What equipment do you need for bottle feeding?

Once you’ve decided on the right feeding journey for you and your little one, you’ll need to ensure that you have the equipment you need to feed your baby safely.

One of the many benefits of breastfeeding is that it requires no additional equipment or accessories. If you’re bottle feeding however, whether that’s with expressed breast milk or infant formula, there are a few things you’ll need to have. But what equipment do you need for bottle feeding?

From feeding bottles, a breast pump and teat brush, to the sterilising bottle-feeding equipment to keep things clean and safe, we’ll be covering all the equipment needed for bottle feeding below. Take a look.

If you plan to bottle-feed your baby, then you’ll need the following:

• Feeding bottles with teats and caps. There are several different types of bottles available, and it's all about finding thw one that works best for your baby. We discuss this in more detail a little later.
• Bottle teats. Whilst most feeding bottles come complete with teats, you should always check them regularly for wear and tear such as holes. With that in mind, it’s always a good idea to keep a spare pack handy for when you might need it.
• A steriliser and sterilising solution. There are a few different options when it comes to how you sterilise your baby’s feeding equipment, and you can learn more here.
• A feeding bottle cleaning brush and teat brush. These are designed for those difficult to reach areas of your baby’s feeding bottles and teats, to ensure that traces of milk are removed before you sterilise them.

If you’re formula feeding, you’ll also need to buy infant formula. First infant formula provides the nutrition a baby needs from birth and as part of a weaning diet from 6 months, unless you’ve been advised otherwise by your doctor or midwife.

You may have decided to bottle feed your baby with expressed breast milk. If this is the case, you’ll also need to buy a breast pump. There’s a lot of choice out there, and it’s up to you whether you opt for an electric or manual breast pump. Read more about expressing and storing your breast milk here.

When it comes to baby feeding bottles, there are so many different brands and types of bottles that it’s not always easy to know which ones to choose.

Baby feeding bottles tend to come in two sizes, in either wide-neck, regular or narrow-neck widths:

• Small 120ml/4oz bottles for newborns and young babies.
• Large 225ml/8oz bottles for older babies.

If you're bottle-feeding your baby in hospital, you may consider the starter packs of infant formula. These contain six ready-to-feed bottles complete with teats which may be very helpful, as most NHS Trust hospitals won’t have the facilities you need to prepare bottles of powdered infant formula.

According to the NHS, colic is defined as ‘when a baby cries a lot but there is no obvious cause¹. It’s very common, particularly in very young babies, and usually resolves itself by the time your baby reaches three or four months of age.

There’s no definitive answer when it comes to what causes colic, but it could be because younger babies find it difficult to digest milk. Colic could also be the result of a milk allergy or intolerance, so if you’ve got any concerns at all, speak to your doctor or midwife for advice¹.

Anti-colic feeding bottles and teats are designed to reduce the amount of air that your baby takes in when they feed², which can cause your baby some discomfort. Whilst there’s no guarantee that these will make a difference, you may feel that it’s worth giving them a try.

When you have a newborn baby, there's just no way to know for sure exactly how often they'll feed - especially if they're feeding on demand rather than following a set feeding schedule.

Babies, especially very young ones, feed little and often, which means that they’re likely to be feeding at least six times every day. On that basis, it’s a good idea to make sure you have access to at least six feeding bottles that you can use as and when you need them.

Whether you’re bottle-feeding with expressed breast milk or infant formula, or if you’ve chosen to combination feed, sterilising bottle-feeding equipment is important.

After birth, and during their first year, your baby’s immune system is still developing, leaving them more vulnerable to the bacteria that can cause infections such as diarrhoea and vomiting³.

It’s possible for both breast and formula milk to breed the bacteria that cause food poisoning⁴, which is why sterilising bottle-feeding equipment is so important. This includes thoroughly cleaning your baby’s feeding bottles and teats with a bottle cleaning brush and teat brush before you sterilise them.

There are three ways to sterilise your baby's feeding equipment³:

• Boiling.
• Cold water sterilising - this will require sterilising solution.
• Steam sterilising – electric steam sterilisers or microwave sterilising. 

As well as feeding bottles, it’s also important to use the right type of teat to help your baby feed happily and comfortably.

Bottle teats come in three different flow rates - slow, medium, and fast. A teat with a slow flow rate may be better for your newborn baby, as it will help them to better control how much milk they’re drinking, preventing them from taking too much during their feed⁵.

As well as the bottle-feeding equipment mentioned above, there are a few other things you might want to invest in. These things include:

• A fast-boil kettle.
  
• Muslin cloths.
• Bibs.