Bottle feeding stress

[ForAquaGuide]

We have started to introduce a bottle to our 7 week old so that my DH can take the load off of me from breastfeeding. Eventually our little one will go onto formula when they're older.

We're on day 2 and so far they maybe take 2oz but then get so upset that eventually I have to calm them down with the breast. My DH is getting stressed and upset about this because he would like to have that bonding experience with them and is worried they'll never take to the bottle. I feel like it's still early days and we just need to keep at it.

We are trying this out at the same time every afternoon/evening with milk ive expressed warmed up.

With any breastfed mums on here that were struggling, what did you find that worked for you? I'm using nuk bottles with the medium flow teat that is nipple shaped. Did anyone else use these and have any issues. I hate to say it but I don't want to have to buy a whole load of other bottles in order to make it work.

DH's desire to bond is neither here nor there.

Go with the baby's flow. If they'll take 2oz give them 2oz. Bf them afterwards is fine. They're learning that the bottle will fill them up too and it's only day 2.

2floz is absolutely fine. BF babies between 6 weeks and 6 months take roughly 25 Floz a day. So if LO hasn't fed for 2 hours, 2floz is all that they are likely to take.

And does DH bond with LO in other ways like bathtime, massage or putting them in a wrap and going for a walk?

DH does bond* with them in other ways. But this was something he wanted to do very much. Not just so that it was another bonding thing. But to also take the stress of feeding off of me for 1 time during the day. I'm also hoping that as time goes on and we're out and about, we can depend on bottles as a backup if I'm not able to find a place to feed them. I'm not shy about feeding in public but atm with the weather being so horrible, we've mainly been staying in at home where it's easier

That will come. Please don’t worry. Babies change and grow all the time. She’ll crack it in due course.

Evening is not a great time for a bottle, I think. Babies suck for comfort as well as food so they may need the boob in the evening.

I agree with this, I'd say its the worst time tbh, especially for a baby that young.

2oz can be enough for a baby of that age depending on when they were last fed/how often they feed across a whole day. The crying after may be hunger, or it may be that they need comfort as they get that from the breast in a way that they often don't from a bottle. My elder two both had a dummy and after a bottle feed they would often use the dummy for comfort and sleep afterwards.

Are you pace feeding the bottles? As you say you're using a medium flow teat, but for a baby that young who is also breastfeeding I would be trying the slowest flow teat first. The flow of the bottle might be too fast and upsetting your baby.

That all being said, my first two took to a bottle pretty much straight away alongside breastfeeding with no issue. Whereas my current baby is over 3 months old and we are still struggling for them to reliably take more than 1.5oz out of a bottle even when they haven't had a feed for many hours in the night, and I often still need to get up and feed them or they just cry hysterically. This baby also won't take a dummy. So they are all different and your baby may or may not co-operate with your best laid plans.

dont stop, if you are at 2 oz on day 2, you are doing wonderfully. Just keep offering the bottle and then top up with bf. Eventually the bottle quantity will increase and you can stop offering the bf. Tell DH he is doing an amazing job as many babies wont take a bottle at all, ever.

Slow flow teats are usually recommended for breastfeeding babies. Also make sure you are pace feeding. This helps to prevent baby from developing a bottle preference. Hope this helps.