Bottle Feeding 101

When researching everything you need to know about bottle feeding your baby, the topic can feel overwhelming. From which bottles to use, how to breastfeed and offer a bottle, how to clean your bottles, when to offer a bottle – the seemingly simple act of bottle feeding your baby can bring up lots of questions. Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered with our super-mega-bottle feeding 101. Looking for more information with videos of real babies? Check out our video series where we share hours of educational support on feeding your baby!

Choosing Which Baby Bottles to Use

Let’s talk about getting prepared first. Take one look at amazon and you’ll see the plethora of bottles on the market. All shapes, sizes colors and gimmicks.

Here’s what we recommend- try a couple of brands. You can try a bottle box or see if you can purchase 1-2 of a couple brands vs purchasing a whole set. We find that bottles are not one size fits all mouth.

If we had to choose one it would be Dr. Browns and if you pressed us harder, we would probably recommend the glass wide-neck.

Understanding Nipple Flow Sizes

Beyond which bottle brand, you’ll also have to choose which nipple flow to use.

This is harder than it sounds and harder than it should be!!! Each bottle has their own sizing and a 1 in one bottle may be 5x faster than a 1 in another.

In general, plan to start at the slowest flow nipple possible, and graduate to the next size up when they show signs like sucking hard, flattening the nipple, getting frustrated, taking longer than usual to finish or falling asleep while feeding. An ideal bottle feeding takes around 15 minutes

It’s especially important for young, breastfed babies to use slow flow nipples. A breastfed baby who discovers that it’s much easier and quicker to bottle feed may start to refuse the breast. Most bottle brands come with a size 1, but you may want to purchase a size 0/preemie nipple option as well. 

*Babies drinking certain formulas or pediatrician-prescribed thickened milk will need a larger nipple flow size. 

How to Clean and Sanitize Your Bottles

Before their first use, it’s important to wash and sanitize your new bottles and nipples and then to regularly keep them clean! Research waffles on how often to sanitize, so go by your gut and your pediatrician recommendations.

Washing bottles:

• By hand with hot soapy water
• In the dishwasher
• get into all the parts

Sanitizing bottles:

• Countertop sanitizer
• Boiling
• Microwave bag
• Dishwasher on sanitize cycle

Finally, make sure that your bottles are fully dry before they are stored. 

When to Start Bottle Feeding Your Baby

Parents who plan to formula feed or exclusively pump will start from day one, maybe even hour one! Parents who plan to breastfeed are usually advised to wait a bit longer. If nursing is going generally well and baby is gaining weight on target, it’s best to wait to introduce a bottle after the first 2-4 weeks. This can help prevent nipple confusion while baby is still figuring out how to perfect their latch. 

If breastfeeding is your goal, but your baby needs some extra supplementation, bottle feeding is an option to provide them with extra calories.

Pro TIP! If your baby needs supplementation the first days or weeks after birth, you can supplement with a syringe, supplemental nursing system, or even a spoon or cup! This helps prevent nipple confusion/nipple frustration and encourages breastfeeding.

What to Stop Bottle Feeding Your Baby

The general rule is around 1 year old that bottles are transitioned to sippy cups. This can be a longer/harder transition for some than for others.

Between 9-11 months old parents should start thinking about how to transition the primary food source from milk to solids.

How to Prepare a Breastmilk Bottle

If you’re pumping for your baby, the easiest way to prepare a bottle is to simply pour fresh breastmilk into the bottle and offer it to your baby. It will already be warm and ready to go. 

However, most of the time you will need to store your breastmilk before your baby is ready to drink it. Here are the basics what you need to know about breastmilk storage:

• To thaw frozen breastmilk- place the bag in a cup of warm water, use a bottle warmer, or put it in the fridge overnight
• The 24-hour clock begins on previously frozen breastmilk only once all of the ice crystals have melted. 
• Most babies prefer body temperature breastmilk, but it’s perfectly okay to offer room temperature milk as well. Cold milk can be a shock on a new baby’s digestive system.

How to Prepare a Formula Bottle

Formula comes in three preparation options: powdered, concentrated, or ready-to-feed. 

Powdered formula must be mixed with water and shaken vigorously. You can make each bottle as you need it, or make as much as you will need for the day and store in the fridge for up to 24 hours. 

Liquid concentrate needs to be mixed with equal parts water, and can be stored in the fridge for up to 48 hours. 

Ready-to-feed formula comes pre-mixed and can be stored in the refrigerator after opening for up to 48 hours. No mixing or measuring required. 

How to actually feed your baby a bottle:

Phew! You’ve chosen the bottle brand, nipple flow, and prepared your baby’s bottle of breastmilk or formula. You’ve got a hungry baby in front of you. What’s next?

First, take a deep breath. You’ve got this.

Second, watch our videos on how to bottlefeed a baby if you’re still nervous!

Third, we highly recommend paced feeding. Paced feeding is when your baby is held upright and the bottle is held horizontally. With this way of feeding the baby has more control over the flow of the milk. Even if the nipple is slow the angle of the bottle still has an effect on the flow.

Take your time. Allow pauses during the feeding, letting your baby rest and mimicking the natural letdown of the breast. This helps prevent gas and colic, and is also important for breastfed babies to prevent bottle preference. 

Take breaks to burp your baby. [Read more about burping here!]

After a burp you can switch hand positions to mimic switching breasts, which is important for eye development. 

Feed to satiation, noticing signs that your baby is full like releasing the bottle or dozing off while feeding. As tempting as it may be to encourage them to finish the bottle entirely, avoid over-feeding. Drinking too much milk can cause stomach upset, reflux, and discourages the baby from following their natural hunger cues. 

Do you need more than bottle feeding 101?

Our video series includes tips we would consider to be Advanced Bottle Feeding. Where we have the time and the real babies to show off all our tips and tricks on how to offer your baby a bottle!