Debating whether to introduce a bottle

[eversomuch]

DS is 7 wks and EBF. He hasn't had a bottle or dummy yet, which I'm really pleased about. DD had both early on and then went on several nursing strikes, which were really stressful. I'd love to avoid that this time, but also want to get some "me" time back -- be able to go to the gym or out to the shops once in a while and let DH do a feed now and then.

I've heard some people say they "missed their chance" to introduce a bottle and their DC just won't take one. I'm wondering if there really is a window of opportunity, or if it just depends on the child.

I think it will have to be done eventually, but I'm happy to wait a bit longer to introduce a bottle, esp if that reduces the chances of nursing strikes (although I don't think you can ever guarantee that).

Any thoughts or experience with this dilemma? How long did you wait to introduce a bottle or dummy? Has anyone succeeded in not introducing either - and still managed to get out on your own for a few hours occasionally?

With DC1 we waited to 3mo and then had a huge battle.

With DC2 we introduced one bottle a day from 1wo and it was so so much easier. I bf to 15mo, he had one bottle a day.

My advice would be to introduce a bottle now, last evening feed.

I gave all mine a bottle from about 4weeks. Bf til around a year with 4, dc5 til 2.

I don't know if there is a window of opportunity as such but it does appear to get more difficult once babies get over 3/4 months.

Good luck!

Well I think they say after 6 weeks it should be fine to introduce a bottle. I've not tried them myself but I know people who have not had any sucess with other bottles who recommend the breast flow bottle as has a special dual teat system that is supposed to be as close to bf as you can get and they are cheap from argos at the mo so maybe give those a try. However my dh has taken my toddler and my ebf baby to the park for an hour or so, where baby slept the whole time and I got some time to myself and I knew I wasn't far away if he did get hungry.

Just as more anecdata, DS1 completely refused a bottle at 5 or 6 weeks (causing me to panic that we had missed the mythical "window of opportunity") and then was perfectly happy to take one from 13 weeks or so. Once he figured out that hey, this thing has milk in it, he had no particular bottle preference (in fact I think he would have drunk EBM from an old sock). He was also fine about taking an occasional bottle even though we never made it part of his daily routine til I went back to work at 10 months - just gave him one every week or two for "practice".

I gave my now 11 week old one from week 6, but BF was going well and he always had a good latch from the get go so I wasn't worried about it being confusing for him. I need him to take a bottle as I'm going back to work when he is 3 months :(

Another anecdote for you, my DS took bottle of ebm at 6 weeks no problem, then I left him at 4 months for the evening and he took ebm in bottle all the time I was away. Cut to 7 months and he point blank refused, leading to 6 weeks of spooning into him (i'm back at work) then, a week ago, he decided sippy cups are the work of the devil, and will only have milk from a boob or a bottle! Moral of this story is that I guess they'll always do the last thing u expect!

Didn't give DS as bottle until 14 weeks & it was fine. We only give him one very infrequently & he always takes it no problem.

My friend tried every bottle out there from 4 weeks - total bottle refuser. They are all different. Think the window thing is rubbish but wouldn't personally do it too early for supply reasons.

I have never given a bottle. Had me time from about 7weeks. Dh would just take dd out for 2hour pram walk. Dd happily took cup from 6ish months.

We introduced a bottle with DC2 from week one. I bf to 15mo and can categorically say I had no supply problems.

Anecdotal evidence from friends who had done the same said the same, supply not impacted.

We tried to introduce a bottle at 4 months, because I'm going back to work when he's just over 5 months, and he completely refused it. Eventually got him to accept the Playtex bottle (with drop in inserts, most expensive way to bottle feed) and he now takes 5 bottles a day quite happily, but I do feel like the stress of it all (on both me and him) ruined our last mat leave month together a bit. If I hadn't needed him to be on a bottle for work, I would have just waited till he was 6 or 7 months and gone straight to a sippy cup with free flow spout.