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Infant feeding

How should I introduce expressed milk in a bottle?

10 replies

Poley · 04/10/2011 01:15

Ive just expressed for the first time tonight with a manual pump, dd is 8 weeks old. After collecting 1 oz, I offered it to her to see how she'd take it and she looked annoyed and unsure what to do with this strange new teat, haha. She couldnt suck anything out. I put her back on the breast and she sucked away as normal.
I thought a good way to begin this might be to express a little each day and when she is a little hungry, try her with the bottle before putting her on the breast? Has anyone else tried this?
The reason Im wanting to express is so I can eventually take a bottle out and about with us, and to help with weaning as I intend to stop bfing in a couple of months time.
Thanks in advance x

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BogoPogo · 04/10/2011 10:07

Your plan sounds good! I did the same with DD1, though we started at 4 weeks and DH did the first few bottles. The key thing is to keep offering a bottle every day once you start, as otherwise they suddenly decide not to take the bottle and you're back to square one! DD1 was able to switch between bottle and breast with no problems.

DD2, however, really struggles with a bottle and she's nearly 5 months... She has a high palate which makes it harder for her to suck a teat. So if you do have problems it won't be because you are doing anything wrong, some babies just find it harder than others. But we are gently persisting and we'll get there in the end!

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shesparkles · 04/10/2011 10:11

From my own experience with expressing and bottle feeding, you need to do it asap after you've managed to establish feeding, and NOT wait for weeks like midwives and health visitors recommend. Both my babies were introduced to bottles as well as breast within their first week of life and I never had any problems feeding either of them from breast or bottle. On the contrary, everyone I know who has followed the "official" advice and waited longer than a week or 2 has had problems.
I think your plan of "little and often" makes sense though for doing it at this stage

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Poley · 04/10/2011 22:14

Well, this morning I felt rather over-confident and expressed 4 oz and put it in the fridge. We both tried offering it to her tonight and she cried and cried when dp tried to give her it, and just let it sit in her mouth when I tried again! Then she became quite annoyed again.. sigh

We shall persist! I do hope we succeed, I do wish Id tried perhaps a few weeks earlier Sad

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Poley · 04/10/2011 23:03

Well, this morning I felt rather over-confident and expressed 4 oz and put it in the fridge. We both tried offering it to her tonight and she cried and cried when dp tried to give her it, and just let it sit in her mouth when I tried again! Then she became quite annoyed again.. sigh

We shall persist! I do hope we succeed, I do wish Id tried perhaps a few weeks earlier Sad

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Poley · 04/10/2011 23:05

oops sorry for repeat msg Blush

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CrazyAlien06 · 05/10/2011 02:29

Hi
I'm going to start expressing soon as well as am hoping DD takes to it well . She is bf well and has done from the start -she's a week-old tomorrow :) well in fact in 1 hr lol. Yup she is feeding around the clock!

The question i have re expressing is how do u know how much to give them? Also can u store in it your changing bag to take out ? Sorry for hijacking your post :(

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CrazyAlien06 · 05/10/2011 02:30

Hi
I'm going to start expressing soon as well as am hoping DD takes to it well . She is bf well and has done from the start -she's a week-old tomorrow :) well in fact in 1 hr lol. Yup she is feeding around the clock!

The question i have re expressing is how do u know how much to give them? Also can u store in it your changing bag to take out ? Sorry for hijacking your post :(

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MigGril · 05/10/2011 10:33

The main reasion your recomended to wait untill at lest 4week's (6is better) is to make sure your milk supply is well established first.

If you have a good milk supply and can express easily this may not be a problem. I know a lot of women don't have problems combine breast and bottle's but some baby's will quit happly refuse the breat after being given a bottle. If you have a fussy baby on the breast after giving a bottle, just drop the bottle and try again at a latter date.

You have to remeber that sucking from a bottle is a different action then breast feeding so they need to learn how to do this. It's offten easier if some one else gives the bottle to start with as well as they associate you with BF and smell your milk.

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Poley · 05/10/2011 23:49

She had 3/4 of an oz last night eventually from dp when I was downstairs out of the way heh! We're gonna keep trying her with a couple of oz a day and see how it goes.

Crazy try the kellymom website, its very helpful x

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jollyjester · 06/10/2011 14:46

At 4 weeks we introduced a bottle of expressed milk but DD won't take a bottle from me still but has done from DH and my mum.
Maybe someone else could try so she isn't smelling you and thinking she's getting breast?

Good Luck with it! Smile

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