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When does a baby begin to keep their bottle?

Plus an ultimate Guide How Your Baby will Have a chance of a Calm & Deep Sleep

By ANGELO POBLETEPublished 3 years ago 6 min read
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A baby should hold a bottle from the age of six months because this is the time where they develop the motor skills to move objects from hand-to-hand.In fact, your baby’s ability to hold the bottle by the sixth month is one of the indicators of healthy development.

Babies develop primitive palmar grip from the end of the fifth month. Therefore, it is likely that he can get the bottle and hold it as well.

However, it is not necessary that all babies will start touching the bottle at six months. Sometimes, he may not show a tendency toward handling the bottle independently for up to 10 months or more.

This does not mean that he is lagging behind in progress. As long as he meets other developmental circumstances, this should not be a source of concern for you.

Also, don’t be surprised if your baby starts handling things as early as three months.

Strive to help him in accomplishing the task.

Introduce your baby to the bottle during the feeding session, by touching him and feeling the bottle to get a sense of its shape, size, and weight.

At first, he held an empty bottle by placing his hands on it.

When he has already shown interest in handling it, fill the bottle in installments - quarter, half and then full.

When filling the bottle, you need to consider your baby’s ability to bear the weight of the bottle.

Then gently move the bottle with his hands close to his mouth.

If he touches the nipple in his mouth, because of the smell of milk, and suckers, it is an instant success! Otherwise, you can guide the nipple into his mouth.

Support the bottle at the other end. Once you are convinced about his ability to have a decent grip on the bottle release your grip, while being watched.

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6 Tips To Help Your Baby Hold A Bottle

Your baby may show an interest in holding the bottle from an early age if you encourage him to do so. Follow these tips to teach your baby the proper way to handle the bottle, and associate the bottle with him.

1. Observe patterns in your baby's motor skills:

Do not force your baby to touch the bottle while feeding. Instead, go through the milestones of his motor skills. Babies usually learn to open and close their hands tightly by the age of three months. This means that there is a good chance for your baby to hold his toys tightly, and move them.

Keep an eye on such play time patterns and if he showed interest in handling things, you can try touching him with a bottle.

2. Teach the use of the bottle:

Let your baby understand the connection between his hunger and bottle feeding. You can do this by giving him a bottle when he is hungry. Babies learn to recognize faces and objects at a distance of three months, which means they can easily relate objects to a goal. Training his little mind to look at the bottle as a source of food will automatically stimulate him to take it when he is hungry.

3. Embrace him:

Your baby feels the heat of your body when you breastfeed him. Make her experience the same even if she is bottle feeding. It won’t make him feel like you’ve been deprived of your closeness. Holding the baby in your arms will make it easier for him to fit into the bottle.

4. Maintain peace and quiet during the feeding session:

Do not disturb the baby with noises when he is feeding. If a lot of things are going on around him during the bottle feeding session, he may not be able to eat to his contents or may swallow more air than milk.

Hug him in your arms while feeding. That way you can keep a watch on him while your body heat keeps him calm.

5. Provide some support:

Your baby’s soft arm can hurt touching the bottle for a long time. Therefore, provide support to his arms by placing a pillow or a soft and secure object under them. You can also try holders that keep the bottle in place. This will not only help your baby rest his arms but also keep the bottle in the correct position when he feeds.

6. It's good if he doesn't hold the bottle for a few days:

On some days, he may not want to touch the bottle. Like adults, babies also can have mood swings. He could hold his fist and not open it. If that’s the case then leave things there. Do not force him to feed from the bottle. He will catch it when he is hungry.

Conclusion:

Handling the bottle is not a difficult task for your baby. He can find out in no time, especially if he wants to drink the contents in the bottle. Be patient and help your baby at work. And there is no harm if your little one knows the art better than other babies.

Most importantly, don’t seek to teach your baby to hold the bottle in the very first few days. Moving in the process can have an aversion or harm him physically. Take adequate safety precautions to prevent any harm to your baby.

Precautions to Take When Baby Holds the Bottle

Following these safety steps will ensure that there is no risk, however small it is, for your baby.

Put the baby in the correct position:

The best position for your baby to eat from the bottle is the breastfeeding position: lying on your back confined to your arms. If you plan to place the baby on a surface, then keep him in a somewhat arched position that mimics the natural breastfeeding position.

Do not let the baby sleep with the bottle

The bottle is not a toy and should not be left unattended by the baby. He can overeat himself and this can be a risk of choking. Be careful with your baby’s feeding habits by being around whenever he feeds.

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*Disclosure: I only recommend products I would use myself and all opinions expressed here are our own. This post may contain affiliate links that at no additional cost to you, I may earn a small commission.

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