How to introduce bottle to 10week old - Advice required

[dawny85]

I am breastfeeding but just started to try and introduce the bottle with expressed milk to my 10 week old.
Any suggestions as struggling, wondering if I have left it a little too late to do this.
Thanks :D

My OH and I successfully introduced the bottle to our EBF DD when she was about 9 weeks old.

Are you trying to feed her yourself? I have read that sometimes babies will only take bottles from other people. If they are with mum they will refuse the bottle in the hope that they will get boob instead.

Also, what bottles are you using? Some are designed to be as similar to a nipple as possible and therefore easier for an EBF baby to feed from.

Agree with previous comment.

You've not left it too late at all. You will need to be patient and I found it best to introduce the bottle on a feed when my DD wasn't too hungry (otherwise she, then I would get very stressed!) and get someone else (DH/DP) to give her the bottle. I have heard that babies can smell milk from mum so it's even best of your not in the room when she is bottle fed, at least until she is taking it well, otherwise all they will want is the breast and will refuse the bottle. This worked for me, so hopefully you will also have some success soon! Once they take it I would make sure you keep the bottle feeds regular (at least a few times a week) so that they stay used to feeding from both breast and bottle, thus reducing refusal of either!

Don't be too hard on yourself and be patient, you will get there soon!

We found ds was far too hungry when he first started a feed.

We tried breast for s bit to take the hunger off then over to dh with the bottle.

We also had to try a few different tests. Mam ones worked for us: it takes a few goes to get them used to it but ds will happily take a bottle now.

Thanks folks.
I've mainly been feeding him with the bottle but my husband did have a go and fed ok, took a while but got there with some,
Any particular time of day worked best for you ladies? I read that trying it at night is best to start with but it just seems to upset him and get him to awake too settle.
We are trying tommee tippee bottles as also read those or MAM ones are best as closest to the nipple.

I struggled massively but had a revelation that worked when someone pointed out that I was trying to bottle feed with the baby in a completely different position to how I had been breast feeding - lying on his back versus on his side cuddled close. I held the bottle in my armpit and tried to reproduce the hold and position the baby was used to, and that worked. After a few days I was able to start gradually moving to a normal bottle feeding hold.

We use the Avent Natural range and our DD took them with no problems, they are one of the ranges designed for combined bottle and breast feeding.

Glad to hear you are making progress, stick with it and it's gets easier, having someone else be able to help with feeding can be such a relief from "baby jail" as I've heard it called!!

I use mimijumi bottles which look like a tit (for want of a better description!)

The baby has to work to get the milk so it's more similar to breast feeding. My daughter breastfeed and takes from this bottle but had been doing this since just over a week. She started with bottles and was coaxed onto the breast so we did things a little backwards!

What worked for my bottle refusing DC2 -

latex teats. NUK First Choice latex works for many bottle refusing babies, mine preferred Chicco
milk has to be very warm, lukewarm not acceptable
teat has to be warm as well - I stick it in hot water just before feeding
very fresh milk - I have excess lipase so milk starts tasting soapy, that is not acceptable.

best time for us was when she was just waking up from the nap - if I could get a bottle in before she realised what was happening, she usually happily drank the whole thing.

Thanks for the furhter advice.
Still struggling, not sure whether to change teat or just stick to what we have been using. Don't want to confuse him any more.
He has been accepting the bottle in his mouth on occasion, as feeding him lying on my lap like BF but often he doesn't swallow the milk?!!! Have tried feeding him sitting up but he doesn't have any of it.
Any advice on best time/time of day to try feeding with the bottle, should I do it after every BF or is that too much? I have given up trying it at bedtime feed as it distresses him too much.

We found the breastfeeding bottles with big round boob like hard teats were a big fail.
Lansinoh do some with small, very soft and silky teats. Only £5 or so each from mothercare and small for the 2-5oz of bm bf babies tend to take at 1 sitting.
We also found ours had to "learn" ... exploring and overcoming qualms days 1-3, only really drinking after 5 days.
But she did!
I also found the lansinoh pump excellent.

No one seems to have heard of the range but I understand it's big in the USA.

Thanks again folks. Think we will try a different teat and take it from there.
There is differing information about when to give them the teat but I might try it when he is waking before offering breast and see if that works. In my head that seems to be a better approach as he will be hungry. Worth a try.