Tips for Bottle Feeding Your Baby

If you’re bottle feeding your baby whether it’s formula, expressed breast milk or a mix, we have some tips for you. It can feel a bit overwhelming at first, but once you get your groove, it will become second nature.

Here are our tips for bottle feeding your baby:

Choose non-toxic and good quality

Use glass, stainless steel or high-grade plastic baby bottles. They’re durable, don’t absorb smells, and avoid any toxin or chemical exposure.

Good quality bottles will ensure you avoid toxins that can be present in cheap bottles. Choose teats that are latex, silicone or rubber and high quality to avoid small pieces breaking off.

Choose quality ingredients 

Choose the very best quality baby formula (organic if possible) that you can find and that your health care practitioner recommends. Use only filtered, boiled water to make up your formula. Always ensure you use the exact water to formula ration as advised on the instructions. The wrong ratios can be harmful to your baby.

Warm your milk/formula 

Many babies prefer warm milk because it because it’s closer to body temperature, just like breastmilk straight from the source. Cold milk can sometimes be a bit of a shock, especially for younger babies and warming it can help them feed more calmly.

It's very important to warm the milk safely to avoid burns! Using a microwave can cause hot spots in the milk, so choose a bottle warmer for better safety. 

Always shake the bottle after warming and test it by dripping on your wrist to check the temperature. 

Sterilise your bottles

Until your baby is around 12 months old, sterilising bottles and teats is really important because their immune systems are still developing.

Wash everything in hot, soapy water. Use bottle brushes to clean bottles thoroughly and little brushes for the teats. A speciality bottle drying rack is useful too!

Next you need to sterilise all the components. You can boil in a big pot or use a bottle steamer. We don't recommend sterilising solutions to keep the process as low-tox as possible.

Always check teats for cracks as bacteria may be hiding in there! Discard any teats that are cracked or broken in anyway. Teats should be replaced every 4-6 weeks for best safety practices.

Get the teat flow right 

This is important as if the flow is too slow your baby can get frustrated or fall asleep and if it's too fast your baby can cough, gulp and milk gets spilled. A quick test you can do is to turn the bottle upside down. The milk should drip steadily, not pour out and not just sit there. 

Don’t stress if the age guide on the product doesn’t match your baby as every baby is different. You might need to experiment a bit.

Top tip: it should take approx. 15-20 minutes to finish a bottle. If it is much faster you should consider a slower flow, and if it is much slower you should consider a faster flow.

Consider anti-colic teats 

If your baby seems extra gassy, fussy, or uncomfortable after feeds, try anti-colic teats. These are designed with little vents or valves to reduce the amount of air your baby swallows during feeding and avoid colic.

They’re not a magic fix for every baby, but many mums find they help reduce wind, burping, and general feeding fussiness, especially in those early months.

Positioning matters

Hold your baby close and slightly upright, and keep the bottle slightly tilted horizontally so the teat is always full of milk. This helps reduce how much air they swallow which means less wind and fewer burps. You can also pause halfway through for a burp. It can make a big difference!

Touch the baby's lips with the bottle nipple to open its mouth. When the baby opens its mouth, the bottle is placed so the nipple touches the soft palate, and the baby begins to feed.

Have good eye contact with your baby and talk to your baby gently during bottle-feeding. This helps to build a close and loving relationship with your baby and helps them to feel safe and secure.

An ergonomic nursing pillow can be useful and avoid strain on your back.

Bonus tips

We found that a formula dispenser was an absolute godsend for bottle feeding! Pre-portion out your formula into a handy container. It's perfect for feeding when out and about and travelling and to make sure you get the right amount for those night time half asleep feeds. 

A multi-purpose steriliser and warmer saves money and space in the kitchen!   

Bottle feeding can be tricky at first but once you get into a routine and have the right products, it quickly becomes part of your routine. 

Please reach out if you need any help choosing the right baby bottles for your little one!