Bubbles in the bottle can equal a gassy baby -- and a gassy baby can equal a sleepless night for both you and your little one. If you're bottle-feeding your baby, making sure that there are no bubbles in the bottle will go a long way towards making him feel comfortable long after a meal is over. The best part is that eliminating bubbles is a lot easier than you might think.
Let the milk settle. If you mix powered formula with water, don’t give the mixture to your baby immediately after shaking it in the bottle to mix. Shaking causes air bubbles to form. If you let the mixture settle, the bubbles will dissipate. Alternatively, thoroughly mix the formula with water before adding it to the bottle.
Buy bottles that require the use of disposable liners. According to Consumer Reports, bottles with liners significantly reduce air bubbles because as baby drinks, the liner collapses, cancelling out the empty space and reducing the tendency for bubbles to form.
Try an angle-neck bottle if the baby is already holding the bottle on her own. Ideally, you should hold the bottle at a 45-degree angle to prevent air bubbles from forming near the nipple. However, if your baby is holding the bottle, he's likely to move it up and down. An angle-neck bottle requires baby to tilt the bottle up, causing the liquid to cover the nipple entirely, leaving no space for an air bubble to form.
Feed your baby slowly. If he drinks too fast, it's more likely to cause air bubbles to form in the nipple than if he drinks slowly. You can slow down the feeding by switching to "slow flow" nipples, or by feeding your baby before he gets too hungry. Keep in mind that the hungrier he is, the faster he's likely to feed.