Introducing a bottle (2nd baby - keen to avoid 1st mistake!)

[Em32]

Any advice on the best time to introduce a bottle? We had the usual struggle with baby no1 going from breast to bottle (I had to introduce formula top ups as he wasn't gaining weight) and I'd rather avoid going through it again. Also, I had no luck expressing with the Avent hand pump - are the electronic ones any better for those of us who don't seem to find expressing easy? Thanks

[docket]

No advice on when to introduce (although don't wait until 6 months as I have, I'm having a shocking time with it!).

I'd be lucky to get anything with the Avent hand pump and find I have more success with the medela mini electric one.

[docket]

No advice on when to introduce (although don't wait until 6 months as I have, I'm having a shocking time with it!).

I'd be lucky to get anything with the Avent hand pump and find I have more success with the medela mini electric one.

[collision]

Medelas are great and very quick and I watch TV while I express.

I would give a bottle asap. A lot will disagree with me but I am finding it harder with ds2 tto have a bottle as I left it too long and am getting on well with BFing.

[dropinthe]

ASAP!

[starlover]

would agree with collision!

ds was bottle fed for the first ten days of his life before he finally took to the boob.
now he will drink out of bottle, or have boob... it's fab!

[tarantula]

dont think it matters when you start but more that you persevere if they start rejecting the bottle.

DD had bottles from the very start and was on bottles for nearly 2 weeks when my nipples got really badly cracked so I expressed milk and gave them tiem to heal up.But then at 3 mnths she completely rejected the bottle and refused to take it at all for no obviuos reason. we got her back onto the bottle at 6 mnths when I went back to work but we had to use tall thin bottles with latex teats cos she refused anything else (was using avent before) and even then it was quite a struggle.

Sorry not sure you needed to hear that really did you

[docket]

tarantula, where did you get said tall bottles with latex teats?

[tarantula]

sorry dockets only jsut seen your question. I got the bottles in Boots I think and had to buy the teats seperately (also in boots) as they come with plastic teats. they just the bog standard tall thin bottles rather than the fat avent type ones IYSWIM.

[flic23]

I have never had any real rouble with bottle. DS had the odd bottle from about 2 weeks old he was tube fed up till then. in the first two months he had about two bottles a week. It did not interfere with my milk supply in any way and he happily swapped between breast and bottle until i stopped feeding him at one. I definately think introducing a bottle early is good is this is the way you want to go, also means you can get some night feeds off in the early weeks my first 6 hour stretch was heaven

[TokenBloke]

Just start asap. Even if its just one feed a day. Otherwise you end up having to resort to starvation tactics. (after two days of not feeding surely they will give in and drink from the bottle )

[chipmonkey]

My little monster was prem and tube-fed from birth and then bottlefed my milk till he could feed from the breast. Since he came home from hospital he has been breastfed with 1-2 bottles a week from my MIL when she babysits. Now all of a sudden he is refusing the bottle even though he is well used to it by now. I had no trouble with my other 2 boys so I have to conclude that he his a stubborn little monkey and the early introduction of bottles is no guarantee that you will have no problems

[chipmonkey]

tarantula, my little man is 4 months old but should only be 9 weeks. Sounds similar to your story!

[chipmonkey]

Sorry Em, from my own experience and what I've read, I think I'd say you did nothing wrong the 1st time, some are just more stubborn than others!