Giving a bf baby a bottle advice

[username4959292]

DS is currently 5 weeks old and is currently ebf. My DD was ebf and never took a bottle. I found this hard as I never got any time to myself. So really want to make sure he will take a bottle only really every so often.
Just wondered when others introduced a bottle and did you express milk or use formula?
I think my biggest worry is he will get bottle preference. Did that happen to anyone else DC?
Any advice/experience of it would be appreciated. TIA

I introduced one fairly early only because DS was dehydrated so I topped up with formula while waiting for my milk to come in

From there he didn’t have one until about 4-5 weeks when I started combi feeding and eventually just bottle feeding at 8 weeks. I did all of this with formula

Oh and forgot to say he didn’t show bottle preference while I was combi feeding. I just didn’t want to breast feed anymore so just increased the bottles

DD3 I introduced quite early as I didn't want her to reject when older. I put expressed milk in it but I don't suppose it matters if you're not averse to formula. She takes the bottle no problem and still prefers the boob I think.

I have a 3 week old who has been combi-feeding with formula since last week and started using a bottle this week. He still prefers breast! Hopefully it will stay that way, we only give him a bit of formula of an evening but it gives me a break and lets DH bond over feeding too.

Have a look at "paced feeding" which is supposed to make bottle feeding more like breastfeeding, to prevent over-feeding and bottle preference.

Personally because you don't want to disrupt your supply I would express, this is not saying there is anything wrong with giving formula, absolutely not- but it's still early days really and if you want to EBF you want your body to still be getting the signals on how much to produce- or use a haka just to collect it from the other whilst feeding for ease. Also make sure you use the slowest flow teat, it is 'easier' for babies to drink out of a bottle as typically it's less work for them, they get more milk with less suckling, so you don't want to make it too appealing for them. Logistically you might find that baby won't feed from a bottle when you are there as they can smell milk and know that there is an alternative, so it will require support from your partner or whoever else. Different people recommend different things ie introducing them early or waiting, but if you can maybe get to a local support group if you have one?

I knew I was going back to work quickly so I offered a little water from a bottle from the early days. At 4 weeks I gave a formula bottle during the day. I went back at 6 weeks but carried on bf until 18 months when I was at home. I had to stop as I was pregnant with my second, working full time and moving home. I did a simlar thing with my second but only bf for the first 6 weeks. The important thing is to get them used to both as soon as possible.

I expressed every morning for 6 months to build up a supply of breastmilk in the freezer. I introduced DS to bottles at about 6 weeks so DH could do some feeds and he took to them well. I stopped breastfeeding at 10 months and fed him a combination of formula and frozen breastmilk until he turned one - 50ml of breastmilk a day is enough to give them an immunity benefit.

Have never experienced the much fabled bottle preference in my experience (even when introduced in first few weeks) but I have very definitely seen and experienced breast preference where bottles are rejected by breastfed babies, so I think you are sensible to introduce a bottle at this point. With my second child I did one bottle of ebm daily and that seemed enough to wade off the bottle refusal I had with my first dc. I think initially when introducing it it is worth doing it daily until they properly accept it, as I found I was too sporadic in introductions with my first. I agree with paced feeding and slow teats as other posters have suggested. I liked the Mimby (?) bottles and Yumi (?) (not sure on spelling)bottles that were quite breast like. Good luck

I was recommended MAM bottles - I expressed and made sure I was out of the room when partner gave baby bottle. If you can't express much then do what you can and add a little formula to top up.

Make sure you have the correct flow teat for baby's age (I had no idea it was a thing before dc).

When I knew I was going out in the few days before my partner would give one bottle a day of breast milk so that we weren't introducing bottle to baby when baby was worked up and wanting milk and I wasn't there.

*Minbie bottles. Also Lansinoh Momma are great and Mimijumi bottles. No idea where I got ‘Yumi’ from - think I must have made that up!