Help - introducing a bottle to BF baby 8 weeks

[Betty1203]

Hi

I was advised to hold off on introducing a bottle to my DS until we had BF sorted. Well, now we feel comfortable with the BF (it's taken this long!) so I'd like to start giving him some expressed milk - so that I can have a break every now and then.

My DH has been trying very patiently this weekend, but the little one just won't have it - he just screams and screams. He does drink it but very slowly and through the screams.

Anyone had similar issue and managed to make it work? Not sure I can take the screaming much longer...... But I also want my DH to be able to get involved in feeding now, and we'd like to be able to leave him with others if we want to go out. AIBU??!

Betty

I think (and i may be wrong) that introducing a bottle and getting DH to do it, may be two big steps too far, maybe try getting him used to the bottle yourself first, keep him as close to your breast as poss. when doing it so he can smell you, but make sure dh is close by so he gets used to him being invloved during feds, let dh wind him, then once he has got used to the bottle (step 1 over and done) then start introducing dh into the feeding.

I am no expert, but it is what i would try, good luck

really good points, thanks - will give that a go

There is zero reason or benefit in DH feeding your baby. Babies expect and need the majority (perferally all) of their feeds to come from the same person which is usually the mother.

Your DH can bond with the baby by doing everything else, playing, bathing, cuddling, babywearing (in a sling) nappy changes and at the 6 month point solids feeding. Why upset the baby so he can do something which is so un-necessary.

Have you got a date set to go out or is this just an idea ? As I would not be trying to force the bottle issue with a screaming baby before you need to. If you ened to leave the baby soon how about trying a cup or spoon feed ?

ened need

Sorry but I have to disagree with the last message posted. There's nothing wrong with someone else giving your baby a bottle - and well done you if you're going to give expressed milk, because expressing isn't the easiest thing in the world either. I'd say don't force it, just keep trying every now and then. But I'd fully support the idea that you get baby used to a bottle because it the dependency of BFing every single feed can be quite overwhelming - and hey - you deserve a little break every now and then. Also, I've had friends who have exclusively BF for 6 months and then their baby has refused a bottle and they've been stuck BF for a year or much more even though they'd prefer not to (not that there's anything wrong with that if that's what you want).

Don't get me wrong - I think BFing is wonderful but you're doing nothing wrong, just keep trying every now and then, and make sure the milk is nicely warmed (that made the difference for my DD). Better to get baby used to the occasional bottle now than later.

My friends lo wouldn't take a bottle whilst she was around. She had to go out for an hour for her DH to crack it.

sorry... but my bf dd never took a bottle, she just held out for mama.
tbh we were advised to 'wait until bf was established' and it was too late by then. I think 3 weeks is the optimum time, and providing you're expressing it shouldn't disrupt supply.
I will be trying earlier this time round!

I fully agree with Suzmum on the benefits of having someone else able to feed your baby. My DH does the last feed of the day around 11pm from a bottle of EBM. While my DD was still waking in the small hours, this gave me a valuable head start on sleep. It also meant that for one day while I was very ill, we were able to do one feed from the bottle rather than from me - again allowing me to rest. I also find DD is a lousy feeder when we're out and about, so if we are going to be out for more than a couple of hours I pop a few oz of EBM in the change bag so I know I can get something into her!

I agree EPPM, i didnt wait until bf was established, i was expressing and giving ds a bottle the when he was 2 weeks old, i did this once a day, to beging with it was only an ounce, but ds very quickly got used to both breast and bottle and was a dream to get onto full bottles when i went back to work and i was still able to bf him at night and first thing, so i wouldnt recommend waiting until bf is established either

I agree. (at the risk of being flamed again... )

My little boy took a bottle quite happily alongside BF'ing (greedy!) but actually later on rejected it - so on advice from two friends who's little girls had reacted like yours from the start, I switched to Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature bottles, which are quite breast shaped and good for supporting BF'ing. Worked a treat.

I think if you hold the baby and offer the bottle he'll think "I can smell you have milk so what are we doing this for? Get them out immediately!" In which case your partner should do it, and you shouldn't even be in the room.

I found walking around, shushing whilst he fed helped a lot when my LO had his little strike.

Good luck.

vinegartits - did he actually like what you produced?
(I suppose they aren't really vinegartits are they)

I reckon she's posh.

Balsamic from one and tarragon from the other.

pmsl!

I looked after an 8 week old last week for 6 hours before her mother lost it and threw her out of the window - she is an old frind and needed a break, she came back a new woman - anyone who tells you not to give your child to anyone else to feed is living on another planet - DS didn't feed from anything else other than me until he was 6 months and I had to go into hospital and trying to get him to take a bottle then because he had to was the most stressful experience of my life.

Is threw her out of the window a metaphor?

My friend gave EBM from day 2.

Of course some women will be able to give a bottle of expressed breast milk or formula to a very young breastfed baby and have zero problems with their baby and milk supply but some women will encounter problems with these options.

If the OP introduces bottles of expressed milk or formula at this earlier stage without expressing at the same time, she running the risk of possibly having problems with her milk supply. I wanted the OP to know this so she could watch her supply just in case.

Here is a similiar situation on Kellymom's were I got this information, thought the baby on this page was 5 not 8 weeks old.
link

thanks for all your comments and support. DS did take some from a bottle from me yesterday, so that's the first hurdle overcome. We're going to start sitting together and DH trying next.

I really don't think there's any harm in giving DS a bottle every now and again. And I don't agree that there's 'zero reason or benefit' for DH to feed baby. If DS is happy taking from a bottle and it's expresed breastmilk, then it's really not doing him any harm and the benefit is in giving me a break.

I am making sure I express at the same time a giving bottle so milk supply not too interfered with.

Fingers crossed for the next hurdle....

There have been a few people posting lately with what sounds very much like nipple confusion in newborns. It does happen, and its something you should bear in mind.

DS fed, when I was around, somewhere between every 1-3 hours round the clock. However his daddy or auntie could, from early on, take him for 3-4 hours and with distraction and without the smell of milk, he'd be happy. My point is that its often easier to go out for a couple of hours (maybe not in the evening, but you can always do things at other times) and not worry about the bottle