Best bottles for combined feeding

[1stTimeNovice]

So....I’m not convinced on breastfeeding but I can see the health benefits so I’m willing to give it a go. But, I am really keen to give the other half a chance to feed too, one to give me a break and two, because I think it’s a huge bonding opportunity! I have brought a Medela swing breast pump and am currently researching the best bottles to go from breast to bottle but wow! So much mixed info! Just wondered if you guys had any experience? I’m really not fussy about the bottles being compatible to breast pump, would just rather ease between nipple/Teat.

I'd be interested in the advice for this too! I'm hoping to share the load with DH

They pretty much all claim to be as close to the breast as possible. My advice is to introduce the bottle earlier rather than later - could just be my DS but we waited until 5-6 weeks on the HV's advice and now he will only take the bottle if he's seriously hungry. Next time round I'm introducing a daily bottle much earlier, even if it's just an ounce per day which won't affect supply.

I'd say have a look around Boots and pick a bottle you like the look of. Almost everyone I know uses either Tommy Tippee Closer to Nature or Mam. Medela offer a Calma teat which is supposed to replicate BF - but it's nothing like a normal teat and my EBF baby wouldn't take it. I'd say choose one and be consistent in using it is your best bet. And I wouldn't bother spending £££ on those ones that are only available online!

Sorry, I should have said next time I will introduce a daily bottle once I am happy baby is latching at the breast well!

I combi fed from 5 days old, using the Tommee Tippee closet to nature. My DS has EBM for his 11pm feed or formula, and I had no issues with him going between either. He also had a dummy from day 6 to go to sleep with.

The issue I found is when I moved from teat size 1 to 2, at around 3 months old the bottled milk flowed much quicker and he very quickly refused the breast as it took me 45 mins per feed when BF. I think if you can complete a feed quicker you may not experience this.

The HV advises me not to introduce a bottle so early but I was exhausted and it enabled my DP to support feeds. My son has been sleeping though from 9 weeks and is now self settling.

I combi fed from 5 days old due to DS' weight loss. We used the Avent Natural bottles, with size 0 teats (newborn flow). They've been fab and 7 months on DS is still switching happily between bottle and boob.

I started breastfeeding but quickly moved to expressing and giving formula. We use Tommy tippee anti colic bottles. When he started on the bottle he just ate so quickly he got really bad wind. Obviously, he wasn’t used to being able to eat so fast. We also give him comfort milk for his formula feeds as he does get bad gas. Not to say this will happen to your baby but if he does get a bit gassy I would recommend these bottles.

Ds wouldn’t take any teat except the nuk latex ones.

I used, and loved, MAM anti colic bottles.

There has been no proof that nipple confusion exists, so crack on with trying a bottle asap. DS took them no fuss at 2 weeks old, DD needed more coaxing at 6 weeks old.

I loved mixed feeding, definitely the right choice for us. Go for it OP.

It's all marketing, there is no bottle better than another. Just pick one type and stick to it, babies intrinsically want to suck.

What I also meant to say was to read up on paced bottle feeding to mimic the control and flow of milk from the breast. A baby will very quickly get a preference for bottle otherwise. Also beware the "formula trap" if you wise to maintain your milk supply.

If combi feeding, you don't change up the teats as your boobs don't get faster! Then bottle preference would easily develop. DS only ever had bottles with size 1 teat up til ditching them at age 1 (for expressed or formula). We introduced early but there was a phase when he didn't take them.

But yeah, they're all much of a muchness

I agree with PP that I would just choose a bottle, stick with it and introduce it early. DS wouldn't take one when we tried at 6 weeks and actually he never took one so I ended up BF until he turned 1. I'm pregnant again now and planning on introducing 2 bottles a day from 2 weeks old (once milk has come in and latch is ok etc)... I've just bought a pack of the MAM anti colic bottles as we will also be using the MAM dummies.

Thanks all. I’m an advertisers dream so it good to hear what you all think! 😊

We combi fed from five days (my milk hadn't come in so DD very ill with dehydration by then) and used Lansinoh bottles, mainly because I'd been sent a free sample when pregnant and it was the only bottle we had! Never had any issues switching between breast(once milk eventually there!!) and bottle - combi-fed to a year, then stopped the bottles. BF to 2.7 years.

The people who seemed to experience problems with introducing a bottle were the ones who'd left it until after six weeks.

Combi feeding worked really well for us. I could probably have worked really hard on increasing my supply once my milk came in but found that I preferred bottle feeding so limited breast to three or four times a day and all the other feeds were formula.