bottle feeds. Support their head so they can breathe and swallow comfortably.
Brush the teat against your baby's lips and when they open their mouth wide let them draw in the teat.
Always give your baby plenty of time to feed.
Do not leave your baby alone
Never leave your baby alone to feed with a propped-up bottle as they may choke on the milk.
Keep the bottle horizontal
Gently place the teat into the baby’s mouth. Keep the bottle in a horizontal position (just slightly tipped). This will allow the milk to flow steadily and help prevent your baby from taking in air.
If the teat goes flat while you're feeding, pull gently on the corner of your baby's mouth to release the suction.
If the teat gets blocked, replace it with another sterile teat.
Be guided by your baby
All babies are different. Your baby will know how much milk they need. Some want to feed more often than others. Just follow your baby's lead.
Feed your baby when they seem hungry and do not worry if they do not finish the bottle.
Winding your baby
Your baby may take short breaks during a feed and may sometimes need to burp.
When your baby has had enough milk, hold them upright and gently rub or pat their back to bring up any wind.
Throw away unused milk
Throw away any unused formula or breast milk after you've finished bottle feeding your baby.
Only make up the feed when needed – one feed at a time.
Help with bottle feeding
Talk to your midwife, health visitor or other mothers who have bottle fed if you need help and support.
You'll find the phone number for your health visitor in your baby's personal health record (red book).
Your questions about bottle feeding
Why if my baby does not settle after feeds?
If your baby swallows air while bottle feeding, they may feel uncomfortable and cry.
After a feed, hold your baby upright against your shoulder or propped forward on your lap. Gently rub their back so any trapped air can find its way out.
Your baby may sometimes only burp up a small amount of air.
Why is my baby sometimes sick after feeds?
It's normal for babies to bring up a little milk during or just after a feed. This is called possetting, regurgitation or reflux.
Keep a muslin square handy just in case.
Check that the hole in your baby's teat is not too big. Drinking milk too quickly can make your baby sick.
Do not force them to take more milk than they want during a feed. This may be distressing for your baby and can lead to overfeeding.
Sitting your baby upright on your lap after a feed may help.
If it happens a lot, or your baby is violently sick, seems to be in pain or you're worried for any other reason, talk to your health visitor or GP.
Can formula make my baby constipated?
When using formula, always use the amount of powder recommended on the packaging.
Do not add extra formula powder. Using too much can make your baby constipated and may cause dehydration.
If your baby is under 8 weeks old and has not done a poo for 2 to 3 days, talk to your midwife, health visitor or GP, particularly if your baby is gaining weight slowly.
Your baby should be gaining weight and have plenty of wet and dirty nappies.
Infant formula and allergies
If you think your baby might be allergic to or intolerant of formula, talk to your GP. If necessary, they can prescribe a special formula feed.
Some formula is labelled as hypoallergenic, but this is not suitable for babies with a diagnosed cows' milk allergy.
Soya formula should only be given to babies under medical supervision.
Always talk to your GP before using hypoallergenic or soya-based formula.
Read more about cows' milk allergy and lactose intolerance.
Get Start4Life pregnancy and baby emails
For information and advice you can trust, sign up for weekly Start4Life pregnancy and baby emails.
The Start4Life website also has more information and advice about expressing and bottle feeding
How to Do It and Why You'd Want To
Paced bottle feeding is a method of feeding your baby that mimics breastfeeding. Find out why it’s so beneficial to feed baby this way, plus get step-by-step guidance.
If you’re planning to go back to work after baby, you’ve probably started pumping, storing milk, and have chosen a good bottle for breastfed babies. Now, you need to know how to properly feed baby with a bottle. Paced bottle feeding is the answer.
Paced bottle feeding can help reduce some of the drawbacks of bottle feeding and keep baby and mama happy and healthy.
What is paced bottle feeding?
Paced bottle feeding is a method of feeding your baby that mimics breastfeeding. As the name suggests, it involves pacing your feedings to allow baby to be in “control” of, process, and recognize his own “satiety,” or feeling of fullness. Baby is going to eat more slowly and work harder to get the milk (like he would with breast-feeding) as opposed to typical bottle feeding.
Video of paced bottle feeding
The best way to really “describe” paced bottle feeding is to show you how it’s done…
In this video by Emerald Doulas you’ll notice that the:
- Baby is sitting more upright
- Caregiver tickles baby’s lips with bottle
- Nipple is then put into baby’s mouth
- The bottle is held horizontally, which slows the flow significantly
- After 20–30 seconds of feeding, the bottle is tipped downward or removed from baby’s mouth to stop the flow of milk (creating a similar pattern as in breastfeeding)
Get free updates on baby’s first year! – Free Updates on First Year [In-article]
Sign me up!
How to bottle feed the breast-fed baby: Paced bottle feeding
These tips are designed to replicate breast-feeding for breast-fed babies while mom’s away, but they can absolutely be helpful for formula-fed babies too!
When should baby be fed?
Whenever baby is hungry.
A schedule can be helpful as a loose guideline (for example, feeding baby every 2–3 hours), but look for feeding cues first and foremost instead of going by the clock.
Some signs baby is hungry include:
- Smaking lips
- Sucking fists
- Rooting (baby turning with mouth wide open toward any object that touches her cheek)
- Acting fussy or restless
Baby position
Hold baby in an upright position, as opposed to laying down. This helps baby to control the flow of milk better. He doesn’t have to be at an uncomfortable 90-degree angle, but only slightly reclined so that the bottle isn’t pouring down into baby’s mouth.
Offer the bottle horizontally
Lay the bottle nipple across baby’s lips (nipple pointed up) when baby starts rooting and opening his mouth. Let baby draw the nipple into his mouth and close his lips on the base of the nipple. Baby essentially is going to “latch” on the bottle nipple like he would a breast.
Once he’s latched on, keep the bottle horizontal. This allows baby to control the flow of milk better. This also helps the bottle to last the entire length of a normal feeding, usually 10–20 minutes, rather than baby gulping a bottle down in 5 minutes.
Baby learns to recognize when he’s full because he is not filling his belly before the signals of satiety can reach his brain.
You may also consider not allowing the milk to reach the nipple of the bottle for a few minutes while baby sucks. This mimics the letdown of breast-feeding and can help reduce the chances of nipple preference.
One caveat would be if you have a really fast letdown. If your baby only nurses for 5 minutes per feeding, holding bottle at a horizontal angle is not quite as important. And frankly, paced bottle feeding probably won’t be a necessity for you since your baby is already used to a fast flow.
Pausing
Babies at the breast will pause and take breaks often throughout a feeding.
Baby’s caregiver should encourage pausing while bottle-feeding as well. If baby gets tense or starts gulping, lean him forward to allow the milk to flow away from the nipple to give him a break. If he pauses on his own, great!
Switch sides
Just as mom does while breast-feeding, move baby from one side to the other halfway through the feeding. This helps baby avoid a side preference, and allows for new views and eye contact, which is excellent for his development.
Ending the feeding
One big drawback of bottle feeding is the risk of over-feeding. Look for cues that baby may be getting full, such as:
- Slower sucking
- Eyes wandering
- Falling asleep
- Hands are open and relaxed
When you think baby’s getting close to being full, remove the nipple from his mouth by gently twisting. Offer it again, and if he accepts, give him about 10 sucks, and repeat until he refuses. This will help teach him the feelings of satiety and reduce the chance of over-feeding.
Likewise, don’t coerce baby into drinking the last few drops of milk in the bottle. If he falls asleep, he is finished (an exception being newborns who may need to be awakened in the first few days to feed).
Benefits of paced bottle feeding
Breast-feeding is the biological design, so it makes sense that we would want to recreate this dynamic as best we can when bottle feeding. Paced bottle feeding has many benefits, which will help your child both in the short and long-term.
Baby avoids being under- or over-fed
If the caregiver is in charge of when and how much baby eats, baby is not likely to get the correct amount of milk. Paced bottle feeding helps baby be in charge, just like when he’s at the breast.
Less stressful for baby
Babies can become very stressed when laid on their backs to eat from a bottle. When baby swallows milk from a bottle, the negative pressure forces more milk out of the bottle. Baby has to keep gulping to avoid choking.
Paced feeding gives baby the time and space to eat at his or her own pace.
Avoid colic
Proper feeding techniques and a good bottle can minimize colic-like symptoms. When milk pours into baby’s mouth, as happens with conventional bottle feeding, baby gulps to keep up, ingesting air in the process, which can cause gas.
Easier pumping for mom
If baby is being over-fed, mom needs to continually pump extra milk to replace the milk that’s being fed. Sometimes this leads to mama believing she has low milk supply. When baby is in charge, it’s much more likely that the amount mom pumps is exactly what baby needs. (Need more pumping tips? Check out this post!)
Supports breast-feeding relationship
Using a feeding technique that resembles breast-feeding is a great way to support the breast-feeding relationship and avoid a bottle preference. We are learning that babies don’t struggle as much with “nipple confusion” as with “flow preference.” If you are consistently giving a breast-fed baby fast-flowing bottles, they will probably prefer that easier, faster milk versus the breast.
May improve health later in life
One reason that breast-feeding is so great is that it allows baby to eat at his own pace, allowing him to learn his body’s cues for satiety. Studies have found that bottle feeding plays a large part in teaching overeating. Therefore, paced bottle feeding may contribute to healthier eating habits in the future.
Which is the best bottle to use?
Some lactation consultants like a narrower nipple found in traditional bottles versus the more breast-like nipples on some bottles. They prefer this style because baby can “latch” deeply on the narrower nipple, like with a breast. Other lactation consultants say it isn’t the bottle that matters as much as the pace of milk flow.
I like the breast-shaped nippled bottles because they are almost always a slow-flow bottle and the baby has to work for the milk, regardless of how you hold it (horizontal or vertical). Here’s our post on the best bottles for breastfed babies.
Will paced bottle feeding make my baby gassy?
When I first saw demos of this feeding method, I instantly thought of baby getting gassier. However, many lactation consultants say that air isn’t what causes gas. It’s more due to baby’s immature nervous and digestive systems.
If you notice an increase in gas, switch to a breast-shaped nipple bottle, which is slow flow. Also, try holding the bottle more horizontally so that less air interferes with the feeding.
Final word on paced bottle feeding
Whether you’re going back to work full-time, part-time, are exclusively pumping, or feed formula, paced bottle feeding can be a great way to support yourself, and especially, your baby.
How about you?
Have you tried paced feeding? How has it helped your baby?
References
- https://www.llli.org/docs/0000000000000001WAB/WAB_Tear_sheet_Toolkit/22_bfabreastfedbaby.pdf
- https://www.emeralddoulas.com/
How to properly bottle feed
Feeding your baby is not only an important process for healthy growth and development, but also a way to establish close emotional contact with the baby and build trusting and loving relationships.
The transition from breastfeeding to bottle feeding should be carried out after the mother and the child are fully prepared for this. We are talking about both the moral aspect, and about choosing the right bottle and getting adults the necessary skills so that eating brings only positive emotions and benefits to the baby. In this article, we will talk more about how to properly bottle feed your baby and where to start.
How to prepare your baby for bottle feeding
If this method of feeding is a completely new experience for the baby, or if parents decide to bottle feed their baby from a very young age, slow flow nipples should be preferred. So you protect the child from the possibility of choking while eating. Over time, you can gradually switch to bottles with nipples, which would provide faster and more intense feeding.
Feeding bottle selection and daily care
All baby accessories should be kept clean and sterilized regularly and thoroughly.
There are several ways to sterilize dishes:
- select the appropriate mode when using the dishwasher;
- or place the bottle and teat in a vessel of boiling water for 5 minutes.
Before using this method of cleaning the bottle, make sure that the material it is made of can be exposed to high temperatures. Since some types of plastic contain various chemicals in their composition, after sterilization they can become dangerous for their little user. For this reason, experts recommend choosing glass bottles.
The need for thorough cleansing of everything that the baby will touch is caused by the fact that in the first months of life, the child's immune system is just beginning to strengthen. Before sterilizing the teat, it can be cleaned with dishwashing detergent. There are special products for washing children's dishes, without a strong odor and with a safe composition.
How to bottle feed your baby
Before starting a meal, mom or dad should wash their hands well with soap and warm running water.
Particular attention should be paid to the area between the fingers and under the nails. The hand washing process should take at least 20 seconds. And after carrying out this hygienic procedure, hands should be wiped dry with a paper towel or clean towel.
The next step is to prepare for the meal. If you plan to fill the bottle with formula, then dilute it with water in accordance with the instructions in the instructions. Improper proportions can lead to dehydration or bloating. It should also be remembered that for the preparation of the mixture you need to use only clean drinking water.
Breast milk is the most beneficial for a newborn. Despite this, pediatricians advise breastfeeding babies for as long as possible. Even if the mother is ready to give up breastfeeding, milk can be expressed into a bottle and gradually accustom the baby to the nipple. If, for one reason or another, the mother does not have the opportunity to feed herself, then the only alternative is feeding with a special mixture.
In the first six months after birth, cow's or goat's milk or its substitute in the form of soy milk should not be included in the baby's diet. Valid options for supporting healthy development of a newborn are breast milk or formula milk only.
What temperature should the bottle filler be? Under no circumstances should the bottle be heated on the stove or in the microwave. If the temperature of the bottle and its filling exceed 37°C, the baby may be burned. It is recommended to use special bottle warmers. If this is not possible, then use the following method:
- put a saucepan on the stove with a little water;
- bring the water to a boil, then remove the pan from the heat;
- place a bottle of milk in a vessel and heat it up to 37◦С;
- check the temperature with a pre-cleaned thermometer or a special device for measuring the temperature of foodstuffs.
You can also check the temperature of the ready-to-use bottle as follows:
- turn the bottle over;
- drip several times into your wrist area.
In this way, you can check not only the temperature of the milk or formula, but also how well the liquid flows out of the bottle. If you have to shake or squeeze the bottle hard to drip, the nipple is blocked and needs to be cleaned out. If, on the contrary, the filler pours out when the bottle is turned over, this means that the nipple is damaged and another nipple should be used to feed the baby, having previously sterilized it.
How to bottle feed your baby lying down
There are several techniques for feeding your baby. However, it is the feeding of the child lying down from the bottle that young parents consider the most comfortable. It is worth noting that eating in this position will only be safe when the baby's head is slightly raised. Otherwise, the child may simply choke. In the prone position, the child should be placed on his arm bent at the elbow. After feeding, you should place the baby in an upright position, taking him in your arms and putting his stomach to your chest.
Make sure that the feeding bottle is closed correctly: the ring at the connection of the nipple to the bottle must not be too tight. Air must enter the bottle, otherwise a vacuum will be created there, which, in turn, will complicate the consumption of food for the child.
How to bottle feed without spitting up
Since the newborn is not able to fully control the process of feeding, along with milk, he can also take in air. This may be the reason that at one meal the child could not master the planned portion. In view of this, it is recommended to take small breaks during feeding.
As soon as you notice that the baby has stopped sucking on the pacifier, is tired or thoughtful, pick him up and press his face to you, holding his head and back. To help burp excess air, you can make a light massage between the shoulder blades, pat on the back or pope.
The air will quickly rise up and the baby will burp it without any extra effort. However, you should be prepared for the fact that, along with the air, part of the consumed mixture or milk may also return.
Therefore, before taking the baby in your arms, cover yourself with a diaper, because it will be easier to wash it than clothes.
Never leave your baby alone with the bottle or let him fall asleep while using it. After eating, mom or dad must help their child burp. This will help to avoid colic, bloating and other manifestations of stomach discomfort.
Where to buy baby accessories
It's safe to say that I Love Mommy online store is one of the best places to buy baby food. Our catalogs feature products from world-famous brands, the quality of which you will not have to doubt for a minute. Bottles, baby dishes, pacifiers, baby bibs - all this and much more you can buy for your son or daughter from us at affordable prices in just a few minutes.
How to bottle feed your baby? Articles of the company "TOO "TD "Gradum""
in line with the spine
Make eye contact with the baby and hug him
Hold the bottle firmly in a horizontal position so that the milk does not flow too much during feeding.
When he opens his mouth wide with his tongue pressed against his lower palate, help him to properly latch on to the nipple.0095 When the baby begins to feed, gradually tilt the bottle so that there is always milk in the nipple and not air. During feeding, bubbles will appear in the bottle. The baby may make several quick sucking movements and then rest. Such breaks give him the opportunity to understand whether he is full or not.
If there are no bubbles or the nipple is crumpled, move the bottle gently around the baby's mouth to get air back into the nipple. If the baby won't let go of the bottle, gently insert your clean finger between the baby's gums and pull the nipple out.
Watch the position of the child. If he tries to suck with his head turned to his side or thrown back, he will have difficulty swallowing milk. In this case, gently help the child into a more comfortable position.
At the end of a feed, or if the baby seems full 10 minutes after the start of a feed, he should burp for air.
Place the child on your knee with his back to you, with one hand supporting him by the chin, or put the baby on your shoulder. Then gently stroke his back and talk to him to relax. The baby may spit up some milk, so put a tissue or towel on your knees or shoulder.
If after feeding the baby constantly spits up a lot of milk, tell the doctor about it.
Never feed your baby while lying down or leave him alone with a bottle in his mouth as he may choke. Feeding a baby in a horizontal position can also lead to an ear infection, since this position can allow milk to enter the middle ear.
Make sure that the baby does not fall asleep with a bottle in his mouth, as this can provoke dental caries. If your baby falls asleep while feeding, carefully remove the bottle from your mouth. When the child is ready, teach him to drink from a cup.
Bottle feeding and subsequent hugs give you and your baby the opportunity to feel a special closeness. Try to have as few people as possible feed the baby.
