These guidelines were written by midwives who specialise in breastfeeding and infant feeding, from current evidence and from real experience alongside thousands of families.
We know how much it matters to you that your baby accepts the bottle without a fight and without giving up the breast.
That is why we prepared these steps with care, so you can do it gently, calmly, and with us beside you.
Follow every step, without skipping one, even if you have already tried other ways.
You will see that each step has a reason… and that a small detail can change a lot.
Breastfeeding or mixed feeding
Sólo fórmula
Below you will find the steps for each situation in its own tab.
Let us do this, together.
For the first feed, use your own milk.
Freshly expressed today or yesterday. 60 ml is enough to try.
Even if you plan to use formula later, starting with your milk matters:
the familiar taste helps acceptance of the bottle.
Once your baby has accepted it, you can set up feeds and try formula if you want to.
Have you used other bottles recently?
That is all right. We start now with your Happymami,
and following these steps from the beginning can change a lot.
Warm your milk before you use the bottle,
even if you have just expressed it.
When a baby feeds at the breast, the milk is always warm.
Offered cold or lukewarm, your baby may refuse it only because of that difference.
The useful temperature is about 37 °C (body temperature).
You do not need a thermometer:
it should feel warm on the back of your hand, and not hot enough to burn.
Before you start, wash your hands well and prepare a clean surface.
✔ Warm your milk by standing the bottle in a container of hot water.
Boil water in a saucepan, take it off the heat and place the bottle in it (not touching the bottom).
You can also use a bottle warmer that works with Happymami.
Warm the teat at the same time: it will be softer and closer to the breast.
Dry the teat with clean, dry kitchen paper.
Skip cloths, which can leave residue or bacteria.
Check the teat is not hot before you offer it.
If you warmed the milk with the bottle closed,
unscrew the teat a little and screw it back on without forcing.
That evens the pressure inside the bottle and helps prevent leaks.
(The same guidance applies on both paths.)
Offer the bottle 20 minutes before the usual feed time.
That way your baby is less likely to be very hungry, tense or impatient.
You can also do it when you see the first hunger cues.
Your baby may be ready if:
If you breastfeed on demand, notice when your baby usually asks more strongly and go a little earlier. That helps you find the moment when your baby is still calm, and open to something new.
If you wait until hunger is intense, your baby may refuse the bottle.
(The same guidance applies on both paths.)
Avoid offering the bottle just after your baby has slept.
At that moment your baby is often sleepier and less open.
We suggest this first feed in the mid-morning or mid-afternoon,
when your baby is calmer, awake and only mildly hungry.
Even if your aim is a night bottle,
it is better to wait until Happymami is settled.
First we steady the Happymami.
Then you can bring it into the hours you need.
(The same guidance applies on both paths.)
Hold your baby as upright as you can.
A more vertical position helps your baby feel safe and coordinate sucking, swallowing and breathing.
Bring the bottle in with the teat towards the palate, not the tongue.
That wakes the sucking reflex (palate) and avoids the tongue-thrust reflex
(the one that makes a baby push the tongue out when something touches it directly).
Settle the bottle without rushing, gently.
Avoid hitting the tongue as you bring it in.
If mum offers the feed, we are introducing the bottle, not competing with the breast.
If your baby is hungry, instinct says to go to mum's breast.
And if we also use the same position as breastfeeding… it is understandable that the change is confusing.
A small change of position can help a lot:
try another position, or even another room.
Sometimes that alone helps your baby accept the Happymami more easily.
(The same guidance applies on both paths.)
Do not force the moment.
If your baby cries or looks uncomfortable, stop, soothe, and listen to what is needed.
Sometimes the best step is to leave it for another time and offer what your baby does accept with ease (the breast, or arms).
That is all right. It is part of adapting.
Avoiding a difficult experience matters more than finishing a feed.
We are building trust, not a quick result.
It is completely usual that the first feeds are imperfect.
Each baby has a pace. What matters is to stay calm and try again with care.
After the bottle, you can put your baby to the breast without a problem.
In these first feeds we use the Happymami before the breast
so acceptance is easier and what your baby already knows stays clear.
Once your baby accepts the Happymami well,
you can return to the usual order: breast first, then the bottle if you need to top up.
If you are using formula and you want to keep making milk,
you can use a breast pump after the feed to express what your baby did not take at the breast.
(The same guidance applies on both paths.)
Over 8 months, a baby already has a strong routine.
To introduce a new bottle, it helps to follow that curiosity.
A small trick: let your baby open the Happymami packet with you.
Treat it like a present. You might say:
“Look, this is for you. Shall we see what it is…”
At that moment, your baby will often take it to the mouth alone, exploring.
That makes a first experience that feels easy, without pressure.
While your baby explores, you can prepare the feed as we described,
and offer it gently in that same relaxed moment.
(The same guidance applies on both paths.)
If the first feed is not perfect, that is all right.
Accepting a new bottle can be a learning process.
What matters is that you followed the steps with patience and respect.
Sometimes you only need to repeat them at another time of day, with more calm or another position.
If it is still hard after several tries,
you can talk to Clara, our virtual midwife, available 24/7. She is here to help.
We are with you and your baby for what you need.
You can do this. And we will stay with you the whole way.
You now have what you need to offer your baby a calm, respectful and safe feed.
You chose a personalised bottle, with the knowledge of those of us who walk with thousands of families.
And what matters most: you are not alone
Our midwives are here, on the other side of WhatsApp, whenever you need us, close by, with a clinical eye and without judging you.📱
You are now part of the Happymami community.💛
And we are with you and your baby for what you need.
These guidelines are registered as intellectual property of Happymami Lactancia S.L.📃
Use or reproduction without permission, in whole or in part, is not allowed.
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