Giving a bottle of EBM at 14 days old - advice?

[Annarose2014]

Hi All,

Basically I'm going to have to attend a busy morning event when LO is 14 days old. Realistically I don't think I'm gonna get half an hour to nurse given a packed schedule from 10am-lunchtime.

So I'm going to have to get DH to give her a bottle of EBM whilst I'm occupied. Probably (hopefully) just the one.

Any advice? I don't know how he'll take a bottle so I guess we should do a practise run the day before so its not chaos that morning if he refuses!

But is there any time of the day would be better for expressing a bottle? And how many mls should I express anyway? And will it create problems with my supply (plentiful at present)?

Can't you just take the baby with you? :)

If it is a work thing, it is highly unreasonable to expect a 14-days-postpartum mother to leave her baby for a half day.

If you do this (express in advance) you will be uncomfortable towards the end of the time you are away from your baby. You have a plentiful supply at the moment and you risk being (temporarily) engorged. I doubt you will have problems with supply.

But honestly....it's a lot of hassle!!

Not a work thing - more an honour thing. DH & baba will be in the audience. So I really can't nurse up on stage!

It took our LO 7 weeks before he comfortably took a bottle.....lots of perseverance and every brand on the market....so your biggest concern is probably whether he actually takes a bottle to be honest particularly if it'll be completely new to him. Also, have you expressed before? Some women find it hard and don't express much. The best time is the morning. I can't express much more than 6oz in one sitting, averaging about 4oz. I'd say if you could express 6oz to be on the safe side but your LO won't take that much at 14 days old.

I'd suggest expressing a little bit every day for a couple days running up, early in the morning as you'll prob have more then - freeze then defrost & combine on the day. Try your baby on a bottle before, my DD is 9 weeks and she's only just getting used to a bottle, even though she had to be on a bottle for 24 hrs when she was 4 days old. She'll take anything between 30-100ml in a feed at the moment, but sometimes will want more soon after. She can never get the last bit out of the bottle, so best to have more than you need! We've got the Avent Natural bottles, and she's doing well with them.

I had a series of hospital appointments. I learned that 1. Even a bittle-happy bf baby has bottles they like/hate (and temperature etc) and it takes a few days/bottles to figure out and 2. They need a few days to LEARN ... 1st toying then a few sucks then drinking.

I'm not sure I'd have time to do this process a week into motherhood but if you do, you do need to do a few days groundwork. It has to be paced out to avoid confusion and messing with nursing - they won't try them all in one day.

I use lansinoh bottles - small teat designed for expressed milk. Mother care stock them.

When my DH gave EBM to our babies he would hold the bottle in his palm with his fingers on the side of their face; somehow this worked (I guess they were used to feeling something-a boob-against their cheek)

With a baby that small I recommend syringe or cup feeding as it's really unlikely they'll take a bottle. The milk comes out so fast they gag and splutter on it and then scream like mad (in my experience!)
I'd start expressing now, freeze whatever you get in separate bags, thaw and add it all together on the day. Be aware it only lasts 4 hours out of the fridge.
My dd always just refused all milk related products until we were back together. It took until 8 months for her to accept water and snacks as a substitute for boob, and only when I was nowhere to be seen!

Gosh, we'd better start thinking! I have tried a pump to help with engorgement & got 50ml in just 5 mins before I stopped, so that shouldn't be a problem.

Thanks all!