Finding the Right Position

DO – Make yourself as comfortable as possible; you could be there for a while.

DON'T – Leave your baby unattended, even when they are able to hold the bottle themselves.

DO – Hold you baby at a 45 degree angle so their bottom rests on your lap. This can reduce the amount of air baby consumes while feeding.

DON’T – Hold the bottle too flat. Tilt the bottle so the teat is filled with milk to avoid baby ingesting too much air.

DO – Bond with your baby. Enjoy this experience while it lasts; talk, or even sing, to baby while making eye contact.

Making a Bottle Feed and Bottle Care

DO – Buy new bottles for each new baby.

DON’T – Use bottles that are badly worn or scuffed or scratched.

DO – Make up bottles one at a time. It may be easier to store the cooled, boiled water sealed in the bottles and then add the formula at feeding time.

DON’T – Put boiling water straight from the kettle into your bottles. Allow it to cool for approximately 30 minutes.

DO – Check the temperature of the milk in your baby's bottle before feeding. Squirt a few drops on the top of your hand - it should be body temperature

DON’T – Heat bottles in a microwave. This can lead to hot spots and destroy nutrients in your formula milk.

DO – Wash the bottles you have used in warm soapy water before sterilising using your Bottle and Teat Brush (there is no need to sterilise the brush itself), then rinse.

DON’T – Use the door compartments when storing bottles in the refrigerator as the temperature changes every time you open the door.

DO – Inspect bottles and teats before and after each feed for signs of wear and tear.

DON’T – Thaw breast milk in a microwave. Allow it to defrost at room temperature.

DO – Discard any unused milk after baby has had his feed.

DON’T – Mix formula and breast milk. Breast milk can be kept whereas formula milk must be discarded soon after preparation. Mixing the two can thus lead to wasted breast milk.
 
For more information about bottle feeding, visit our bottle feeding advice page.