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Glossary

Paced bottle feeding

Bottle feeding that follows the baby’s cues and allows pauses.

Pacing means responding to the baby during a bottle feed, including allowing pauses and an end to the feed when the baby is ready. The Australian Breastfeeding Association describes supported positioning and controlling bottle flow. Read its full technique and the linked guide before trying to interpret the label as a set of instructions.

It is not a competition to make a bottle last a particular number of minutes. A timer cannot tell whether the position, flow or response to cues is appropriate. Record the amount taken separately from the amount prepared, and keep any individual feeding instructions with their source.

What a useful handover can say

Fictional note: “There were pauses during this feed; the remaining amount is written beside the bottle entry.” This records an observation. It does not certify feeding technique or establish that intake was enough.

Common questions

Does paced feeding mean finishing the bottle slowly?

No. Pacing responds to the baby rather than setting a finishing time or requiring the bottle to be emptied. Discuss difficulties with a feeding professional.

Related guides

Try the tool: Baby Feeding Amount Calculator

Related terms

Sources

General information, not medical advice. For concerns about your child, talk with your doctor or child-health nurse.