Introducing a bottle

[Pinkbell123]

My DS (first) is nearly 5 weeks now and is ebf which is going well. I'm happy breastfeeding and he's gaining a lot of weight so I've no wish to switch to a bottle or even to introduce one regularly (eg for night feeds).

But I've got a few events over the summer which I'd like to be able to leave him with dh for an evening with some expressed milk. When should I try him with a bottle. I'm worried that if I just wait until say June he will refuse it, but I don't want to confuse him now.

If he does take a bottle do I need to regularly give him one so he doesn't forget? Am I making a big deal out of nothing?!

From what I've read it varies from baby to baby.

Some babies take a bottle fine at 5 mo having never had one before.

Some babies start refusing bottles when they are a few months even if they've had a daily bottle since a few weeks old.

Some babies will take a bottle if and only if they've had one regularly.

My experience: we gave DD a daily bottle until she was about 6 mo, then a bottle every week or so after that. We never had any problems getting her to accept a bottle. I have no idea whether this is due to the daily bottle or whether she just isn't that fussed and would have happily accepted a bottle whatever we did!

If it's just for a few evenings in the summer, I wouldn't bother giving one regularly now, it's a faff. (unlikely to confuse him though now he's 5 weeks and well established on BF). I'd just see how it goes... if worst comes to the worst you might just have to come home a bit early.

If you don't want to introduce a regular bottle, then you can either try a bottle nearer the time (looking at threads and from my own experience Tommy Tippee Closer to nature seem to be the most accepted by bottle refusers) Or Doidy cup feed him, or even syringe or spoon feed him.

These bottles are quite expensive but have proved really successful in minimising nipple confusion, combination feeding and fussy babies, you might want to check them out... www.mimijumi.co.uk