Introducing a bottle can be difficult at first, especially if your baby had been exclusively breastfed. Here are a few quick tips on ways to make bottle feeding easier. | This post contains affiliate links and an honest review on products provided by Nuby |

When our little one was about 3.5 months old we had no choice but to make the switch from exclusively breastfed to formula fed because she was unable to digest my breastmilk (if you'd like, you can read more about that HERE). Going cold turkey from breast to bottle was hard on everyone and I definitely learned some lessons along the way.

Bottle Feeding Tips

Use a "natural-shaped" bottle

In the beginning we tried a lot of different kinds of bottles to see what our baby would take. It was a lot of trial-and-error at first but we quickly found that she took best to bottles in a natural shape that mimics the shape of a breast, like Nuby's Natural Touch Bottles - rather than the traditionally-shaped narrow bottles. For her, latching on to a natural bottle was easier and more instinctive.

Use bottles with fewer pieces to clean

One of the first bottles we had tried was a specialty bottle that literally had 7 pieces to it that had to be taken apart and cleaned every time you used it. It was such a daunting and tedious process and ain't nobody got time for that! Thankfully using a simpler bottle system (like Nuby's Natural Touch Bottles), was a lot easier since they only have three easy-to-clean pieces - the bottle, the nipple, and the collar.

Using Nuby's Natural Touch Infant Bottle

Find a comfortable and consistent place to feed in the beginning

When we first introduced the bottle, our baby just wouldn't have it. I initially tried bottle feeding her in the rocking chair I always nursed in but it just made her so mad because she was reminded of nursing. I quickly realized that in our case she needed somewhere new and comfortable to be her new feeding spot so we switched to a little bouncy chair on the floor which really helped. She sits in the chair at a comfortable, somewhat upright angle that's perfect for her and I sit on the floor facing her to feed her.

Introduce the bottle when baby is well rested and not starving

When you first start introducing a bottle to your baby, it can be very overwhelming to them so it's best to set yourself up for the highest chance of success! Your baby will likely get easily frustrated because it's something new, so try not to push the matter when they're overtired or starving. A calm baby will be more likely to try to figure out the bottle rather than just melt down at the first sign of frustration.

Be Consistent

Consistency is key. Even if your baby hates bottle feeding, keep trying and keep offering it regularly until they get the hang of it. It can be so hard in the beginning but hang in there!