Moving from breast to bottle

The main thing you need to consider is hygiene. Whether you are feeding your baby formula or expressed breast milk, you need to ensure that all bottlefeeding equipment is cleaned and sterilised thoroughly before use. This is because a baby’s immune system is not as well developed as an adult’s, so they are vulnerable to illness and infection.
If you wish to combine breastfeeding with bottlefeeding, try to avoid introducing bottlefeeding during the first six weeks, allowing nursing and your milk supply to become established.
Sucking from the breast involves different skills than sucking from a bottle, so it’s best to wait to ensure your baby has learnt to breastfeed efficiently.

Sterilising equipment for bottlefeeding

Whether you are feeding your baby formula or breast milk, sterilising bottlefeeding equipment is essential until your baby is one year old. Cups and mugs need to only be sterilised for six months, thereafter they just require careful cleaning. Bottles need to be sterilised for longer because they have areas that are hard to clean thoroughly, such as the teat.
Sterilising can be achieved in various ways. Microwave and steam sterilisers are sold in most stores, or you could use a cold water method. This requires a suitable container in which to immerse bottles and sterilising tablets. If you prefer, you can use the old-fashioned sterilising way by boiling bottles in water for at least 10 minutes. Just make sure that the items you are sterilising are safe to boil.

Preparing a feed – formula and breast milk

Always wash your hands before you prepare a bottle and clean the kitchen surface you are going to use. Formula milk should be made up using water that is at a temperature of over 70°C. Simply boil water in a kettle and leave it to cool for no more than 30 minutes. Always use fresh water and fresh formula. Breast milk can be expressed into a bottle using a manual or electric breast pump. If you don’t want to use a breast pump, you can try to hand express. When using this feeding method, you must sterilise the bottles, teats and pump.

How to warm and cool bottles

Whether you are using expressed breast milk or formula, warm a bottle in a pan, jug or bowl of hot water - you can also buy a bottle warmer. Never use a microwave to warm feeds. Microwaves heat unevenly and may cause ‘hot spots’ that could scald your baby’s mouth.
To cool a feed (breast milk and formula), hold the bottle under cold running water or place the bottle in a large bowl of cold water. Make sure that the cold water does not reach above the neck of the bottle. Test the temperature by squeezing a little bit on the inside of your wrist. The liquid should feel warm to the touch but not hot.

Tips for bottlefeeding – formula and breast milk

When bottlefeeding your baby, ensure that the teat is full of liquid so your baby will not take air. Don’t leave a young baby unattended with a bottle to prevent risk of choking. If you are using bottles to feed expressed breast milk to your baby, use teats as closest in form to a breast – silicon teats with a broad base are recommended. Slow-flow orthodontic teats are also a possibility but they might be frustrating for an older baby.

Cups are a good alternative to bottles. A few can be used from birth but they might not be practical if you are away from home. Closed cups and beakers are more convenient but many are suitable from four months. If you are taking breast milk in a bottle or closed cup with you, you will need an insulated cool bag with ice packs. To find out how long you can keep breast milk, refer to our storage guidelines.
If you need to feed your baby formula while you are out and about, you can take made-up bottles if your trip takes less than two hours.

Before your journey, make the feeds as normal, cool quickly and refrigerate at 5°C or below. Just before you leave, take the bottles from the fridge and put them in an insulated cool bag with ice packs. When you arrive at your destination, place the bottles in a fridge until you need them.

If your journey is longer than two hours or if you haven’t got a cool bag and access to a fridge, it is not safe to bring made-up bottles with you. You can either bring the powder with you and prepare a feed as normal, but if this is not possible, bring the powder and sterile bottles of water with you. These can be made before your journey by boiling the kettle and pouring the correct amount of water into the sterile bottles straightaway. Bottles can be stored in a clean place for up to 24 hours.

Cartons of liquid formula might be more expensive but are convenient for journeys as you don’t need to keep them in a fridge or heat them up before feeding your baby.

What you need to bottlefeed and alternative feeding for older babies

A basic kit includes four-six bottles and teats, a bottle brush and a steriliser. Teats change according to age as older babies prefer a faster flow. Before you buy, check that bottles do not have Bisphenol A (BPA) present in the plastic as it can leak into the milk.

From six months most babies will be happy to use a cup or beaker for milk feeds. Experts recommend weaning children off bottles by one year old to foster dental health.