Feeding Your Newborn Is A
Round-The-Clock Commitment

Bottle Feeding

1. It is important to offer a feeding to your baby every 3 hours and on demand. Feed your baby when they show signs of being hungry: sucking on fingers, smacking lips, moving head and mouth around. Crying is a late hunger cue.
2. Hold baby close in a semi-upright position so you can see their face. This is a great opportunity to bond with your baby by talking to them. Try and alternate which side you hold baby.
3. Begin softly rubbing the nipple against their top lip to encourage baby to open his/her mouth. Gently insert the nipple into baby’s mouth while keeping the bottle in a horizontal position. The nipple should be halfway filled with milk. The bottle should be just slightly tipped to prevent milk from flowing too fast.
4. Watch your baby and follow the cues for when they need a break. They may splay their fingers and toes, spill milk out of their mouth, stop sucking, turn their head away or push the bottle away. Gently remove the nipple or bring the bottle down to cut off the flow of milk.
5. Bottle feedings should take between 10-15 minutes.