When can my baby hold the bottle by himself?

Minh Thu just became a mother for the first time, now her daughter is 6 months old. She is planning to bottle feed her baby but is afraid that she will not be able to get between the bottle. So what to do? If you have a question like Minh Thu, please join aFamilyToday Health to follow up on the shares below.

6 months is the time when you start thinking about changes to your baby's diet. This is the time when your baby will start weaning and start learning to eat. Your baby will begin to gradually reduce feedings and become accustomed to some other types of food, such as bottle-feeding instead of breast-feeding.

When can babies hold their own bottles?

Babies can hold the bottle on their own starting from the 6th month, because this is the period when they develop motor skills to move objects from hand to hand. In fact, whether the baby can hold the bottle at 6 months or not is also an indicator to evaluate the healthy development of the baby.

Babies begin to develop skills to hold and grasp basic objects at the end of the 5th month. Therefore, babies can completely hold and hold the bottle by the 6th month. However, not all babies are have this ability by the 6th month. Some babies may not even be able to hold the bottle until 10 months.
This does not mean the baby has a delay in development. As long as your baby is still reaching other developmental milestones, you don't need to worry too much about your baby's inability to hold the bottle on its own by the sixth month.

And do not be surprised if your baby starts to hold objects from the third month. You can also do some ways to help your baby develop skills to hold and grasp things.

How to help your baby hold the bottle?

This process needs to develop slowly. You need to take some time and it's important not to be impatient with your baby, because sometimes you have to practice your baby many times to learn this skill.

√ Let your baby get used to the bottle during breastfeeding, by letting your baby touch and touch the bottle to feel the surface, size and weight of the bottle without milk in it. Gradually, let your baby hold and hold the bottle without milk in it.

√ Once your baby is interested in holding the bottle, start adding water each time he holds it. It can be a quarter at first, then half as much as your baby gets used to and finally full.

√ When filling the bottle, you should also consider whether your baby is able to withstand the weight of the bottle with water in it.

√ Once your baby gets used to holding the bottle, gradually practice bringing the bottle to the mouth.

√ If your baby puts the nipple in his mouth (due to the smell of milk) and starts to suck, you will be successful. If not, you can teach your baby how to put the nipple in his mouth.

√ Initially, you can support your baby by supporting the bottom of the bottle. Gradually, as your baby gets used to it, you can let your baby do this by himself while still watching over him.

6 tips to help your baby hold and keep the bottle

Your baby will probably enjoy holding the bottle if you encourage him to do this. Here are some tips for you to teach your baby to hold bottles correctly and help your baby know how to hold the bottle when hungry.

1. Observe your baby's motor skills

Do not force your baby to hold the bottle by himself while feeding. Instead, let your baby develop other motor skills. For example: 3 months old, baby knows how to spread and hold hands. You can teach your baby this skill by letting your baby grasp his favorite toy, then remove it.

Observe your baby's skills like these during playtime and if you find your baby is interested in handling objects then you can try giving your baby a bottle.

2. Teach your baby how to use a bottle

Help your baby understand the connection between hunger and holding a bottle. You can teach your baby this by passing a bottle to your baby every time he is hungry. Babies can learn to recognize faces and objects at a distance as early as 3 months, which means they have learned to relate objects to their intended use. Let your baby learn to find a bottle as a food supply. This will stimulate the baby to automatically hold the bottle when hungry.

3. Hold your baby

Your baby can feel your body heat when you feed your baby. Let your baby experience the same feeling when he or she takes a bottle. This helps your baby realize that even if he is bottle-feeding he can still be close to you. Holding your baby also makes the baby more receptive to bottle feeding.

4. Maintain a quiet while feeding baby

While your baby is suckling, you shouldn't distract your baby with other sounds. If there are too many sounds around the baby during the suckling, the baby will not suck and will likely swallow more air than milk.

5. Baby Support

Your baby's small arms can get sore or tired if they have to hold a bottle for a long time. Therefore, you also need to support your baby by placing a pillow or something soft and safe underneath to support the bottle. You can also use the bottle holders in the correct position. This device not only helps your baby relax his arm, but also helps keep the bottle in place while the baby is feeding.

6. The baby suddenly refuses to hold the bottle anymore, this is also okay

One day, suddenly, the baby does not want to hold the bottle anymore. Just like adults, babies also have a change of interest. Your baby may hold his or her hand tightly and will definitely not open it for you to put the bottle in. Try to obey the wishes of the baby, do not force him to hold the bottle to feed. Your baby will go to the bottle when he feels hungry.

Most importantly, do not set a goal of teaching your baby to hold the bottle during the first day. Stage burning can be counterproductive and even physically damaging for your baby.

Attention when letting your baby hold the bottle

Here are some notes that you need to know to ensure your baby's safety when letting your baby hold the bottle by himself to feed.

1. Put your baby in the right position

The best place for a bottle to be fed is the same position as when your baby breastfed: lie on your back with your arms slightly elevated. If you are going to let your baby lie down, let your baby lie down slightly bent, like the position when the baby is breastfeeding.
Never let baby hold the bottle upright over baby's mouth. This will cause the baby to choke when the milk flows a lot and the baby cannot swallow in time.

Some babies can get an ear infection if the milk in the bottle is too much in their mouth and back up their nose and into their ears. Instead, let your baby hold the bottle by himself and decide the slope when handling the bottle to feed.

2. Do not neglect the supervision of the baby

Even if your baby likes to hold the bottle and can fully handle it independently and firmly, you must watch your baby while he or she is nursing. Always be around and watch your baby. If your baby has lost balance or missed the bottle, help her to return the bottle to the correct position.

3. Listen to the sounds your baby makes while feeding the bottle

Listen to the sounds your baby makes while bottle feeding. If your baby makes too many sounds or loud noises, the baby is more likely to swallow lots of air. Check the nipple for any blockage and reposition the bottle in your baby's hand. Make sure your baby puts the bottle in his or her mouth properly.

4. Help your baby to remove the nipple from the mouth

Your baby can be very adept at holding a bottle but will still need your assistance in removing the nipple from his mouth, especially if he learns to hold the bottle very early. Leaving the nipple for too long in the mouth will make the baby more susceptible to tooth decay . Therefore, gently pull out your baby's nipple when your baby is full. If your baby resists this, it may be because he hasn't received it yet and needs to be fed again.

5. Never let your baby sleep while holding a bottle

A bottle is not a toy and should never be kept near your baby without your supervision. Your baby will probably suckle too much and easily choke. Therefore, you should carefully monitor your baby's breastfeeding habits by being around your baby.

Holding a bottle of milk is not too difficult. It won't take your baby too long to learn this skill, especially if he likes the milk in the bottle. Be patient to practice for your baby and there is nothing to worry about if your baby learns this skill later than others.