Bottle-Feeding Your Newborn
Provided by USDA
A new baby means lots of new challenges for the new parent, one of these challenges being the art of bottle-feeding. Knowing when to, how to and at what time to put the bottle down is key to a successful feeding and a full-of-smiles baby.
Signs of Hunger
Feed your baby when she seems to be hungry unless she is on a feeding schedule for medical reasons. You can watch for signs indicating your baby is hungry, for instance, a baby who is hungry may:
- Wake and toss
- Suck on a fist
- Cry or fuss
- Look like she is about to cry
Respond to the early signs of hunger; don't wait until the baby is upset and crying.
Preparing for Feeding
When preparing for feeding:
- Wash your hands well with soap and warm water.
- Gently and slowly calm and position the baby for feeding.
- Adjust the nipple ring so that some air can get into the bottle to avoid a collapsing nipple.
How to Feed With a Bottle
When feeding your baby a bottle, remember to:
- Hold the baby partially upright in the cradle of your arm during feedings. This makes your baby feel secure, helps you to read your baby's cues, and helps to prevent the baby from choking during feeding. When the baby's head is a little higher than the rest of the body, milk is prevented from backing up in the inner ear and causing an ear infection.
- Tip the bottle so that milk fills the nipple and air does not get in.
- Make sure that if you hold the bottle upside down, falling drops from the nipple hole follow each other closely but do not make a stream (a stream indicates the nipple hole is too big).
- Hold the bottle in your hand. Do not prop the bottle with a pillow or any other object. Propping a bottle can cause choking and suffocation, possibly cause ear infections and tooth decay, and deprives the baby of important human contact.
- Feed in a smooth and continuous fashion following the baby's lead.
- Avoid disrupting the feeding with unnecessary burping, wiping, juggling, and arranging.
- Older babies may be fed a bottle while sitting up in a high chair. Always hold babies who cannot sit up yet while bottle feeding.
Signs of Fullness
Continue to feed your baby until he or she indicates fullness. Watch for signs of fullness which include:
- Sealing the lips together
- A decrease in sucking
- Spitting out the nipple
- Turning away from the bottle
- Pushing the bottle away
If your baby is not hungry, she may eat less than the amount offered. Never force a baby to finish what is in the bottle; a baby is the best judge of how much she needs. A baby may eat less if she is not feeling well and may eat more if she is going through a growth spurt.
Burping
Wait for your baby to stop drinking before attempting to burp her. Burp your baby by gently patting or rubbing her back while she is resting on your shoulder or sitting on your lap. Do not be surprised if the baby brings up some milk along with any swallowed air. You may not always get a burp out of your baby, either.
Always feed your baby while she is awake. Do not offer the bottle in bed at nap or sleep time. Allowing a baby to sleep in a crib with a bottle can lead to choking, ear infections, tooth decay and other dental problems, and speech problems later on.
As your baby gets older, do not allow her to carry a bottle around. Babies who carry around a bottle can develop tooth decay, may drink too much liquid, or may share their bottles with other babies. Liquid in a bottle carried around for too long can spoil and glass bottles can drop and break.
