How to Bottle Feed a Baby
Learning the proper techniques will help ensure that you and your baby can enjoy feeding times.
Instructions
- : 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.
- TIP: 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.
- TIP: 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.
- TIP: 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.
- FACT: Newborns can sleep from 15 to 20 hours a day in the first month.
You Will Need
- Bottle with nipple and ring
- Formula or expressed breast milk
- Bowl
- Comfortable spot
- Pillow
- Burp cloth