Feeding
Paced Bottle Feeding
Paced bottle feeding is technique that mimics breastfeeding - baby controls flow and pace. Helps prevent overfeeding, gas, and bottle preference. Especially important for breastfed babies taking bottles.
Traditional bottle feeding: Baby reclined, milk flows continuously (baby swallows fast or chokes). Paced feeding: Baby upright, bottle horizontal, pause frequently (baby controls pace).
Benefits: Prevents overfeeding, reduces gas/spit-up, easier transition between breast and bottle, baby recognizes fullness cues.
What to Do
- Hold baby in upright/semi-upright position (like sitting in your lap facing you)
- Hold bottle HORIZONTAL (parallel to floor) not tipped down into mouth
- Let baby latch onto nipple (don't push it in) - tickle lips to trigger rooting
- Let baby suck for 20-30 seconds, then tip bottle down to pause flow
- During pause: Keep nipple in mouth but remove milk flow (gives baby break)
- Watch baby's cues: If sucking actively, resume. If turned away, done eating.
- Pause every 15-30 seconds or when baby needs to breathe/rest
- Entire feeding should take 10-20 minutes (similar to breastfeeding duration)
- Switch sides halfway through bottle (like switching breasts)
- Stop when baby shows fullness cues: turning away, closing mouth, falling asleep
- Use slow-flow nipple to prevent milk from flowing too fast
When to call a doctor
No emergency concerns. Call doctor if baby is choking frequently during bottle feeding, refusing bottle, or not gaining weight adequately.