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Infant feeding

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

Original poster

How to give a daily bottle

8 replies

snickersicecreampls · 31/05/2023 07:56

About to pop with #2!

I exclusively bf #1 for 18m as he never took to a bottle but we didn't really push it in fairness.

This time I'd really like to try harder, happy to pump and perhaps get DH doing one daily bottle feed.

Any tips on how to manage this successfully?
I was so worried last time about preferring bottle, about my supply dropping, and he used to scream when he saw the bottle. It was so stressful!

Anyone that's successfully managed to do both, please give me your tips!

OP posts:
Springbaby2023 · 31/05/2023 11:13

Sorry no advice but just commenting as would love some tips on this too. DS1 never took a bottle. I’m struggling more with BF this time around so want to introduce a bottle a day early on (he’s currently four weeks) to see if that helps us all a bit.

Good luck with your impending arrival!

stollen123 · 31/05/2023 16:59

Not sure if this is just down to the baby or not... we had to combi feed from the beginning due to jaundice and tongue tie which meant always starting with bf and then topping up with the bottle (expressed milk using a haaka and then topping that up with formula if it wasn't enough). At 3 weeks we stopped the top ups but at 5 weeks reintroduced an evening bottle to give me a break. We dropped that again at about 13 weeks when BF had gotten much easier and less intense. Since then dp has given the odd bottle here and there so I can have a rest and ds is totally fine with it. But have spoken to so many other people who have had babies suddenly start refusing! Keep waiting for it to happen but I think he'll just eat anything regardless of the method ha. Not sure how helpful that is as if you don't have feeding problems you won't want to Subject yourself to the exhausting topping up routine but I guess my advice just based on personal experience would be start the one bottle earlyish and keep it going consistently for a good while and maybe offer it after a breastfeed in the early weeks to make sure your supply is well established? Can help to give you a bit of a breather during the mammoth cluster feeding sessions. Good luck!

MotherOfDragon20 · 01/06/2023 03:47

responding to this while feeding my EBF 7 week old! We introduced a bottle at 1 week old, I know everyone says wait 6 weeks but it was very important to me that he accepted a bottle so I was happy to take the risk. My husband gives a bottle (expressed milk) at about 5/6pm every night, at the same time I pump whatever he’s taken, for example if he takes 3oz I’ll pump 3oz and stop there so my supply matches what he’s fed and then we use that for the next night. I also occasionally use a Hakka to build up a wee freezer stash.

in these early days I’ve been careful to keep it to one bottle a day and avoid using a bottle during the early evening when he’s cluster feeding and overnight when prolactin is higher so really him taking a bottle hasn’t had much benefit on my sleep but I have managed a few weekend naps to catch up while husband takes the baby and I can rest assured if he gets hungry he will take a bottle. It’s also been lovely being able to spend some one on one time with my toddler while my mum gets to bond with the baby and can feed him while we’re at the park.

We’ve had absolutely no issues with bottle preference or supply it’s been really smooth. After a bit of trial and error we’ve found dr brown bottles with size 1 tears the best as seem to have the slowest flow.

Original poster
snickersicecreampls · 01/06/2023 08:12

Really good advice here thanks
@stollen123 @MotherOfDragon20 I think we will maybe introduce a bottle after a week!

OP posts:
Springbaby2023 · 03/06/2023 07:39

@snickersicecreampls Just to let you know we have introduced one now this week with no issues! He only took half an ounce from the first bottle but that has increased each day. No confusion with going back to boob either. Good luck!

Original poster
snickersicecreampls · 03/06/2023 21:08

Great to hear @Springbaby2023 thank you!

What bottles did you go with?

Last time we tried about 10 different types with no success Blush

OP posts:
Sanch1 · 03/06/2023 21:30

We introduced a bottle for DD2 and DD3 at one week. Bottle of formula every day, usually 7-10pm whenever it fell. Once they were in more of a routine it became the 10pm dream feed. Both took bottle and breast interchangeably with no issues.

PinkPlantCase · 03/06/2023 21:37

We introduced a bottle of expressed milk I think at around the 6-8 week mark. Not enough to replace a full feed but enough for DS to get the hang of it. I think we did it 3 times a week for a bit and then more like once a week just to keep him used to it.

I went back to work fairly early and pumped at work so DS needed to be able to take a bottle and he did no complaints or confusion.

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