How many baby bottles do you need?

If you bottle-feed only, four to six baby bottles is usually enough. If you mainly breastfeed, one or two bottles cover the occasional feed. Combining both? Then you often land somewhere in between.

Why the number of bottles matters

A newborn feeds often, at night as well. Every bottle needs cleaning before you fill it again. With too few bottles you are always washing up, usually at your most tired moments.

Buying too many has a downside as well. Not every baby accepts every teat straight away. If you own ten bottles and your baby drinks restlessly from them, you are stuck.

How many bottles suit your situation?

• Bottle-feeding only: four to six bottles. That way you can wash everything in one go, once or twice a day.
• Combining breast and bottle: two to four bottles, depending on how many feeds you give by bottle.
• Mainly breastfeeding: one or two bottles, for example for expressed milk when someone else feeds your baby.

These are guidelines, not rules. A nursery that asks for its own bottles, or a long day out, can call for one extra.

Start small and see what works

Buy two bottles first and see how your baby responds. Does your baby drink calmly, with little leaking at the mouth? Only then build up your supply. It saves you a cupboard full of unused bottles.

Size matters too. In the first weeks your baby drinks small amounts, so a small bottle is handy. Later you move to a bigger bottle and a teat with a faster flow. Read more about how to pick the right bottle for your baby.

Already know which bottle works for you? A baby bottle value set gives you a full supply at once. Or compare all baby bottles side by side.

More bottles, more cleaning?

Not necessarily. With more bottles you wash up less often, just in bigger batches. Rinse each bottle with cold water right after use. Milk then cannot dry on, so washing goes faster later.

Wondering whether you need to sterilise? That depends on your baby's age and your situation. Our article on sterilising bottles explains when it is needed. In doubt? Ask your health visitor or child health clinic.

Tip: after washing, stand your bottles upside down on a clean cloth. You always see at a glance how many clean bottles are left.

Frequently asked questions

How many baby bottles do you need for formula feeding?

Usually four to six. You then do not have to wash up after every feed, and a clean bottle is ready at night.

Do you need baby bottles if you breastfeed?

Not always. If you sometimes want to give expressed milk, one or two bottles are enough.

Should you buy all the bottles at once?

Better not. Start with two, check that your baby accepts the teat, then expand.