Tips for giving expressed milk to Bf 6 week old please...

[Pandapants]

We have just started trying to give bottle of expressed milk to our bfed 6 week old so DH can be more involved and take an evening feed. We tried the Avent teats no. 2. My let down/flow is quite rapid, and baby can usually cope (only seems to be drowning if is really fast!) but not a clue how to get anything out of teat - we have had 3 goes at mid-morning feed - 1/2 oz the first time and sucking but not getting anything he next two. Can any one help?

• when is a good time?
• how much do you expect them to take the first tries?
• have we got the right kit?

Sorry if this topic keeps coming up - I had a quick scan but couldn't see anything exactly relevant.

Hi, pandapants, (you're brave posting with that name after pandaface's crazy posting yesterday)

Anyway, have you tried Tommy Tippee's Closer to Nature teats? Theyre very 'boob' shaped, and are quite good.
Also, maybe a nipple shield would help him get used to the shape of a teat? But tbh im not sure if theyre a good thing when bf or not. Someone that knows more will be a long soon.

I would just persevere - as Starlight says they need to learn how to do it.

I wouldn't spend a fortune on endless different teats - your baby will manage perfectly well will te Avent one if you keep trying.

I'd try when your baby is peckish but not screaming with hunger IYSWIM.

Try and squeeze a bit of milk out onto the end of the teat, so your baby gets the idea.

And absolutely persevere - I found it an absolute godsend having a baby that would take breast or bottle.
Good luck

Thanks will stick with it (for a bit).
I seem to have missed the Pandaface posting - will check it out.

were you giving the bottle? Mine got confused if I tried to give expressed milk but was fine if hubby or my mum gave.

DH has was doing it over the weekend, but as he is at work I have tried today, after a bit of bfing as suggested above - she got very upset, screamed and went to sleep, which was a bit odd. Will keep trying, but my heart is really not in it when BF has been going so well, and she can prob sense that.Will try again this afternoon.

you could try cup-feeding. can avoid nipple confusion and is often surprisingly successful. also you don't have to put much EBM in the cup at a time, so it isn't so heartbreaking if it gets spilled.

could your DH not do lots of other things to get him more involved like bathing the baby? if you have BFeeding well established, and you say your heart's not really into getting your LO to take a bottle of EBM, then I wouldn't bother trying, personally.

Dh does do lots of things and is coping with DD1 a lot, but he would really like to help with this and allow me to be with DD1 for more than a short time - we try and split stuff as much as possible usually. Also we didn't
try bottle with DD1 till 5 months and it was murder! But you know I have been really enjoying the bfing - erk now I don't know what to do (she has got terrible wind now too, which doesn't bode well).