Paying Attention to Hunger and Fullness Cues While Bottle Feeding

• Will suck on their fingers or hand.
• Begins fussing.
• Seems excited to see the bottle.
• Eagerly sucks on the bottle nipple when it’s offered.

Feeding from a bottle, whether it’s formula or breast milk, can increase the likelihood of excessive weight gain, during the first year, because of the natural tendency to have baby “finish the bottle.” To be sure you’re not overfeeding, watch your baby’s fullness cues and stop feeding when they signal that they've had enough.

• Stops sucking or slows down the pace.
• Releases the nipple and turns their head away.
• Relaxed and may fall asleep.
• Gets distracted and starts looking around