5 Best Positions To Bottle-Feed Your Baby

While breastfeeding comes naturally to most mothers, they might struggle with bottle-feeding. It holds good for dads too who might have to but don’t know how to bottle-feed a baby. Your baby would refuse to drink from a bottle, if she is not in a comfortable position. So, here are a few comfy bottle-feeding positions that could come to the rescue:

In This Article

1. Positioning baby in your lap

This position could be perfect to bottle-feed your baby if you are sitting or lying down with your legs propped up. Your baby would be sitting with its head resting on your knees and its feet on your stomach. Since your baby would be facing you, this position helps you to make ample eye contact.

2. Cradling your baby

This is the most common position. Position your baby in the crook of your arm. Place your other arm around or under your baby. You might want to lift your baby’s head a little by raising your arm slightly such that you give it a semi-upright position or a 45o angle. Bottle-feeding your baby when he’s lying down can be dangerous as the milk can flow into the nose or the middle-ear causing infection or choking.

3. Tilting the bottle

It’s important to tilt the bottle to allow the milk to completely fill the nipple. It will get rid of any air that is there in the bottle and which your baby could suck. Sucking air can make babies have painful gas.

4. Sitting your baby up

If your baby has acid reflux or is suffering from painful gas, then sitting position works the best. Make your baby sit in your lap in an upright position and allow its head to rest in the crook of your arm.

5. Using a Boppy

Using a Boppy pillow when lying down is another way to make your baby feel comfortable while feeding from a bottle. It allows your baby to keep its head semi-upright especially when you feel too tired to hold your baby in your arms. However, don’t forget that you should hold the bottle. Don’t leave the little one unattended at any point in time.

More tips on making your baby comfortable with bottle-feeding:

  1. You must hold your baby close to your chest, so it feels secured. You might want to simulate breast-feeding by holding it closely this way.
  1. It might take at least six tries of the same bottle before your baby accepts it. Don’t try six different bottles!
  1. Persevere with the bottle that best simulates mother’s feed. Some bottles also come with a teat.
  1. While exclusive breastfeeding is a must for the first six months, you could think about introducing bottle-feed after the sixth month. You might be alternating breastmilk with formula.
  1. A lot of parents complain about their baby getting colic after bottle feeding. It’s primarily due to the air that your baby sucks in along with the milk. Tilt the bottle well enough to displace air-bubbles in the bottle’s nipple. There are also anti-colic bottles available in the market, which might be worth investing in.
  1. If you are bottle-feeding with teats and your baby is teething already, then keep a watch on when you must replace the teats. As a teething baby, she is sure to chew upon the teats, just as she does with the pacifiers.
  1. Always make sure that the milk in the bottle is neither too hot nor too cold. Test the milk on the inside of your wrist because your wrist is sensitive to heat, so you can ascertain if it’s just warm enough for your little one.

Most importantly, you must stay calm and relaxed so you can help your baby relax through its bottle-feed sessions.

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