Pearson-Glaze (2019) Best bottle for a breastfed baby, Available at https://breastfeeding.support/best-bottle-breastfed-baby/ [Accessed 4 December 2021] If you’re planning to breastfeed it isn't necessary to buy bottles ‘just in case’. Over 90% of maternity units in the UK are now Baby Friendly Accredited, which means a midwife on the infant feeding team should be able to support you if you do have any difficulties with breastfeeding straight after birth (UNICEF 2017). They’ll help you with hand-expressing your colostrum and feeding it to your baby using a spoon, syringe or feeding cup (Unicef 2017). Find out whether your maternity unit is accredited here. Ready-to-feed bottles can be a convenient short-term solution if parents have been advised to give their baby formula on medical advice. They’re more expensive and not great for the environment though (NHS, 2018; Unicef, 2019). Once they’re older and used to bottle-feeding, you could move to a medium flow. Just follow your baby’s lead to see what teat is right for them. Some babies prefer to stay on the slow flow teats for many months. You can also buy variflow teats where the flow rate can be varied by changing the angle of the teat (Which? 2019).

As a baby’s feeding develops and they are taking a longer time feeding from a Level 1 teat, many parents choose to move up to a Level 2 teat. Step 3: Place the screw ring with teat in the bottle base. Place the bottle body on it (optionally screw in slightly to avoid pouring out hot water by removing the bottle from microwave). Place the protective cap on top. Made for Mums judge, Melanie said "Self-sterilisation is a good feature, and it's worth the money. Best-looking bottle on the market and great for sterilising on the go."European Commission (2011) Bisphenol A: EU ban on baby bottles to enter into force tomorrow. Available at https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/IP_11_664 [Accessed 3 December 2021] You may hear that you should keep the teat full of milk to avoid swallowing air. However where the milk flow is too fast and not in your baby's control, it is more likely to cause indigestion or gas (Kellymom, 2020). Anecdotally, babies whose parents use paced feeding suffer less from gas (Herman, 2021). If you plan to use bottles occasionally, or once a day, then it might make sense to buy just one bottle and teat. Parents who bottle feed find that they may need to move onto using larger bottles as their baby grows and milk consumption increases. Every baby is different so there isn’t a set age for when this should happen (Unicef, 2019). It’s important to follow your baby’s feeding cues and signs that they need more milk, such as finishing each feed and seeming to want more (NHS, 2015; Unicef, 2016). What type of feeding bottle is best?

If they can't control the rate of feeding, they are more likely to over-feed. Non-responsive feeding has been associated with discomfort and fussiness in the short term (NHS 2021) and linked to obesity in the longer term (Hurley, 2011; Watchmaker 2020). Some advantages of using these bottles are that they can be easy to fill and clean. On the other hand, they can take more space in a steriliser so you probably won’t be able to clean as many bottles at once (Which? 2019). Ready-to-feed bottles Step 2: Fill the base with silicone valve with 20 ml of cool water. The protective cap makes a practical measuring cup. As a baby’s feeding develops and they are taking a longer time feeding from a Level 2 teat, many parents choose to move up to a Level 3 teat. Slow flow is great for breastfed babies when switching between bottle and breast; mimics the slower flow of breastfeedingWe support all parents, however they feed their baby. If you have questions, concerns or need support, you can speak to a breastfeeding counsellor by calling our helpline on 0300 330 0700, whether you are exclusively breastfeeding or using formula milk. Breastfeeding counsellors have had extensive training, will listen without judging or criticising and will offer relevant information and suggestions. You can also find more useful articles here. A Level 1 or newborn teat generally comes on every bottle and is a great starting point for many babies.

With newborns, especially premature babies, the teat flow rate can actually be faster than your infant can tolerate. If your baby is exhibiting any of these signs while eating, you may want to try a slower flow (lower level) teat:

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Our support line offers practical and emotional support in many areas of pregnancy, birth and early parenthood: 0300 330 0700. These bottles are shorter and fatter than the basic ones but you can put the same amount of milk in them. They usually come with silicone rather than latex teats and have a self-sealing lid.