Paced Bottle Feeding

If you are feeding your baby with a bottle, you might want to try paced bottle feeding. Paced bottle feeding slows down the feeding process and lets your baby eat at their own rate. This means your baby will eat at a more natural speed, like feeding at the breast. Paced bottle feeding also helps prevent gulping, choking and gives breaks from feeding.

To pace your baby’s bottle feeding:

• Seat your baby in an upright position. Baby should be comfortably close so that you can look at each other.
• Take the bottle and with nipple pointed up, brush the nipple across your baby’s top lip. This will stimulate baby to open the mouth wide.
• Let the baby latch onto the bottle nipple. The lips should be flared out around the base of the nipple. 
• Keeping the baby upright, hold the bottle horizontal to the floor so that just enough milk flows into the nipple. Wait for the baby to begin to feed. Let the baby feed for 20 to 30 seconds then pull the bottle down leaving the nipple in the baby’s mouth. Wait for the baby to begin to suck again and hold the bottle horizontally for another 20-30 seconds.
• Watch for cues so you can tell when your baby has had enough to eat. Your baby may stop sucking, turn their head away or let go of the nipple. Do not make your baby take the last few drops of milk in the bottle.  Your baby will know when they are full. This can lead to over-feeding.
• Switch arms half-way through the feeding. This helps baby see different views. 
• After feeding, burp your baby. This will get rid of any air in your baby’s stomach.
• Throw away the rest of the milk left in the bottle.

Important tip:

Keep your baby safe.  Don’t prop up a bottle in your baby’s mouth.

We welcome your questions and concerns.

Please let us know how we can best support your child and family.

Created in partnership with families and expertise from our Sala Institute for Child and Family Centered Care

© NYU Langone Health. All rights reserved. Reviewed for health literacy. This information is not intended as a substitute for professional medical care. Always follow your health care provider's instructions.