How often should I feed my baby a bottle?

Most experts agree that you shouldn't follow a rigid feeding schedule in the early on weeks, though you may be able to piece of work out an estimate design within a month or ii. Babies differ, but hither's generally what to look:

  • For the outset few weeks, offer the canteen every 2 to three hours or when your baby seems hungry. If she sleeps longer than four to five hours, wake her up for a feeding. Your newborn will likely accept effectually 1½ to 2 ounces each feeding for the first few days. Later on those few days, she'll typically be taking about 2 to 3 ounces per feeding.
  • Afterwards about a calendar month, your infant volition probably be taking effectually four ounces every iii to four hours. Equally your babe grows, this amount volition gradually increase over the next several months.
  • By 6 months, she'll likely have half-dozen to 8 ounces four or v times a day.

The amount can vary from feeding to feeding. Resist the temptation to encourage your baby to finish a canteen once she loses interest or falls asleep – trust that she'll eat enough to provide her torso with the nutrients information technology needs.

The doc will monitor your baby's growth, which is the best indicator that she's getting enough food.

If my baby doesn't stop a bottle, tin I relieve it for later?

Leaner from your infant's saliva mixes with whatever fluid is in the bottle, which leads to contagion.

Leftover formula: If your baby doesn't end formula within an hr from when feeding began, throw away whatever that's left over.

Leftover chest milk: The antibacterial backdrop of breast milk give information technology a shelf life of ii hours. After that, throw it out.

cartoon image of baby bottle and bottle brush

Tin can I mix chest milk and formula?

There's nothing dangerous most mixing chest milk and formula in the same container. Merely you won't desire to waste a single driblet of breast milk if you're pumping and supplementing with formula.

To avoid throwing out leftover breast milk that's been mixed with formula, start feed your infant whatever breast milk you've expressed. So, if your baby is still hungry, follow that upwardly with formula.

What's the best way to warm a bottle?

Take hold of a canteen of refrigerated breast milk or formula and use one of these warming methods:

  • Place it in a bowl of warm – not hot – h2o until it'south warm, up to 15 minutes. The water level should exist below the peak of the bottle. Gently swirl information technology a few times to make certain information technology's evenly heated.
  • Place the bottle under warm, running tap h2o until warm, almost i to ii minutes. Be careful not to get water on the nipple or into the bottle.
  • Use a countertop canteen warmer.

Never utilise a microwave to estrus a bottle of breast milk or formula. A microwave oven heats unevenly, so information technology can create hot pockets in the liquid that tin cause burns. Microwaving can also cause nutrients to break down.

There's no health reason to warm the milk beginning, but your baby may prefer it. Consider experimenting. If your infant will beverage bottles at room temperature or slightly common cold, you could salve yourself the time and hassle of warming bottles, which is more stressful when he's crying to exist fed.

How tin can I make certain my baby is drinking comfortably?

Similar and then much with babies, listen and observe.

  • If yous hear a lot of noisy sucking sounds while your baby drinks, she may be taking in as well much air. To help her swallow less air, agree her at a 45-degree angle.
  • If she seems uncomfortable while feeding (is squirmy or crying), take a picayune time out to burp her.
  • Never prop a bottle – it tin cause your babe to choke.
  • Feed your baby as presently as she shows signs of being hungry. If she gets too upset before feeding, she might have trouble drinking calmly.

What is paced feeding?

Paced (or responsive, or cue-based) feeding means feeding your baby in a way that gives him more control. It respects your baby's hunger and fullness cues, and mimics the flow of breastfeeding.

  • Use a wide-based, slow-flow nipple.
  • Proceed the bottle horizontal, and so the milk or formula flows as your baby sucks on the nipple. (If you lot tilt the canteen so that the milk or formula is constantly flowing, your infant may get too much milk or formula too speedily and/or go overfed. On the other paw, yous want to make sure that the nipple has some milk or formula in information technology so that he doesn't swallow also much air.) Experiment to see what works best for your baby, and so that he's sucking and swallowing slowly and comfortably.
  • Rather than push the nipple into your baby's oral cavity, stroke his lips with the nipple until he opens broad.
  • Pause (by gently tipping the bottle to stop the catamenia of milk or formula) oft during feeding to go along your baby from guzzling.
  • Switch sides at present and then, every bit you would when breastfeeding.
  • Let your babe terminate eating when he shows signs of existence total. Don't encourage him to finish a bottle after he'south lost interest or fallen asleep.

How practise I clean babe bottles and nipples?

Whatever cleaning method you use, make sure to wash your hands well before you brainstorm.

Glass or metallic bottles: Run them through a dishwasher cycle that uses heated water and a hot drying wheel. Alternatively, hand wash them in hot, soapy water and let them air-dry on a dish towel or paper towel.

Plastic bottles: Because heat tin can crusade plastics to release harmful chemicals, the AAP recommends that plastic bottles not be put in the dishwasher or submerged in boiling water. Instead, hand wash them in hot, soapy h2o and set up them to air-dry on a dish towel or newspaper towel. (If y'all utilise boiled water to prepare formula, absurd it before pouring it into a plastic canteen.)

Nipples and rings: Whether you're mitt washing or using the dishwasher, have autonomously the nipples and rings, and rinse them under running h2o. Place them in the dishwasher in a airtight-pinnacle handbasket or mesh laundry handbag. If non completely dry when the cycle is complete, place them on a dish towel or paper towel to air-dry.

To hand launder, identify rinsed nipples and rings in a clean basin of soapy hot water. Scrub with a clean castor that's used only for washing infant feeding items. Squeeze water through the nipples to make sure they become clean. Rinse them under running water, then let them air-dry on a dish towel or newspaper towel. Wash the basin with soapy hot h2o and let it air-dry besides.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) provides detailed instructions on cleaning baby bottles.

Do I need to sterilize baby bottles?

Peradventure. Sanitizing bottles, nipples, and rings is most commonly recommended in the post-obit situations:

  • The first time you utilise new (or hand-me-down) bottles, nipples, and rings
  • If you have well water or are concerned about the quality of your water supply
  • If your baby was born very prematurely or has a weakened allowed arrangement
  • If your babe has been sick, to prevent reintroducing bacteria or germs when you lot feed her

Talk to your baby's md if y'all have questions almost whether to sterilize bottles.

How do I sterilize baby bottles?

The CDC provides detailed instructions on different methods to sanitize baby bottles.

Note: Don't employ heat-based methods – boiling h2o, steam, or dishwasher – to sanitize plastic bottles because heat tin can crusade plastics to release harmful chemicals.

  • Bleach: Soak glass, metal, or plastic bottles in a solution of 2 teaspoons of unscented bleach per gallon (16 cups, or 128 ounces) of water in a make clean launder basin for at least 2 minutes. Do non rinse. Whatsoever remaining bleach will break down as it dries. Y'all can utilise bleach to sanitize plastic bottle parts.
  • Humid water: Submerge glass or metal bottles in boiling water for at least five minutes.
  • Steam : Employ a countertop or microwave bottle sterilizer. Follow the manufacturer's instructions.
  • Dishwasher: Run drinking glass or metallic bottles through a dishwasher cycle using hot h2o and a heated drying cycle or a sanitizing setting.

If the bottles are wet after sanitizing, let them air-dry on a dish towel or paper towel.

Learn more

How to purchase bottles and nipples

When to replace bottles and nipples

Guide to Firsts: Giving your baby a bottle

Introducing your breastfed babe to the canteen or cup

How to safely store breast milk