Whether you’re exclusively bottle feeding, supplementing, or combo feeding, giving your baby a bottle is a special time for connection. It’s a chance for you and other caregivers to bond with your little one, one feeding at a time.
But how you bottle feed matters. That's where paced feeding comes in. This gentle, baby-led approach helps mimic the natural rhythm of feeding, making it a more comfortable and positive experience for everyone. It puts your baby in control of the flow, helps prevent overfeeding, and supports their intuitive eating cues.
What is Paced Bottle Feeding?
Paced feeding is a bottle-feeding technique that slows the pace of feeding and allows your baby to control the flow of milk. This technique helps prevent overfeeding and lets your baby pause to catch their breath while feeding.
Why Practice Paced Feeding?
Paced feeding lets baby take the lead with bottle feeding. Benefits of paced feeding include:
- Paced feeding supports responsive feeding, meaning that the baby gets as much milk as they need, so you can better learn to spot when they are hungry or full.
- It makes switching between breast and bottle easier—a big worry for many mamas.
- It can reduce air intake, a potential cause of stomach upset, gassiness, fussiness, and other colic-related symptoms.
- Your partner and other caregivers can bond with your little one while feeding.
How to Pace Feed Your Baby
Step 1
Choose a bottle with a slow flow nipple.
Step 2
Hold your baby in an upright or slightly reclined position, either on their back or on their side, supporting their head and neck.
Step 3
Take the tip of the bottle and brush around their mouth, top lip, or bottom lip. Once they open their mouth, let them pull the bottle into it. You don’t want to force this part; you want to let them control the flow. After the baby latches, do not lean the baby back or tilt the bottle up.
Step 4
Hold the bottle at an angle so that the nipple isn’t totally full of milk (about half full). This will slow the flow of liquid for your baby and encourage them to actively suck the milk out, keeping the bottle horizontal.
Step 5
Encourage pauses by moving the tip of the bottle's nipple into their cheek and tilting the bottle back, so the milk is not readily available in the nipple. You can do this every few minutes, or if you notice their suck-swallow-breathe pattern has slowed.
Look for signs that your baby is getting too much or choking on the milk, such as milk spilling out of their mouth, their body going stiff, their eyes going wide, they are trying to swallow quickly, or they are flaring their nostrils in an attempt to take in more air. If you see any of these signs, you should remove the bottle from their mouth and take a break.
Step 6
Burp your baby at regular intervals, and once burped, repeat the steps to help your baby latch onto the bottle. If you notice your baby pulling away from the bottle, acting cranky, bending their knees to their chest, or arching their back, they're likely telling you they need to burp.
Your baby should always decide when they are done feeding, and you should never force them to finish the bottle.
Feeding Tip: Switch sides and directions the same way you would at the breast. This will help their feeding and neck muscles to develop evenly on both sides of their body.
More Tips for Paced Feeding
For paced feeding success, keep these tips in mind.
Start small
For the first bottle, start with 1 ounce (30 ml). You can always add more if your baby finishes the bottle and still appears hungry. Gradually increase the volume in half-ounce increments as he or she becomes comfortable with bottle feeding.
Practice patience
Some babies will drink from a bottle right away, while others need more time to adjust. So stay calm and give your baby time to learn this new skill. You may have more luck when they are happy and relaxed, or at least not frantically hungry.
Once you introduce the bottle, make it a habit. Three or four bottles a week are usually enough to keep it familiar for your little one. It doesn’t even need to be for a full feeding; an ounce at a time is fine. If you go a week or more between bottles, they may “forget” this new skill, putting you back at square one.
Nipple matters
The bottle nipple matters. Select a flexible nipple with a wide base that enables baby to use the same feeding motion used at the breast. The Lansinoh NaturalWave® Nipple is ideal for easing transitions from breast to bottle and is clinically proven to reduce nipple confusion.
Don’t force it
Healthy babies will eat when they’re hungry and stop when they’re full—and it’s up to us to learn their body language. Don’t force your infant to eat or finish a bottle if they don’t want it. Bottle feeding should be a positive experience for both of you.
No props
Remind caregivers not to prop a bottle up to feed the baby – instead, to always hold it to maintain proper positioning. Propping a bottle can cause the baby to choke or aspirate (breathe in) milk.
This video with an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (and new mom) walks you through paced feeding and how to introduce a bottle to a breastfed baby.
Final Thoughts on Paced Feeding
Paced feeding is more than just a technique; it’s a way to slow down and truly connect with your baby during feeding time. By following their cues and letting them lead, you can help prevent overfeeding and make every bottle a comfortable, positive experience for both of you. Remember, every baby is unique, so be patient with yourself and your little one as you find your rhythm together.
Remember, if you have any questions about paced bottle feeding or choosing the right bottle or nipple size for your baby, you can chat with our team of moms and experts, who are here to help.
You’ve got this, mama!
All content found on the Lansinoh.com website, including text, images, audio, or other formats, was created for informational purposes only. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website.
