Combination Feeding and how to get LO onto a bottle

[ShellySara]

Hello ladies,

I have a question for you all.

I am BFing my DD who is 3 months and a bit, and I am wanting to do two things:

1. Get DD to drink from bottle (or cup)
2. Get DD to drink ready-made formula

I am a lone parent, so have no-one about to be able to try giving DD a bottle while I hide out the room. I have tried to give her the bottle myself, but she is not keen at all (this was in the normal BF hoding position). Maybe I am not doing it right or something, but she doesnt even take 10ml from a bottle. She wont take a dummy either (which I am more than happy with), but I really do need to get some assistance with this bottlefeeding lark.

She is fascinated by one of my mugs, and we struggle a bit with the doidy cup, so is it possible I could use this mug she is forever grabbing at? What about a tiny straw?

Ok, so any advice on how to get her to accept the bottle would be great.

BTW - I am still intending to mainly BF. This is purely for those occasions when I wont be about to do it.

Many thanks
Shelly

Have you been trying to feed her formula in the bottle or expressed EBM?

DS just had the odd bottle when I was out, I never gave him one and he seemed to accept that fine. Was ebm tho so he was used to the taste.

You can use an open cup from about that age, but can get a bit messy I think. No harm in experimenting tho...

Hi there,

I have tried with both formula and with EBM - I just can never seem to manage to get more than 1floz out though (that is the total of both boobs).

The other people that would be giving DD a bottle would be my dad and step-mum. My dad has no problem with me BFing in public but I dont think he would be able to handle giving her EBM. I dont know what my step-mum would think to me even BFing in public, but she would be ok with EBM (probably cause I wouldnt tell her what it was!)

I thought that maybe DD didnt like the plastic in her mouth, but I dont know.

Well, your dad will have to learn to toughen up I think. It's your choice as to what you feed your baby and if he's squeamish about it he needs to go grow a pair quite frankly! I'd not want to allow his hang-ups to force me to provide my child with an inferior milk.

That said....expressing does take practice, and sometimes hand expressing can be more successful than using a pump. Plus, you can also freeze EBM so that you can store some up for when you need it if you dont get much out at a time.

Have you tried feeding your DD from a cup? (not a doidy cup, just a plain normal cup).

Also, NUK teats are supposed to quite good.

That said, my DS always refused a bottle. Wouldnt have it. But, when I started going back to work and he had no choice but to have a bottle - he took it.

Has anyone else tried to feed her or just you? She may be smelling breast milk and so not want the bottle.
With dd it was just perseverence (lots of small amounts of ebm!) Try and keep to ebm so at least the taste is the same. You could try the mug if you want - worth a go!
Which pump have you got? I never managed to hand express and an electric pump got out a few drops but managed fine with a basic avent hand pump. Could be worth trying different methods of expressing to find one that suits you.

Thanks for your help VeniVidiVickiOV (what a name to type, should have copied it!)

Probably a wee bit harsh on my old man there, but probably my fault as I didnt explain clearly enough. He did bring me up from a toddler and me from a baby as my mother ran off so unfortunately he didnt get the chance to handle much boob milk and only used formula himself. He would probably laugh and joke about it some having his daughters milk in his hands, and just go "ewwww" more in a jokey way. In fact, it is probably just me thinking he would be more uncomfortable. He was also the closest I had to a birthing partner with DD.

Anyway, on with the topic. I havent tried with a normal cup, I have a black and white mug she has been fascinated with, so I am tempted to try her with that. She isnt too steady on the neck yet and a bit wobbly still, so will try tiny amounts at a time.

It is surprising you say the NUK teats, as I have now got a dummy from every manufacturer and the only one that is not screamed at is the NUK one, DD will constantly spit it out though. Do they do NUK teats to fit on wide neck bottles?

To be honest, it is only because I am thinking of heading back to work that I need to get her used to another method of getting her munchies.

What position do I need to hold her in if I try to give her a bottle?

Hi Jackstini, I have tried by hand and with a Tommee Tippee hand pump. I have heard a few people saying that they use the Avent pump. Can you mix frozenbatches of EBM? If I were to express some out tonight and freeze it, and then tomorrow I were to express some more out and freeze that, can I then defrost both lots at the same time and put it in the same bottle?

Most folk shorten it to VVVQV

Sorry - I didnt mean to be harsh but I dont have much time for folk that go "ewww" at breastmilk as though it's something that's somehow worse than milk from a cows breast.

Have you tried expressing with just your hand, not a hand pump?

There's a demo or info on it on here I think

I have tried by hand, but normally when boobs have been really uncomfortable. For some reason, I never try to bottle it then. In the early days, I used to find the hot water from a shower helped. Hmmm, plan forming in head......

Right, going to stick with the TT teats and stuff, cant be arsed trying every single one til she is happy, she can be happy with these ones - she doesnt need to know there are other ones on the market!

Thanks for the link VVVQV, I just opened it up and theres is tons of info there. Will have to take a look tomorrow now.

Starlight, I guess formula will lead to the decline of BFing, but as long as it is a slow SLOW decline, thats fine. Again, the idea of introducing her to formula is purely there for when I am unable to be there to feed her.

Thanks for all your help, enjoy your evenings.

Hi Shelly - just saw your question about whether you can mix two lots of EBM in one bottle. I do this all the time - can never express more than 3-4oz at a time, so freeze it as it's expressed and then defrost however much I need to make up my DS's bottle. So usually two expressings makes one feed for me.

when are you planning on going back to work? Are you planning on going back full or part time. It could be that you don't need to worry too much about it all as by the time you go back to work, she will be on fewer feeds a day (or at least happy to have fewer feeds in the days you are not around) and take them from a cup. At 9 months for example many babies are only on one feed during the day.

HI Shelly
Hope things are going well. If babe is really struggling to take the bottle then you could try the haberman feeder, some babies find regular bottles difficult to cope with as they cannot control the flow speed and get tired very quickly. Also are you 'latching'baby on to the bottle as you do with the breast rather than pushing it into her mouth. Also try stroking her cheek with finger as you feed with bottle so she feels skin on her face as she would with breastfeeding. Whereabouts are you based?
xxx

Hi Shelley - saw HQ has answered your q about mixing ebm. fwiw I used to express in am then put pump in fridge in a bag, then add to it at lunchtime and freeze total.
Once dd was a bit older I just used to feed her before and after work and before bedtime and my boobs adjusted to the new schedule!