My feed
Premium

Please
or
to access all these features

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Infant feeding

Bottle feeding with expressed milk

6 replies

Whattodowithaminute · 22/10/2016 18:34

My DS now nearly 12 weeks has been taking a bottle of expressed milk pretty well 3-4 times a week. I'm expressing in the evenings approx 3oz could get more but aiming for freezer stash ready for return to work next month rather than fully emptying breasts every night.
DS seems really unsettled on the days after a bottle; he's using avent classic on a size 2 teat. I started him on a faster flow as I have a fast let down and he normally takes a full BF on less than 10 mins from one side. He sucks the teat flat. Hates coming off the bottle for winding and just screams... he will take a 7oz bottle.

Few questions;

Have I done the wrong thing with the teat?
Should I try different bottles?
Do you think it's the bottle making him unsettled or could it be the mix of foremilk and hind milk in a bottle?
Should I be expressing differently; i.e. Set amount of time or ensuring that I get some hind milk?! Thank you

OP posts:
KP86 · 22/10/2016 18:42

Try some different teats/nipples on the bottles, the avent ones aren't great apparently. But the nipples are generally interchangeable so you don't need all new bottles.

Not sure if you can get pigeon brand here (I'm clearly not a U.K. native) but we used the peristaltic tests on advice from our HV and DS got on with them very well.

You also may need to burp more often mid-feed (maybe even twice) when bottle-feeding, as they tend to suck in more air compared to directly breastfeeding.

melibu84 · 22/10/2016 18:44

Have you tried the avent natural teats instead of the classic? They're meant to be ideal for babies who are also being breast fed.

Some babies just hate to be taken off the bottle part way through a feed cos they're not full. There isn't much you can do about that.

Whattodowithaminute · 22/10/2016 18:58

Haven't tried any other teats yet as felt a bit overwhelmed by the choice, was just looking at dr browns but will try the avent natural ones first to save changing the whole setup.

He's a greedy boy and gets himself so worked up if you take him off the bottle midfeed I think it makes him worse...Thank you.

OP posts:
KP86 · 22/10/2016 19:15

DS was the same (also on expressed milk, but for most feeds rather than occasionally), and once my uncle who had three older DC of his own insisted that he didn't need to be burped every 20ml (because he screamed like yours) so I let him do it his way and lo and behold at the end of the bottle uncle ended up wearing the lot.

I also had very, very fast flow and oversupply which is why we bottle fed. DS would be done on the breast in minutes, but then vomit the whole lot back up and hardly gained weight for a few months (dropped from 50 to 10th line).

Whattodowithaminute · 22/10/2016 19:45

Will purchase the other tests and give them a go and see whether we can burp him more often-he does two massive burps at the end of a feed (same whether breast or bottle fed to be fair)

OP posts:
5madthings · 22/10/2016 19:49

Have a look at kellymom info on bottle feeding expressed milk re pace feeding and quantities etc.

Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.