04/02/2026
Paced bottle feeding is all about giving your baby more control during a feed. By slowing things down and creating natural pauses, you’re helping them stay comfortable, avoid taking in too much too quickly, and tune in to their own hunger cues.
How to pace a bottle feed:
• Sit your baby upright, roughly a 45-degree angle, with their head and neck supported. This helps them manage the flow more easily.
• Invite the latch by brushing the teat against their lip and waiting for that wide, ready mouth before offering the bottle.
• Keep the bottle horizontal, so the teat is only half-filled with milk. This stops the milk from pouring in and gives your baby a chance to set the pace.
• After three to five sucks, gently lower the bottle to pause the flow. These small breaks let them breathe, swallow, and reset before carrying on.
• Keep an eye on their fullness cues. Turning away, pushing the bottle out, or drifting off are all signs they’ve had enough.
Why it matters:
Pacing helps prevent overfeeding, reduces wind and posseting (where baby overflows milk), and makes feeds feel much calmer. It’s also brilliant for babies who switch between breast and bottle, as it mirrors the natural stop-start rhythm of breastfeeding. Most importantly, it supports responsive feeding, letting your baby lead the way and learn when they’re hungry and when they’re full.
[Image description: Step-by-step infographic from Derbyshire Family Health Service on paced bottle feeding, with gentle holding tips and illustrations.]
