When did you introduce the bottle?

[UptownFunk00]

I was just wondering for those who breastfed/are breastfeeding but are expressing some for any reason or are combine feeding when did you introduce the bottle and how did it go (easy, a nightmare).

DD2 is a month old and just trying to get the balance of too soon / not soon enough.

[Questionsagaintoday]

5 weeks and while he takes it at nearly five months he loves boob wayyyy more

[Arpege]

3 weeks. It lasted (with a struggle) until 9 weeks and then he flat out refused a bottle ever since.

[Pinkheart5915]

6 weeks, Ds took the bottle really well. His now 6 months and only feed from the breast for his first feed of the day

[Monkeymonstermum]

Week 6 with DS 1 - went through the awful cup feeding early on when we had to do top ups.
DS2 - day 3 when needed topping up (as couldn't face the cup)
DS3 - day 1 when needed topping up (low blood sugars after birth)
None have had issues with breast feeding with the 'nipple confusion' the militant NCT woman tried to warn me about.....!
Some issues during the feed with the latch slipping first few weeks and having to reposition to get a good latch - but that happened with DS1 before he even had a bottle so not convinced it was the bottle and just more little babies. Just persevered with taking off and repositioning and improved in all cases. I wonder if it's just getting older and then having a bigger mouth that's helped with the BF positioning.
We have always used the Medela bottles in the early days as they are supposed to stop them getting lazy....so not sure if that made any difference.
BF to some extent DS1&2 to about 9 months. DS3 is only 4 weeks old!
To be honest, I know far more friends who tried to introduce a bottle too late and by then the baby refused it than people who've had BF issues because of using a bottle!

[SunnyL]

DD was 2 weeks old after I had an epic melt down one night and DH felt helpless. DD would happily take either boob or bottle from thenceforth and DH really enjoyed feeding her and sharing the night burden.

It also really helped later when we had to give her gaviscon for reflux.

[UptownFunk00]

Thanks for sharing your experience.

So around now would be a good time.

I've also heard it's best to get someone else to give the first feed in a bottle as they may not accept it from you?

She's doing very well with the breast but 1) her Dad would like to give feeds 2) be nice to have a bit of extra sleep.

[Pinkheart5915]

Give a bottle a try when you feel ready to do so.

My husband gave our ds his dirt bottle, he guzzled it don just fine and my husband had been wanting to feed his for weeks. I loved the extra sleep

[Pinkheart5915]

First not dirt silly iPad

[Picnic2223]

I agree with Pp, we gave a bottle with a small amount of bm at about 3 weeks to seeing he would take it, he guzzled it and happily latched back on to me to fill up . now at 13 weeks he happily swaps between boob and bottle meaning dad can do the last feed of the night. Good luck

[Coconut0il]

DS1, day 3 and he would happily have breast from me or bottle from DP. He would never take bottle from me.

DS2, 8 weeks and he flat out refused. He's 6 months now and has a sippy cup instead. Decided not to spend a fortune trying different bottles. Tried 2 or 3 different ones with no success so went straight to cup.

[dgcoco5]

Gave ebm in bottle at 4 weeks DD was took it happily ..much to my surprise. .I wanted her to take bottle & boop cus my other dc were a nightmare to switch them onto bottle hence I thought if I introduce bottle early there will be less fuss when I stop bf .thankfully she takes the bottle no trouble & dp loves it when is his turn to feed 😊

[MYA2016]

Tried my ds on his first bottle of expressed milk on Tuesday this week, when he was exactly 2 months old. My husband gave it him. He spat the first 1oz out and looked massively unimpressed , but then took the other 3oz. Wednesday night he gave him another 4oz and he took it straight away. Friday my mum looked after him for 1 hr while I had a lady out to give me a massage and he flat out refused the bottle. After listening to him cry for 15 min I went down, breastfed him and then mid feed popped the bottle in his mouth and my mum took over .
I am worried we've left him too late! so going to keep persevering

[mrsjskelton]

DD had a bottle of EBM at 3 weeks and took it fine. If you leave it too late then trying to get them to take a bottle will be really hard. My HV suggested that I shouldn't feed more than 3 consecutive days with a bottle to avoid confusion.

[Diddlydokey]

I've known lots to successfully give the 10/11pm feed as a bottle then bf the rest from a couple of weeks old. In my friends the mums want the sleep initially then it gives the opportunity to be away from the baby occasionally.

[Junosmum]

About 6 weeks- he takes the bottle fine, but won't settle after it so still needs some boob. Means I don't really get a break so we don't bother any more as expressing is a faff.

[SillySausage1]

We gave DS a bottle from 4 weeks for one feed a day. For first month it was nearly always DH who gave the bottle as he wanted to feed him, plus I found that DS would nuzzle towards my boob if I gave him bottle and it used to break my heart a little!
We tried giving the bottle at different times of day/night and in the end settled on giving it to him first thing in morning as it meant I could have a lie in.
He is now nearly 5 months and still switches between bottle and breast really well.