My feed
Premium

Please
or
to access all these features

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

Infant feeding

Breast to beaker - when?? And any problems??

3 replies

GogoTheSmall · 30/07/2007 12:45

I wonder if anyone has any advice they can give me on when I can give dd a beaker? She is 20 weeks old and has never understood how to drink from a bottle, so I have pretty much given up trying to offer her one.

But my MIL is desperate to babysit and is begging me to keep trying! So I'm wondering if I can try giving a beaker at this stage.

Has anyone else managed to give their LO a beaker this young? Can you advise on the best position to hold her while feeding? (she bfs lying on her side but I suppose that's no good for a beaker?!)

Also, I'm a bit nervous about whether it might interfere with the bfing? Has anyone found that their LO is less likely to drink from the breast after they've got the hang of the beaker?

One more thing - any tips on the best one to get?

This is all fretful 1st time mum stuff probably but I just don't want to muck up the bfing.

Thanks for any advice!

OP posts:
Report
Tapster · 30/07/2007 13:14

Would try a Doidy cup but at 20 weeks she is unlikely to take enough that method IMO. I've never given a bottle and I just BF and put DD to sleep and then go out and MIL can then baby sit a sleeping baby or at least a fed baby. MIL will have lots of opportunities in years to come to babysit.

Report
mawbroon · 30/07/2007 13:59

My ds went on to an open cup at 26 weeks when we started solids, but it was only for water as we continued breastfeeding. He needed help with it for a while but pretty quickly got the hang of it himself, although spillage was a problem (still is, sometimes, but he does it on purpose now!!)
I'm only guessing here, but I think an open cup is less likely to interfere with breastfeeding than any type of sippy cup. I'm not sure if you mean a sippy type thing when you say beaker. If she takes to solids well (presume you will be starting around 26 weeks?), then you might find that you have a little more freedom and will possibly be able to leave her with MIL then without worrying too much about milk. It's only six weeks away or so.

Report
GogoTheSmall · 30/07/2007 16:37

OK, thanks for that! My HV gave me a doidy cup so will have a go with that rather than a sippy cup. Otherwise, like you say, it's only a few weeks until we start weaning so MIL may have to wait til then.

OP posts:
Report
Please create an account

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