Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Original poster

To introduce a bottle or not...

23 replies

CMac · 08/07/2006 11:11

Ds is 6 weeks old and my HV says this is the optimum time to introduce a bottle (have exclusively breastfed up until now). This is what we did with dd but that was because her weight gain seemed to be dropping and tbh I was finding bfeeding really hard and the one bottle a day (formula) gave me a bit of a break and meant that I kept on bfeeding for all other feeds for 7 months. This time around bfeeding has been remarkably easy and so the thought of all that sterilising (and pumping if I use ebm) is not an appealing prospect, but I don't want to get a couple of months down the line and find that he won't take a bottle for love nor money. Anyone given a bottle later than this with success or should I just go with it and get the steriliser down from the attic?

OP posts:
hunkermunker · 08/07/2006 11:18

I gave a bottle of EBM at this age to DS2, having not bothered till older with DS1.

He later refused.

If bfeeding's going well, I wouldn't give a bottle now.

Original poster
CMac · 08/07/2006 18:03

Thanks hunkermunker - did you give the bottle regularly or just now and again?

OP posts:
MrsBadger · 08/07/2006 18:07

I'm with hunker - if you only gave a bottle before because bfing was difficult, why do it now when bf's easy?

If you do turn out to need him to take ebm further down the line there are other options than a bottle - a cup is a good alternative and apparently are often easier for exclusively bf babies.

moondog · 08/07/2006 19:06

I introduced a fairly regular bottle of EBM (I gather this is what you mean?) with ds as I needed (and to be honest,also wanted!) to be awy from him a bit as we had just moved house and dh was abroad so stacks to do.

I'm glad.It gave me a bit of breathing space.My pump (Medulla electric) was very easy to clean and I had two little bottles that I just boiled to sterilise.

Original poster
CMac · 08/07/2006 19:11

Even though I gave dd a bottle for other reasons, I have to say it was nice to know that she would happily take a bottle and that someone other than me could feed her if neccessary - so that I could have the odd night out etc. I guess what I really want is to be able to carry on bfeeding fully for 99.9% of the time and be able to give the odd bottle of ebm or formula when neccessary but from what others have said, many babies won't take a bottle at all unless they have been exposed to them from an early age, and I'm not sure that I want to be the ONLY possible source of food for ds for the next 6 months or so till he's able to take a bottle...

OP posts:
moondog · 08/07/2006 19:24

That was my theory.
If you give him a bottle of EBM maybe twice a week (and build up a frozen supply) then you can have a bit of a breather.
Did me a world of good.

popsycal · 08/07/2006 19:31

I introduced a bottle at around the same age. EBM that is as I was going back to work. Took a while to get him to take it - but eventually he did.

He still ahs one bottle when i am at work (16 months)
Though he really ought to have it in a sippy cup now

popsycal · 08/07/2006 19:31

he is still breats fed btw - just has milk in a bottle when i am at work

vitomum · 08/07/2006 19:33

i started expressing and every so often gave a bottle of EBM from about a month. My little bags of frozen milk all lined up in the freezer represented my 'freedom'.

moondog · 08/07/2006 19:45

Yes vito.
It gave me a real glow lokking at mine!

Original poster
CMac · 08/07/2006 20:02

When did you find the best time to express was - after the morning feed?

OP posts:
moondog · 08/07/2006 20:04

I would feed off one boob and express of t'other.

moondog · 08/07/2006 20:04

(First mornign feed)

Original poster
CMac · 08/07/2006 20:19

At same time Moondog? SOunds like a good idea, though am not sure i've got enough arms!

OP posts:
popsycal · 08/07/2006 20:38

you need the hair bobble method...

hunkermunker · 08/07/2006 20:44

DS1 took a bottle at about 4mo - I'd not wanted to introduce one earlier because bfeeding took a while to establish.

He refused for about four days, though it seemed like longer - and eventually would only take a bottle from me initially (not really the point of a bottle!).

With DS2, we were giving him a bottle every evening, and all night on Fridays from about six weeks old - whenever he woke on a Friday night, DH fed him, so I could have a sleep. I wouldn't necessarily recommend that unless your middle name's Daisy though - my supply has always been abundant, shall we say!

But then we got a bit lazy about giving him a bottle every night and the Fridays got harder, so we dropped it and I started co-sleeping and got far more sleep anyway.

He will take a bottle now (he's 24 weeks), but it's a breast bottle that I don't think is available in the UK (I trialled one for MN) - he refused an Avent one and still does.

I personally wouldn't introduce formula, just EBM.

Original poster
CMac · 08/07/2006 21:45

hair bobble???

OP posts:
popsycal · 08/07/2006 21:47

leyt me fidn the link

popsycal · 08/07/2006 21:50

handsfree pumping

you feel like a fool at first but it helps while you master expressing and feeding at the same time

NotAnOtter · 08/07/2006 21:51

looks like a breastfeeding gran

expatinscotland · 08/07/2006 21:51

If I were a SAHM, I wouldn't bother w/a bottle.

Pumping's a PITA.

moondog · 08/07/2006 22:03

Yes CMac.
I sorted it eventually!
lol at that link.
Brilliant-I love homemade inventions.

Original poster
CMac · 08/07/2006 22:06

LOL at hair bobble link!! Especially the bit where they point out how discreet it is - as if you could be pumping in your local Starbucks or something!

OP posts:
New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Swipe left for the next trending thread