Bottle feeding basics

Bottle feeding is a skill both you and your baby learn together over the first weeks. Hold baby in a semi-upright position with their head slightly higher than their bottom, and keep the bottle nearly horizontal so milk flows slowly rather than rushing. Switch which arm you hold your baby in between feeds. This mimics side-changes at the breast, gives them varied visual input, and prevents you from developing a stiff shoulder. Pause every couple of minutes to burp — trapped air causes most of the post-feed fussiness parents blame on colic. Stop when your baby turns away, closes their mouth, or relaxes their whole body — those are the reliable signs they're full. The line on the bottle is a target, not a mandate. Force-finishing bottles teaches poor satiety habits that carry into toddlerhood.