Breastfeeding is best for your new little bundle of joy.  The American Academy of Pediatrics advocates exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life and continued breastfeeding through one year of life.  My own experience has been that once you get the hang of it breastfeeding is pretty easy and seems to make life with a new baby pretty manageable, no bottles, less mess, more mobility.  However, breastfeeding is not for everyone.  Some women are unable to breastfeed for health reasons, some babies are unable to take the breast for health reasons, and sometimes it is just a personal choice not to breastfeed.

Bottle-feeding is a healthy alternative and the formulas on the market today are pretty good according to the lactation consultants and pediatricians I have talked to.  They are definitely not the “real thing” (breast milk), but they do a good job of ensuring your baby is getting a good start to life.  Talk to your pediatrician about the best formula for your infant.  You may find that you need to try a couple of different ones before you find one that works best with your baby’s system.

So if you do choose, or just somehow end up, bottle-feeding your baby what are the basic things you need to know.  This is also good information for parents who are introducing their breastfed baby to the bottle either because you are returning to work or just want to have the freedom to have someone else feed the baby occasionally.

How often should I feed a bottle fed baby?
As with a breastfed baby feeding should not be on a rigid schedule in the early weeks of life.  Feed your baby on demand and let them figure out the schedule.  Talk to your pediatrician about how much to feed your baby, it will depend greatly on the baby’s age and weight.  Don’t try to feed your baby more than they are willing to take.  Babies are pretty good at knowing when they are full.

Do I need to sterilize the bottles?
It is important to sterilize the bottles before you first use them.  Be sure to sterilize all parts of the bottle.  After that you can usually get away with just a good cleaning in hot soapy water after each use.  Of course, it doesn’t hurt to sterilize the bottles occasionally just to be safe.

Do I need to sterilize the water I use to make the formula?
Talk to your pediatrician about this.  If you have a good city water supply in your area you likely will not need to sterilize the water, regular tap water will work just fine.  However, if you use well water or there is some issue with your city water supply your pediatrician may advise you to sterilize the water.

How should I warm the bottle?
It isn’t necessary to warm a bottle before giving it to your baby, but you may find that your baby prefers it to be warm.  This is particularly true when giving a bottle to a breastfed baby.  They are used to the warm milk from your breast and may need the breast milk or formula in the bottle to be warm before they agree to take the bottle.  The safest way to warm a bottle is to place it in a warm bowl of water.  Never use the microwave and be careful that the water you are warming it in is not too hot.  Before feeding a warmed bottle to your baby be sure to test the temperature of the liquid to avoid burning your baby.

What is the best position for feeding the baby?
Bottle fed babies are often more gassy than breastfed babies as they take in more air during the feeding.  The best way to feed a bottle fed baby is with the baby sitting slightly upright, about a 45 degree angle.  This will help avoid too much air getting in with the formula or breast milk.  Your baby may determine a position that they like best, so pay attention what seems to make the baby happiest and go with that.

As with everything about baby care you’ll learn the tricks that work best for your baby as you go along.  Anytime you have questions or concerns about bottle-feeding talk with your pediatrician.

One tip I can give you from my personal experience is to not stock up on one particular type of bottle when you are out purchasing your baby feeding gear before the baby is born.  It would be a better idea to purchase one of a couple of different types of bottles and then figure out which one your baby likes best.  I had to try a couple of different types of bottles before I found one that worked best for my daughter.