How to Bottle Feed a Baby
Learning the proper techniques will help ensure that you and your baby can enjoy feeding times.
Up next in How to Feed Your Baby (19 videos)
Learn how to feed your baby properly with these Howcast videos.
You Will Need
- Bottle with nipple and ring
- Formula or expressed breast milk
- Bowl
- Comfortable spot
- Pillow
- Burp cloth
Steps
-
These instructions cannot replace a physician’s advice. Consult your pediatrician if you have concerns about feeding or your infant’s health.
-
Step 1
Sterilize bottle
Sterilize the bottle, the nipple, and ring by placing them in a pot of boiling water for five minutes or running them through a full dishwasher cycle. Wait for the parts to cool before using them.
-
Step 2
Fill the bottle
Mix the formula according to container directions and pour it into the bottle or fill the bottle with three to four ounces of expressed breast milk.
-
Step 3
Warm the milk
Warm the milk by placing the bottle in a bowl and running hot tap water over it.
-
Some babies like room-temperature or chilled milk.
-
Never warm the bottle in the microwave -- it can create dangerously hot pockets of milk.
-
Step 4
Check the temperature
Shake a few drops of milk onto the inside of your arm to check the temperature.
-
Step 5
Position your baby
Sit in a comfortable chair and hold the baby upright in your lap with their head supported in the crook of your arm.
-
Use a pillow under your arm to help support the baby’s head more comfortably.
-
Step 6
Insert the nipple
Insert the nipple into the baby's mouth holding the bottle at a 45-degree angle.
-
Make sure the nipple is already filled with milk before offering it to the baby. A half-filled nipple can make the baby swallow air, which causes gas.
-
Step 7
Enjoy feeding time
Enjoy feeding time with your children by making eye contact and talking to them as they drink their fill.
-
Step 8
Burp the baby
Place a burp cloth over your shoulder, lift your baby’s head to your shoulder, and pat and rub its back gently to bring up a burp.
-
Newborns can sleep from 15 to 20 hours a day in the first month.
