bottles

Insight from our breastfeeding expert, Courtney Miller, RN, BSN, IBCLC

Bottles are the most common way to give your baby breastmilk or formula. While many parents think the style or brand of bottle is most important, it is actually how baby is fed with a bottle to ensure baby is not overfed and that baby can easily return to the breast as you continue to work on your feeding goals.

I recommend a method known as “paced feeding” when teaching my patients how to bottle feed. This method simulates the way a baby feeds at the breast, so that it will be easier to move back and forth between breast and bottle. Paced bottle feeding is also recommended when feeding formula fed babies to ensure they are not overfed.

In addition to the position you will hold baby, another important part of paced bottle feeding is using a slow flow nipple that has a gradual slope. Unfortunately the nipples that are advertised as “closest to the breast” are actually quite the opposite. Many of these advertised nipples have a shape that encourages a shallow latch versus a gradual slope shape that promotes a deep latch.

The nipples I recommend from Left to Right [Dr Brown Natural Flow Premie Nipple, Lansinoh mOmma, Evenflo Balance] all have the gradual slope shape.