Bottle feeding BM?

michelle142 · December 2011

I have been pumping once a day to help with engorgement and to build up a little freezer supply.

This might sound like a dumb question:

We want to start incorporating bottle feeding at 2 weeks as per LC recommendation. Will incorporating a bottle feed mess with my supply or make engorgement worse? Will I need to pump I place of nursing when we do a bottle feed?

amelianguy · December 2011

You might experience some engorgement for the first few days that you do this, but your body will adjust if you don't want to pump. It shouldn't affect your supply to drop one feeding, but if you notice a drop in production, you might consider pumping for a few minutes during that time. After about a week your body should regulate itself to where you don't need to do anything.

macdidlyicious · December 2011

I've gotten in the habit of pumping whenever Olive has a bottle because that's always what I read/been advised to do. I also learned that waiting until BFing is well established (a month) before giving a bottle. Olive's pedi is an IBCLC though so maybe she's a little more hardcore about things. I dunno. I'm super worried that my supply will take a hit plus its nice to have that pumped milk in my freezer.

tarmar81 · December 2011

I also recommend pumping whenever your baby has a bottle, only because if he weren't taking a bottle, he'd be on your boob, and your body needs to know that. If you have a really ample supply, you may be okay, but in the early weeks when you're building your supply, I think it's best to pump in place of any bottles. (Or as soon as you can. If you go out for 4 hours one night and Charlie takes two bottles with a sitter, obviously you'll just pump when you get home, or feed him and then pump if you need to.)

As far as how soon to introduce a bottle, while Mac's right that LC's recommend waiting a month before giving a bottle, sometimes you just have to give a bottle before that. Honestly, I don't think there's any ideal time to start, since every baby is different. Kyler was, to my dismay, given bottles right off the bat in the NICU (and a pacifier, which some experts also recommend waiting on), but he also fortunately didn't have a problem breastfeeding. Not all babies get nipple confusion but it's true that some will prefer the bottle to the boob. And some will end up refusing bottles and only wanting the boob! I think the majority will end up taking both though. Just be sure to use the slowest flow nipple you can get so Charlie has to work harder to get milk from the bottle, like he does at the breast.

Nunu&Eddie · December 2011

tarmar81:
I also recommend pumping whenever your baby has a bottle, only because if he weren't taking a bottle, he'd be on your boob, and your body needs to know that. If you have a really ample supply, you may be okay, but in the early weeks when you're building your supply, I think it's best to pump in place of any bottles. (Or as soon as you can. If you go out for 4 hours one night and Charlie takes two bottles with a sitter, obviously you'll just pump when you get home, or feed him and then pump if you need to.)

I agree.

As for introducing a bottle, we did give him a bottle here and there starting around two weeks (if we were out somewhere I couldn't BF). We also started a paci after one week. Many LCs say two weeks. We couldn't make it that long!

kelklump · December 2011

I never could bf in public so we did the bottle earlier than later, I used these bottles - they helped with the transition due to the shape of the nipple...We switched to the Dr. Browns bottles when she was big enough that they didnt choke her... I will warn you the flow is VERY Slow on the bottles- but mimics the breast

http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3987654#pr-header-3987654

I agree with others- pump if you aren't body feeding so you don't lose your supply.

macdidlyicious · December 2011

I only waited a month because I was worried. I think I said that, I cant remember. Sometimes Olive gets picky about taking a bottle from me but I dont think that has anything to do with waiting so long but more because she's thinking "hey I dont want this! I want the boobies and the snuggles that come along with them!". Dont be surprised if that happens with Charlie. Olive will take a bottle no problem from my sister and Jesse though.

MBMcC421 · December 2011

I never had a problem with Sam having nipple confusion, but I knew she always preferred BFing to being bottlefed anyway, which is why I always would make sure I could feed her when I could, and leave the bottles to someone else to not cause any more frustration. I was never able to pump while I was feeing her either, especially since I always needed both sides to keep her satisfied.

Bottle feeding BM?

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