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Baby Baby Name Generator

      What equipment do I need?

      Cooking

      Stocking up to get started

      Before you start bottlefeeding you’ll need to buy:

      • At least six baby bottles if you're planning to use a bottle for all your feeds. Babies tend to feed around six times a day so this way you should always have a bottle handy
      • A minimum of six teats
      • Baby milk
      • Sterilising equipment
      • A bottle-cleaning brush 

      Baby bottles

      Baby bottles come in two sizes and are available in wide-neck, regular or narrow-neck widths:

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

      Anti-colic bottles

      Colic is commonly thought to be caused by babies taking in too much air while feeding. Today you can buy baby bottles and teats especially designed to reduce the amount of air that babies take in. If your baby is unsettled after feeds and suffers with wind, it could be worth trying one of these.

      Sterilisers

      Sterilising is vitally important because it kills the germs that cause tummy upsets and illness. Before you sterilise, you must wash the bottles and teats in warm soapy water and scrub with a bottle-cleaning brush (or put them through the dishwasher). There are three ways to sterilise your baby's feeding equipment:

      • Boiling
      • Cold water sterilising
      • Steam sterilising – electric steam sterilisers or microwave sterilising

      Teats

      Teats come in all sorts of shapes and sizes – and even materials! The type of teat you’ll need will vary depending on what milk you are using and your baby’s preference. As a general guide, it’s best to start with slow flowing teats for newborns and increase the flow speed as they get used to sucking.

      Choking, spluttering and milk leaking from your baby’s mouth are all signs that the flow may be too fast for them. If your baby is struggling with bottlefeeding, try changing the type or make of teat. In time teats may deteriorate so make sure you check them regularly.

      Other useful extras

      As well as the obvious bottlefeeding equipment there are a few other things that can make your life easier:

      • A fast boil kettle
      • Muslin cloths
      • Bibs

      Any more questions?

      Our specialist baby advisors and experienced mums are here to talk and ready to help whenever you need them. You can call us or reach us on Live Chat 8.30am-5.30pm Monday-Friday.

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      • 1-to-1 support from our dedicated Careline team, 8.30am - 5.30pm Monday to Friday.
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