5 Tips for Introducing Bottles to Babies

Disclosure: I am part of the PTPA Brand Ambassador Program with Philips Avent and I received Compensation as part of my affiliation with this group. The opinions and tips for introducing bottles to babies are my own.

One question that I got asked a lot when I was bottle feeding Sophie was, “How did you get her to take a bottle?”. Aside from making sure that we purchased good quality bottles there were also a number of other tips we used to get her to take a bottle. Here are my top five tips for introducing bottles to babies.

I feel it’s a rather fitting time to share, as we are changing our nightly routine with Evelyn. We aim to feed her a bottle right before bed time to ensure that she has a good last feed. We are crossing our fingers that it is going to help her sleep longer through the night too. Keep you posted on that one!

Five Tips for Introducing Bottles to Babies

1. Choosing a Bottle

   The first choice when starting to bottle feed is deciding which bottle is going to work best. You want to make sure that you are choosing something that is natural, ergonomic and grows with your baby, to get the best value. The wide breast-shaped nipple on the Philips Avent bottles are great for moms, like myself, who want to combine breast feeding and bottle feeding. You can find them here.

   

2. Let them Familiarize

   Whether you are introducing the bottle to a newborn or an older baby it is good to let them familiarize with it. Have it close by for them to feel and touch. Little Evelyn loves holding onto her bottles herself now that she is 8 months old.

3. Nipple Speed 

   This tip is one that is super important, and one that I find most new mamas don’t know much about. Starting out you are going to want to get a low flow nipple. See how your baby does with that, if they are a bit older you may have to increase the nipple flow. When shopping for your Philips Avent bottles you can also purchase different nipple sizes from 0m+ up to 6m+. For Evelyn I’m using a lower flow nipple even though Evelyn is over 8m+ because I want it to be as close to my own flow as possible.

   You might hear people talk about ‘nipple confusion’ when you are introducing babies to bottles, a lot of that has to do with not having the correct nipple flow. When you choose a quicker flow baby can get used to not working so hard for milk and may refuse to breastfeed.

   

4. Go from Boob to Bottle

   This tip is for those that might be having a hard time getting your baby to take a bottle. Try breast feeding your baby and have a bottle ready. After baby has been latched for a short time, remove your breast and quickly place the bottle in their mouth. For me this worked like a charm, as baby is already in the mindset of eating, they should continue to suck on the bottle just fine.

5. Change the Person Feeding

   We have given a handful of bottles to our youngest so far and I have noticed she takes much more easier when I am not the one feeding her. By switching the role to someone else to feed your baby, it is more likely that your baby will take the bottle easier.

I hope that these tips for introducing bottles to babies has helped you. Relax and feel at ease, you are not in this alone. If you have any questions about bottle feeding or any tips of your own to share, please comment below.

Enter the Philips Avent Giveaway below:

In partnership with Philips Avent we are also hosting a giveaway with one lucky winner!
Philips Avent Bottles Giveaway –

March/April 2017