How to bottle-feed a baby
If you want to bottle-feed your baby and don’t know how this is the guide for you.
- Hold your baby close to you in a semi-upright position supporting the head. It is important that your baby can breathe and swallow comfortably.
- Have good eye contact with your baby and talk to your baby gently during bottle-feeding. This helps to build a close and loving relationship with your baby and helps him or her to feel safe and secure.
- Hold the bottle horizontal, so the bottle nipple is filled with milk. This is to prevent the baby from swallowing too much air.
- Touch the baby's lips with the bottle nipple to open its mouth. When the baby opens its mouth, the bottle is placed so the nipple touches the soft palate, and the baby begins to feed.
- If you are breastfeeding, the baby must get the bottle nipple correct into its mouth and latches on with the same technique as on the breast. If the baby latched on wrong and uses the same techniques on the breast, it could lead to pain during breastfeeding.
If you have questions about the best way to introduce a baby bottle for a breastfed baby, please read our blog post
