Whether you're a first-time parent or simply considering bottle feeding as an option, we’ve written this blog to give you valuable tips and guidance.
We'll cover everything from finding the right bottle, to understanding your baby's feeding cues and addressing common bottle-feeding challenges.
Is bottle feeding ok for newborns?
The WHO recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life, but babies can be bottle fed from birth if they're unable to breastfeed or you choose not to for whatever reason.
Deciding whether to bottle feed, breastfeed, or mixed feed is a very personal choice, and no two feeding journeys are the same.
Whichever feeding method you choose, your decision should be made in consultation with your healthcare provider.
How often to bottle feed a newborn
Every baby is different, and so the frequency of the feeds they need varies from one to the next.
But generally, it's recommended that newborns feed little and often, and that parents should keep an eye out for their baby's hunger cues and try to feed them before they become too hungry and start to cry.
A baby’s early hunger cues can include:
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- sucking their hands or fingers
- moving their eyes around
- rooting around or looking for the teat of the bottle
- wriggling and becoming restless
- opening and closing their mouth
What are the benefits of bottle feeding?
Now that we've covered what you'll need to bottle feed, let's run through some of the benefits of bottle feeding.
Precious bonding time with your baby
Giving your baby a bottle might be one of the calmest parts of your day, so soak it up. Make sure that you can see your baby's face and reassure them by looking into their eyes.
Maintaining skin-to-skin contact releases the love hormone oxytocin. It's a great way to bond with your baby while improving their non-verbal communication skills.
Non-breastfeeding parents and other adults who hold and feed the baby can also experience and enjoy the feel-good nurturing hormones. According to UNICEF, skin-to-skin contact also:
- calms baby
- regulates their breathing and heart rate
- stimulates interest in feeding
- supports digestion
- helps regulate their temperature
- enables colonisation of the baby's skin with the mother's friendly bacteria and protects against infection
A break from breastfeeding
Bottle feeding gives non-breastfeeding parents, family, and friends the chance to get some quality one-on-one time with the baby.
Bottle feeding also means that the breastfeeding parent has some time to rest, pump, or recover if they're struggling with nipple soreness, blocked milk ducts or mastitis.
Easy monitoring of how much milk your baby has had per feed
This is especially beneficial if your baby needs to gain weight and you're monitoring their feeds.
What are the down sides of bottle feeding?
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- Bottle feeding can be more expensive than breastfeeding, especially if your baby requires a special type of formula.
- Formula doesn't provide the same kind of nutrients and antibodies that breast milk does.
- There's more feeding equipment to clean and sterilise.
- You need to be more prepared for feeds away from home.
- Some babies may have difficulty adjusting to bottle feeding and may experience digestive issues such as trapped wind, constipation, or diarrhoea.
How to bottle feed your baby
If you're bottle feeding, you'll either be giving your baby expressed breast milk or formula, or feeding using both (but not at the same time in the same bottle). This is sometimes called mixed or combination feeding.
Making a bottle with expressed breast milk
If you're going to give your baby breast milk in a sterile bottle, you'll need a breast pump (or to be able to express by hand), and some sterile pouches to store your expressed milk in the fridge or freezer.
Making a formula bottle
When making a bottle of formula you should always carefully follow the preparation instructions, and always use sterile water that's been boiled and left to cool to no less than 70°C.
It's worth noting that too much water can dilute the formula, meaning your baby won't get the optimal amount of nutrition from their feed, and too much formula can lead to constipation and dehydration.
Only make up a formula feed when needed, and make one feed at a time, never in bulk.
A Tommee Tippee Perfect Prep® machine means no boiling. No cooling. Less waiting. And less to clean up.
These bottle prep machines are scientifically proven to make a fresh feed safely, and up to 10x faster than a kettle*.
*For verification see tommeetippee.com/perfect-prep-explained.
Top bottle feeding tips
Let's run through some helpful tips to keep in mind when bottle feeding.
Six is the magic number
If your baby isn't taking to their bottle right away, it can be tempting to keep buying and trying until you find one they accept, but six tries of the same bottle are likely to be as successful as trying six different bottles.
Don't be disheartened and try to persevere with the bottle you think is closest to a breast in shape and movement. Tommee Tippee bottle teats are made from soft silicone and have a special breast-like shape that encourages a natural latch.
Check the temperature of the milk
If your baby likes a warm bottle, you can use an electric bottle warmer to heat their feed, then, use the inside of your wrist to test a few drops before you feed them. If it's a comfortable temperature (not too hot or cold), you're good to go.
While lots of babies like their feeds at body temperature (36.5–37.5°C), it's worth noting that not all babies need their milk to be warm. You can try them with cool milk first to see if they'll take it.
Get comfortable
When bottle-fed lying down babies can take too much milk too quickly, so it's important to sit with them close to you in a semi-upright position. And supporting your baby’s head while they feed means they can swallow and breathe comfortably.
Remember, you should never leave your baby alone to feed with a propped-up bottle as they may choke on the milk.
Gently introduce the bottle teat
Brushing your baby's lips with the bottle teat stimulates their gaping or mouth-opening reflex. Once they've opened their mouth wide, you should let them draw in the teat at their own pace, just like they would when breastfeeding.
Position the bottle horizontally
Once the teat is in your baby's mouth, keep the bottle tipped in a horizontal position so that the milk can flow steadily. This helps prevent them from ingesting air and means that they need to suck actively to get the milk (like they would when breastfeeding).
Always tilt the bottle so the teat is full of milk. You'll need to tip it higher as the bottle slowly drains.
If you notice that the teat gets blocked and goes flat mid-feed, gently pull on the corner of your baby's mouth to release the latch and replace the old teat with a new sterile one.
Follow your baby's feeding cues
Some babies want to feed more often than others, and your baby will let you know how much milk they need. It's best to feed your baby when they seem hungry. Follow their lead and don't worry if they don't finish their full bottle. This is often called paced bottle feeding.
Talk and sing to your baby
Talking and singing to your baby while bottle feeding will help to calm you both and can create a really powerful emotional bond.
Dispose of unused milk
Even though it may seem like a waste, you should discard any unused milk that's left over after a bottle feed. This is because bacteria can get into the milk while your baby is feeding, and if left, this could make them unwell.
Bottle-feeding: cleaning & sterilising | Raising Children Network
Infant formula preparation: in pictures | Raising Children Network
Bottle-feeding babies: giving the bottle | Raising Children Network
How much formula milk does my baby need? - BabyCenter Australia
How can I get my breastfed baby to take a bottle? - BabyCenter Australia
Bottle feeding - nutrition and safety - Better Health Channel
Helping your baby to take expressed breastmilk | Australian Breastfeeding Association
Paced bottle-feeding | Australian Breastfeeding Association
Feeding your baby with formula | Pregnancy Birth and Baby (pregnancybirthbaby.org.au)
