How could bottle feeding be made more like breastfeeding?

[Amb]

I felt really guilty when I switched from breast feeding to bottle feeding. Not just because I think formula milk is nutritionally not as good as breast milk, but because I felt that I had lost a lot of the other benefits of breastfeeding - the bonding, the touch, the feel.
I wish bottle-feeding was more like breastfeeding!

How long ago did you change?
I'm sure others will give you good advice but although I breastfeed I have never noticed any difference in the closeness compared to mums who bottlefeed.
There are tablets you can take to help produce bmilk but I wouldnt want to say much about these as i am ot an expert and would hate to give wrong advice.

just bumping you up

Amb, you can relactate with the right info, support and a co-operative baby - ring any of the breastfeeding lines and you can discuss it. It doesn't involve pills (though they can sometimes be prescribed). Even if you decide not to do this, there is nothing to stop you putting your baby to the breast for your comfort and his...do this whenever you like

I mixed fed my first child, and, while I did grieve bitterly for the breastfeeding, I found as much bonding with the bottle as with the breast. The biggest bonding thing about the bottle was that ds would make sustained eye-contact with me when he fed, which he rarely did when on the boob.

I could tell you alot about switching back to boob, but I won't unless I know that that's what you want to do.

Somewhere on the web I have seen a device (American of course) whereby the baby drinks formula from an artificial nipple next to your own, so you have the closeness of breastfeeding, and possibly even some breastmilk. I've had a quick search but couldn't find it. I'm sure another Mumsnetter will recognise what I'm talking about zand be able to post a link.

Dear Amb
I had to stop bf due to intense pain with mastitis and thrush, sheer hell, but miss it so much, when at home i find it good, particularly the night feeds, in bed, to get my top off and hold him in same position as bf, but with bottle, he still feeds as well and at least you have th skin to skin contact,

all the best.

I fed dd with a mixture of breast and bottle from when she was two months old, as I did not produce enough milk to feed her on breastmilk alone (she was very big). My milk supply gradually ran down and I bottle-fed her exclusively from four and a half months. I regretted the end of the closeness of breastfeeding and have tried hard to find ways to make up for this. I hold her very close when bottle-feeding her, kiss her and whisper to her how much I love her. My mother now does the same and tells her 'bottle time is kissing time'. She is now 13 months old and I will miss all this when she moves onto drinking her milk from a cup.