Bottle for a breastfed baby

You are breastfeeding and, soon, someone else will give your baby your milk: when you go back to work, at nursery, with a childminder, or simply so that dad can share the moment too. The good news: bottles and breastfeeding can get along perfectly well. The bottle you choose matters, but the way it is given matters just as much. Here are our guidelines for choosing a bottle for a breastfed baby and protecting your breastfeeding.

The essentials: if you can, wait until breastfeeding is well established (often around 3 to 4 weeks), offer the bottle 2 to 3 weeks before you are apart, choose a soft, slow-flow teat and give it in a paced way, with breaks, just like at the breast.

When to offer a bottle to a breastfed baby?

The World Health Organization recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months, then continuing up to 2 years or beyond alongside complementary foods. Giving your expressed milk in a bottle is still feeding your baby breast milk: the bottle is just the container.

Once breastfeeding is well established

If there is no medical reason, it is best to wait until breastfeeding is going well, often around 3 to 4 weeks: feeds are pain-free and your baby is gaining weight steadily. In the first weeks, a newborn usually feeds 8 to 12 times in 24 hours, and it is this frequency that regulates your milk supply.

2 to 3 weeks before you are apart

If you are going back to work or your baby is starting nursery, start offering the bottle about 2 to 3 weeks beforehand. Some babies accept it within a few days, others need more time: this way you avoid discovering everything the night before.

If supplementing has been advised from birth

The maternity team, your midwife or your doctor will tell you how much and how. The bottle is not the only option: a cup, a spoon, a syringe or a supplementary nursing system can also be offered to the very young.

What matters in a bottle for breastfeeding

"Breastfeeding friendly", "physiological", "just like the breast": these labels are everywhere on the shelves. Rather than trusting the label, look at what really helps a breastfed baby switch from breast to bottle and back again.

Criterion	Why it matters for a breastfed baby
Soft teat with a wide base	At the breast, your baby opens wide and takes in a good part of the areola. A wide base helps them keep that wide mouth.
Slow, age-appropriate flow	At the breast, milk only flows when your baby sucks. A slow flow asks for a similar sucking effort and leaves them time to breathe.
Anti-colic system	It limits the air swallowed during the feed.
Few parts, easy to wash	At nursery or at home, a simple bottle cleans quickly and thoroughly.

Paced bottle feeding: how to give the bottle

Paced bottle feeding means letting your baby lead the feed, just like at the breast. It is the recommended method for breastfed babies, whatever the bottle:

• Baby almost upright, head in line with the body, rather than lying back in your arms.
• Let them take the teat: brush their lip and wait for them to open wide, instead of pushing the teat in.
• Bottle almost horizontal, tilted just enough for the teat to be full of milk.
• Take breaks every few sips by lowering the bottle, so they can catch their breath and feel whether they are still hungry.
• Switch sides halfway through the bottle, just like switching breasts.
• Stop when they show they are full (turning their head away, letting go of the teat, falling asleep): there is no need to finish the bottle.

Show these steps to dad, the childminder or the nursery staff: it is often what makes the difference.

The Happymami bottle, designed from your breast

We created the Happymami bottle for breastfed babies. You answer a short online questionnaire about your breast and your baby's age, and we make a teat designed from the shape of your breast. The bottle has a double anti-colic system, and the teat is interchangeable: you choose its flow at each stage.

In our study of more than 1,680 mothers, presented at the IHAN España 2024 Congress, with assessment in clinic and at home, we measured 94.3% acceptance of the personalised bottle and 97.4% protection of breastfeeding.

Also giving formula? Discover our page on the bottle for combination feeding and our guide to combination feeding.

Back to work, nursery, childminder: who gives the bottle?

Some breastfed babies refuse the bottle when it is offered by their mum, because they associate her with the breast. The first few times, let dad, the other mum or someone close offer it, ideally in a different room from you.

• At nursery or with the childminder: ask about their routine for breast milk (containers, date labels, cool bag) and show them how to give the bottle in a paced way.
• At work: the rules on breaks to breastfeed or express vary from country to country (in France, for example, the Labour Code allows one hour a day during the year after the birth). Talk to your employer before you go back.
• How much to prepare? Between 1 and 6 months, a breastfed baby drinks on average 60 to 120 ml per feed. Prepare small portions so you don't waste your milk, and adjust to their hunger cues. You will find more guidance in our article on how much milk by age.

To find out more, read our tips on going back to work while breastfeeding and on expressing milk at work.

Expressed breast milk: storage and transport

The French guidelines: up to 4 hours at room temperature (25 °C maximum), 48 hours in the fridge at 4 °C maximum and 4 months in the freezer at −18 °C. Carry it in a cool bag with ice packs and never warm it in the microwave. All the details are in our article on storing breast milk.

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Frequently asked questions

My baby refuses the bottle: what can I do?

This is common in breastfed babies. Offer it at a calm moment, before your baby is very hungry, let someone else give it and start with your milk, whose taste they know. Our tips are gathered in the article baby refuses the bottle.

Which teat for a breastfed baby?

A soft teat with a wide base and a slow flow. If you already have the Happymami bottle, you can order a replacement teat with the same design and the right flow for your baby's age.

From what age can a breastfed baby have a bottle?

If there is no medical reason, once breastfeeding is well established, often around 3 to 4 weeks. If you are preparing for time apart, start about 2 to 3 weeks before.

Bottle or cup?

Both are possible. For a very young baby, a cup, spoon or syringe are alternatives to the bottle; your midwife can show you how. For regular time apart (nursery, childminder), a bottle given in a paced way is often the most practical.

Will the bottle reduce my milk supply?

Your supply adapts to demand: every breastfeed replaced by a bottle is a signal to make a little less. To keep it up, express at roughly the time your baby has the bottle and put them to the breast as soon as you are together.

Do I need to sterilise the bottle?

Before first use, boil it in water for 5 minutes. After that, washing in hot soapy water or in the dishwasher is enough.

Need help?

If you have a question about breastfeeding or bottles, you can ask it at any time to Clara, our virtual midwife, or in our WhatsApp community. You can also turn to your midwife, your health visitor or a breastfeeding support group. And if anything worries you about your baby's health or you notice a warning sign, see your doctor or go to A&E.

Design my bottle

Sources

• World Health Organization (WHO), Infant and young child feeding, fact sheet.
• Haute Autorité de santé (HAS, formerly Anaes), Allaitement maternel : mise en œuvre et poursuite dans les 6 premiers mois de vie de l'enfant, 2002.
• La Leche League France, Le biberon pour le bébé allaité and Allaitement et reprise du travail.
• Kassing D., Bottle-feeding as a tool to reinforce breastfeeding, Journal of Human Lactation, 2002.
• Institut national de santé publique du Québec (INSPQ), Mieux vivre avec notre enfant de la grossesse à deux ans.
• Kent J. C. et al., Volume and frequency of breastfeedings and fat content of breast milk throughout the day, Pediatrics, 2006.
• Afssa, Recommandations d'hygiène pour la préparation et la conservation des biberons, 2005.
• Code du travail (France), articles L1225-30 to L1225-32.
• Happymami, study of more than 1,680 mothers, IHAN España 2024 Congress.