How soon to introduce bottle?

[Jaynex]

I breast fed both my daughters up to about 8 months.
My youngest (now 16 months) was offered a bottle at 6 weeks under the advice of my midwife. I was told that to offer sooner would risk her rejecting the breast.
I was keen to give her a bottle as I had a battle to get my first to take one. She refused until 7 months or so.
The same thing happened with my youngest. In fact she only ended up accepting formula even though I had been offering her breast milk very regularly.
I've been told that I should offer my new baby (due in 3 weeks) a bottle at 2 weeks.
I definately want to breastfeed for as long as I had before but will be needing to return to work far sooner.
Any advice will be gratefully appreciated.

I always advise my mums to wait at least 6 weeks before offering a bottle (assuming they want to express BM and possibly combine feed) in order to ensure a good supply. Once BF and BM is established use the Playtex Nurser system which is designed to support breastfeeding. Nipples are soft and breast like - use the same action as breastfeeding and I have successfully helps 90% of my mums to move their little ones from breast to bottle and back again. One of my ladies was back at work after 8 weeks but is managing to still do morning and evening feed (baby now 8 months! quite happily - look at their US website www.playtexbaby.com lots of good info - you can order on line in the UK at www.infantcaredirect.co.uk and they also give advice.

Thanks Mfer.
I had absolutely no problem expressing (8oz a time) and had an abundance of breastmilk.
My first born was on a ventilator for a week and I still managed to keep my milk supply up.
I fed on demand and I know my babies loved the boob and were latched on constantly.
I'm just worried that leaving it for 6 weeks may be too late.
I had 2 friends that introduced a bottle at 2 weeks and they had no problems combining breast and expressed milk.
I haven't heard of the Playtex Nurser system and will go and investigate.
Cheers again for your advice.
Do you think I should get an electric pump this time? I found the Avent hand pump to be a bit time-consuming and made my wrists ache a bit. I will have my 16 month old to look after so won't have the luxury of sitting around all day this tme : )
Jayne x

I was told by other mums to try a bottle before 6 weeks - and to keep giving it occasionally. However, I listened to the advice of teh community MW and didn't try to after 6 weeks - and dd would not take a bottle and refused to even try until she was around 6 months (and I returned to work!) still continued to refuse the bottle after that and it took a lot of perseverence - and we tried every teat available ! - to get her to take a bottle.

thats the same experience I had scotlou.
We tried every trick in the book. Dad offering the bottle. Every teat available. But my gut feeling is that we left it too late.

Mfer - thanks for the link to the Playtex site - I had no idea this kind of thing existed and it's always nice to learn something new
(actually it was mostly worth it for the picture in their breastpump brochure - woman with spectacularly gormless look and a beautifully-staged Pumping Room with flowers etc)

Message foor Jaynes re: breast pump - all the mums I counsel seem to get on well with the Medela electric pump.

Re - introducing bottle before 6 weeks - nothing wrong with that at all providing your milk is well established. Although I am a professional I gave my 2nd child a bottle at three weeks and then once a week onwards until successfully breast and bottle feeding right through until he was a year old. I firmly believe the key is finding a teat that feels and functions like our own nipples - you can then move back and forth quite happily.

Mfer
Ps Mrs Badger - I agree all the Playtex shots are very staged with smug smiling women but if we can get past that believe me their products really work. Have just seen a friend who bought their Hip Hammock at the baby show - fab wish I had one when mine eldest was toddling!!!

A lot of people told me not to try a bottle until 6 wks as there could be nipple confusion. However, some of my friends told me to introduce one early so my DS would get used to it. Anyway, in the end I offered him one at 2 wks. I felt that we had both got the hang of breastfeeding well and that not much would deter him from the boob. He also had a dummy.

I would say that it depends on how things are going. Not much help eh?

Not much help eh?
actually suzi2 I would have loved to have heard this advice for my 16 month old. I stuck to the 6 week rule and it was just too late.
I have an enormous milk supply so I thinbk I'll be giving it a go a lot earlier.
Thanks Mfer. I have bought one today and think it'll be a lot less time consuming and hassle than my old non-electric pump.
Thanks too for your advice re introducing bottle.
I'm thinking of buying the playtex nurser system.

Hi Janex - Glad I could be of help - if you have bought the medela pump it works with the playtex breast milk storage kit - there is an attachement you get which enables you to pump directly into pre-sterlised "drop-in" liners which you then seal with a lid and can either freeze or store upside down in the fridge (good explanation of this on www.playtexbaby.com/bottlesandpacifiers/products/breastfeeding.asp. at the top of the page click on how to store breastmilk

Also this is useful- www.momprogram.com/pdf/itsnotabottle.pdf which explains their bottles really well.
Hope it all works for you. best wishes Mfer

I am a maternity nanny and have had no trouble with giving a bottle to baby and mum also breast feeding from day 7 onwards, mum expressed when needed to when not feeding and had a good supply very quickly.

I like the mam ULTIvent teat as it is very soft with either Dr Browns BFREE or Tommee Tippee Health Check Bottles, these bottles allow air in to the bottle not into the milk.

Playtex bottles are good just be aware that in the US there are 16oz in a pint whereas we have 20oz in a pint, recently a mum bought the nursing system, from 2 shops 1 was UK markings, the other the US markings, i like the bags (cheaper) rather than the drop ins as the bag markings are UK and easy to read on the inside when you pour in water or EBM.

All the best.