Preparing a bottle feed for your baby
If you want to start bottle feeding your baby, there are a few things you need be aware of before milk preparation.
- Always clean and sterilise all bottle feeding parts before each use.
- Wash your hands thoroughly and make sure your surfaces are clean before handling the sterilised equipment
- Don’t use abrasive cleaning agents or anti-bacterial cleaners when you’re cleaning bottles and teats
- To inspect the teat, pull it in each direction
- Don’t warm milk in a microwave as this may cause uneven heating and could scald your baby
- Always check the milk temperature before feeding by squirting it onto the inside of your arm
- Make sure that the bottles are not over-tightened
Please be aware that the information given in these articles is only intended as general advice and should in no way be taken as a substitute for professional medical advice. If you or your family or your child is suffering from symptoms or conditions which are severe or persistent or you need specific medical advice, please seek professional medical assistance. Philips Avent cannot be held responsible for any damages that result from the use of the information provided on this website.
Bottle feeding positions
As with breastfeeding, there are certain positions that will suit your baby better when they move on to bottle feeding.
Holding the baby and the bottle
Hold your baby close to you on your lap in a semi-upright position so you can make eye contact. If necessary, put a pillow on your lap to raise your baby up.
- Your baby will enjoy feeding from the bottle more if you smile and chat
- Tilt the bottle so that the neck and teat fill up with milk, before you carefully place the teat in your baby’s mouth – this avoids swallowing any air bubbles, which could cause gas
- If your baby seems unsettled during the feed, the cause may be wind – try gently rubbing your baby’s back to encourage burping
- Try to get into the habit of burping about halfway through the feed and after feeding – this can help to prevent spitting up.
Alternate sides
As with breastfeeding, alternate your hold positions from side to side. This will help your baby's eyes and neck to develop more equally. Try alternating halfway through the bottle after burping your baby. By doing this from the very start, your baby is less likely to choose a preferred side.
Underarm or rugby ball hold
The underarm hold is a good choice if you’ve had a caesarean delivery, or if you have twins. Place a pillow across your lap to help support your baby in this position.
Choosing the right teat
It’s important to get a teat with the right sized hole for your baby. You can choose slow, medium or fast flow teats.
- A newborn baby will normally need a soft, slow-flow teat
- If your baby seems to take a long time to finish a bottle or gives up in the middle, the hole may be too small – try changing to a medium-flow teat
- If your baby is spluttering as they feed, the hole in the teat may be too big
- You may also like to try variable-flow teats that can give slow, medium or fast flow using just the one teat
Please be aware that the information given in these articles is only intended as general advice and should in no way be taken as a substitute for professional medical advice. If you or your family or your child is suffering from symptoms or conditions which are severe or persistent or you need specific medical advice, please seek professional medical assistance. Philips Avent cannot be held responsible for any damages that result from the use of the information provided on this website.
Sterilizing feeding equipment
Sterilising your feeding equipment for the first six months protects your baby from harmful germs until your little one’s immune system has matured and grown stronger.
Breastfeeding
Feeding your baby breast milk is the perfect first step towards helping build a healthy immune system, as well as providing the best nutrition. While you’re concentrating on establishing breastfeeding, there should be no need to use any equipment for feeding.
Sterilising bottles and soothers
Once breastfeeding is established and you choose to use a breast pump, bottle, soothers (or any other equipment that comes into contact with milk and your baby), it’s essential to sterilise it before each use. Germs in milk can be particularly harmful to a baby with an immature immune system. Forgetting to properly clean and sterilise your baby’s feeding equipment can lead to a tummy upset, diarrhoea and an unhappy baby and mum.
Of course, you probably think it’s yet another job you could do without, but sterilising is quick, easy and efficient, especially with a steriliser that uses steam and heat.
Weaning equipment
If you’ve introduced solids before six months, it’s wise to sterilise the bowls and spoons. After that time, only milk feeding equipment like bottles and breast pumps need to be sterilised until your little one is a year old.
Please be aware that the information given in these articles is only intended as general advice and should in no way be taken as a substitute for professional medical advice. If you or your family or your child is suffering from symptoms or conditions which are severe or persistent or you need specific medical advice, please seek professional medical assistance. Philips Avent cannot be held responsible for any damages that result from the use of the information provided on this website.