How to bottle feed your baby

• hold your baby close in a semi-upright position, in skin-to-skin contact if possible and maintain eye contact by turning baby inwards towards your body
• rub the teat gently over the upper lip, this will encourage them to open their mouth and draw in the teat
• hold the bottle horizontally with a slight upright tilt to prevent both air entering the teat and the milk flowing too fast
• allow your baby to set the pace of the feeding, enabling your baby to pause frequently
• towards the end of the feed remove the teat and wind (burp) your baby
• if your baby shows continued feeding cues, offer the remaining milk
• don’t try and force your baby to take more than they want
• limit the number of people who feed your baby to yourself and one or two others – this helps with building a relationship and bonding with your baby
• never leave your baby alone with a bottle.

Look out for signs of stress when bottle feeding:

• pushing the bottle away
• back arching
• grimacing, frowning, or crying
• gagging, spitting up.

Formula feeding advice

Key facts about formula feeding:

• always use a first infant formula in the first year of your baby’s life
• make up feeds one at a time as your baby needs them
• never warm up formula in the microwave
• the water needs to be above 70°C in order to kill any bacteria in the milk powder, as it is not sterile
• always put the water in the bottle first, then add the powder
• only use the scoop enclosed in the packaging, as they can differ in size between brands
• follow manufacturer’s specific instructions on how to prepare formula milk
• ensure to measure a level scoop of formula as instructed on the packet
• before giving to your baby, check the formula is cool by dripping a few drops on the back of your hand
• throw away any unused formula when your baby has finished feeding.

Bottle feeding

Whether you have chosen to feed your baby expressed breast milk or formula milk via a bottle, these tips will help you keep your baby safe whilst building a close and loving relationship between you.

Preparing bottles

Bottles and teats need to be thoroughly cleaned and sterilised in order to kill any harmful bacteria. Follow the instructions on your chosen steriliser regarding this. Formula milk should be made up in line with the packet instructions, always read the label carefully.