Feeding Breast Milk By Bottle 

• As of 5 months old my lil one was feeding 6 OZ every 2-3 hours. 

• Instructions based upon my experience and equipment I got to feed my son.

• Depending on your bottle warmer it is recommended to test to see how long is needed to warm the milk up especially if it does not have a timer or temperature setting. Using the desired amount of water in a bottle, test out different times like 4 minute or 6 minutes to see which time gives you the desired temperature based on the amount of ounces you are serving. For example if you need to see how long it takes to warm up 6 ounces then try 4 minutes and if it is not at the desired temperature then try 5 minutes and increase by 1 minute increments until you find the right time.

Feeding Breast Milk By Bottle Instructions

Getting Started

• Wash hands prior to starting!

• Never use a microwave to warm up milk. Only use a bottle warmer or bowl of warm water.

Using Frozen Breastmilk: 

1. If using frozen breast milk then you must use the oldest milk first! Use a bag based on the desired amount you wish to serve so not to waste milk. The milk must be thawed. If it is not thawed then you can use the EVLA bottle warmer to thaw & warm the milk OR put the frozen milk in a bowl of warm water until it is no longer frozen then warm it up using the bottle warmer if it is not at the desired temperature. 

2. If you are using the EVLA bottle warmer to thaw & warm the milk then place the bag of frozen breastmilk in the bottle warmer. Fill the bottle warmer with enough water until it reaches the height of the milk, but do not exceed the max level line. Put on the transparent cover over top. 

3. Press the power button on the EVLA bottle warmer and press the mode button until it highlights thaw. You will set the desired temperature using the “+” or “-”. The desired temperature for a bottle per How to Warm a Baby Bottle is 98.6℉, which is 37℃.  Once the temperature has been set, the temperature display will flash 2 times and a buzzer will beep indicating that the unit is now heating up. Once it is done heating up it will beep one time. 

4. Pour thawed milk in a Dr. Brown or baby bottle (can use breast shield as funnel). Make sure to put the vent system (green or blue straw) back in for the Dr. Brown bottle. Make sure to properly screw on the nipple top. 

Using Thawed Breast milk From Refrigerator

1. Pour the desired serving amount of breast milk into a Dr. Brown bottle or baby bottle (can use breast shield as funnel). Make sure to put the vent system (green or blue straw) back in for the Dr. Brown bottle. Make sure to properly screw on the nipple top. 

2. Place the bottle in the EVLA bottle warmer without a protective cap on. Fill the bottle warmer with enough water until it reaches the height of the milk, but do not exceed the max level line. Put on the transparent cover over top. 

3. Press the power button on the EVLA bottle warmer and press the mode button until it highlights milk. You will set the desired temperature using the “+” or “-”. The desired temperature for a bottle per How to Warm a Baby Bottle is 98.6℉, which is 37℃.  Once the temperature has been set, the temperature display will flash 2 times and a buzzer will beep indicating that the unit is now heating up. Once it is done heating up it will beep one time. 

Serving Steps

1. Lightly swirl milk around in the bottle, then test on the wrist, use a heat indicator straw from a Tommee Tippee bottle (will turn bright pink if too hot), or use a white hot baby safety spoon to make sure it is not too hot. 

2. Unplug bottle warmer when finished. Feed baby bottle burping after every 1-2 oz to prevent hiccups. 

3. Hold up upright for 20 minutes to prevent gas, hiccups, and spit up. Per CDC If your baby did not finish the bottle, use the leftover milk within 2 hours. After 2 hours, leftover breast milk should be discarded. 

• Check out The Bump on ways to burp your lil one. 

Emergency Numbers

1. 911

2. Poison Control 1-800-222-1222

• I recommend to print and laminate “Feeding Breast Milk By Bottle Instructions” and post it on the wall in your kitchen next to the warmer. 

Weaning

• My goal was to have my lil one breastfeed for 1 year. This was easier said than done.

• My lil one got his 2 bottom teeth in around 7 months. I didn’t have a problem with him biting until he got his top teeth in, which was around 9 months. Let me tell you when a baby bites on your nipple it is quite painful especially if they tug their head back while your nipple is in their mouth!  

• This caused great anxiety when trying to nurse so instead I pumped and attempted to feed by bottle. At this time my lil one was no longer used to a bottle because I became a stay at home mom and nursed full time. I had to reintroduce a bottle to him, which required great patience and persistence. I thankfully was able to get him back on the bottle. I also did not give up on breastfeeding. I learned from Kelly Mom strategies to help with biting. 

• As my lil one got older around 10 months though I struggled with my milk supply trying to keep up with the demand. I tried Traditional Medicinal, Organic Mother's Milk Herbal Tea and Milk Makers Lactation Cookies to increase my supply, but this did not help. To make matters worse if I didn’t have enough milk he got mad and would start biting again! 

• With a low milk supply and biting this cause me to get stressed out and lost. I was scared to try formula because I did not know how it would react with my lil one. I even tried to supplement with water because I was so scared, but eventually I had no choice. My baby was hungry and it was my job to feed him. I started supplementing with formula and he took to it well even after noticing the taste difference. I eventually just made a complete switch to formula until my lil one turned 1. It was quite easy to wean him from breastfeeding as he lost interest quickly since there was no more milk. My lil one did not play around with his milk.