Paced bottle feeding, step by step

Paced bottle feeding slows the flow down to match the natural rhythm of breastfeeding. Hold the bottle nearly horizontal so your baby has to actively suck to draw milk out — not just tip and drink. This prevents overfeeding and reduces reflux. Pause every 20–30 sucks to burp and check in with your baby. Let them decide when to resume. If they turn away, close their mouth, or fall asleep, respect the signal — that's a full feed, whatever the bottle line says. A full feed should take about 15–20 minutes, roughly matching what happens at the breast. Feeds under 10 minutes usually mean the flow is too fast; feeds over 30 minutes may mean the flow is too slow or your baby is fussing rather than eating.