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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:
- 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
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Why is my newborn still hungry after feeding?
If your newborn is still hungry after feeding they may not be getting enough milk during each feed, or they may be cluster feeding.
It's also possible that they have a medical issue that's affecting their appetite. It's always a good idea to talk to your healthcare team if you have any concerns about your baby's feeding habits.
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Can you overfeed a newborn?
It is possible to overfeed a bottle-fed baby, but overfeeding is rare and can be easily prevented. Find out more in our guide on overfeeding a baby.
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Are Tommee Tippee bottles suitable for newborns?
Yes, Tommee Tippee baby bottles come with slow flow teats and are suitable for newborn babies.
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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?
- 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.
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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.
- How to get a breastfed baby to take a bottle
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There are a few reasons why parents of breastfed babies choose to introduce a bottle alongside or to replace direct breastfeeding. It's a very personal choice and one that should be guided by what's best for both parent and baby.
If you've previously been breastfeeding your baby and want to introduce a bottle into your feeding routine, it can help to give your baby time to adjust and get familiar with the feel of the bottle teat.
It's best to take your time and be patient because taking things too fast can lead to your baby refusing their bottle altogether.
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What equipment do you need for bottle feeding?
When you're getting ready to bottle feed, you'll need several bottles, teats, a bottle brush, some sterilising equipment and perhaps a breast pump.
Head to our baby feeding glossary to learn more about what you'll need to feed.
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How many bottles and teats do I need?
Knowing how often you plan to bottle feed can help you decide how many teats and bottles you need.
If you're only going to use a bottle once a day or just occasionally, having two is a good idea. That way, if one is lost, damaged or needs to be cleaned and sterilised, you've got a backup.
But, if you're solely bottle feeding a newborn, then you should have around four to six bottles and teats because newborns can feed up to 12 times over 24 hours.
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How do I sterilise bottles safely?
It's recommended that anything that goes into a baby's mouth is sterilised for the first 12 months of their life.
Rinsing (to get rid of any milk residue), and then sterilising your baby's bottles and feeding equipment thoroughly before each use is a must. It protects them from infections (especially while their immune system is still developing).
Not sterilising can lead to stomach upsets like diarrhoea.
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How often should I check my baby bottle teats?
You should change your teats every two months or immediately if they're damaged, weak, or have been bitten.
Your baby will usually let you know when it's time to change the flow rate, or even if you've moved up too quickly.
Signs that it's time to move up a teat flow rate include your baby:
- becoming impatient or aggravated when eating
- taking longer than 20 minutes to finish a feed
- falling asleep while feeding
- sucking hard and/or the teat collapsing in on itself
Signs that the flow rate of the teat you're using is too fast include your baby:
- gulping or hard swallowing
- coughing or gagging
- letting excess milk drip out of their mouth
- refusing to eat
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How do I know my baby is full when bottle feeding?
Watch them carefully and look out for cues that signal that they may be feeling full or uncomfortable. These include:
- splaying their fingers and toes
- wrinkling their forehead
- spilling milk out of their mouth
- turning their head away
- pushing the bottle away.
If they do need a break, just gently remove the teat, and bring the bottle down to cut off the flow of milk until they ask for more milk. If they don't ask for more, they've probably had enough for now.
Overfeeding can cause distress and trying to bottle feed a crying baby means they could potentially choke. So try not to make the mistake of assuming that your baby is hungry every time they cry.
Other reasons your baby might be crying can include:
- needing to be burped
- needing their nappy changed
- being tired or generally irritable
- needing comfort and cuddles.
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How do I wind my baby after bottle feeding?
Sometimes babies take in air bubbles as they feed which get trapped, cause discomfort, and can develop into colic.
Burping your baby can help to relieve their discomfort.
Give the following winding techniques a go:
- Over your shoulder: With their chin on your shoulder, support their head and shoulder area with one hand, and gently rub or pat their back with the other.
- Sitting on your lap: Sit your baby on your lap facing away from you. Place the palm of your hand flat against their chest and support their chin and jaw (don't put any pressure on the throat area). Lean them forward slightly and gently rub or pat their back with your other hand.
- Lying across your lap: Lie your baby face-down across your lap. Support their chin (don't put any pressure on the throat area) and use your other hand to gently rub or pat their back.
If the above techniques don't work and they still show signs of trapped wind (crying, arching their back, drawing their legs into their tummy, or clenching their fists) you can lie them on their back and gently massage their tummy or move their legs in a bicycle motion.
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Related Articles
- /content/documents/en-au/pages/parent-library/newborn-baby/feeding/bottle-feeding/heating-a-baby-bottle-the-right-way
- /content/documents/en-au/pages/parent-library/newborn-baby/feeding/bottle-feeding/paced-feeding
- /content/documents/en-au/pages/parent-library/newborn-baby/feeding/bottle-feeding/our-top-tips-for-baby-bottle-acceptance
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Sources
- Expressing breastmilk & storing breastmilk | Raising Children Network
- 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)
- Preparing-Formula-Feeds.pdf (nsw.gov.au)
