When should I introduce a bottle of EBM? Bf-ing novice alert!

[Boobz]

I have a 17 day old daughter who I am exclusively breast feeding at the moment. She's good at it, and we're getting on famously. She tends to feed every 3 hours but sometimes it's every couple of hours and then in the night she can happily go 4 hours before waking up for a feed.

Because BFing is going so well, I don't really feel the want or need to introduce a bottle (of EBM). However, it has come up a couple of times (for example a friend's play is on at the moment, and she offered to babysit but I said I had to take Penelope with us, if that was ok, as I was not bottle feeding yet) and she said that I shouldn't leave it too late as it's possible Pen could then reject the bottle later on if I don't get it in relatively early, IFSWIM. I also think it would be nice for DH to do a feed so that he can feel more involved and so that I can pop out for a few hours and if I wanted to (to said Play, for example, or for some drinks down the pub).

So, I guess what I am asking is:

1. When do you think it is a good idea to introduce a bottle of EBM?
2. Is there a generally agreed cut off point when I should DEFO have introduced one, as it will probably be a nightmare to get her on a bottle if I don't?
3. Which feed should I make the bottle feed? Does it matter? Can I change each day? (So Monday it can be the 11pm feed, whereas Tuesday it can be the 6am feed?)
4. Is there any chance introducing a bottle could bugger up the good BFing that we've got going on?

Like I said, I don't particularly feel the need to change the situation at the moment as both Pen and I are enjoying BF-ing, and I don't feel the need to be "taking a break" from her at the moment, but I don't want to make things harder for both of us in the long run, if that makes sense.

Sorry if this a little rambley! Thanks for any replies...

Hi Boobz I'm a new mom to though DD is now 6m old and still BFing following midwife's and friends advice I waited till 6wks before introducing bottle of EBM as all said get BF established first.
She is generally good with bottle has 1 a wk at weekends by DP time of day dosen't seem to matter but DP says it has to be warm or she refuses it (she absolutly refuses bottle from me!) Also every time she has a bottle I make sure to express for each missed feed to keep up supply.
I am glad she takes bottle no probs as return to work in 2wks and she will be in nursery

Great to hear your BFing is going well!

hello boobz congrats and good to hear feeding is going well. here is kellymom the font of knowledge for all things bf.

do bear in mind that you might have to be expressing at the same time as someone else is feeding the previously expressed milk, just for your own comfort.

i never got a drop out expressing, but i didn't really want to go anywhere for the first six months or so and after that it was fine to go out for a few hours in the evening.

Just been on kellymom... great site loads of info and links.

I had a DD who wouldn't take a bottle til 9 months, which I think in our case was because I waited quite a while to try her with one after real difficulties getting BF established. My 3 month old DS, on the other hand, latched on perfectly right from the word go and has never had any problems feeding, so I felt confident to introduce a bottle earlier - plus no way was I going to risk him not taking one! So my experience suggests that if BF is going absolutely fine then introducing a bottle won't make any odds. There can be issues over supply though, on which I'm not an expert, if you start expressing quite early, so you might want to check that out. Nowadays I in the morning for DS' bedtime feed. I usually give it to him but it means that if he's used to EBM then then someone else can feed him if I'm unavoidably called away to have fun

Thank you for all the advice and the link - I will probably look to do it about 6 weeks by the sound of it - and just play it by ear.

Thanks!

We started at four weeks as DD seemed to have the hang of BF. Her 11pm feed was always EBM from that point, I'd express around 10pm while watching the news and then go to bed leaving DH to do the feed. Expressing is a bit of a faff it's true - I ended up just doing morning and evening and got plenty for her 11pm feed and plenty to freeze, so I was able to go out to the gym on friday afternoons and leave a bottle of EBM for her feed. It's made switching to a bottle of formula very easy, which we started at 6 months as I was going back to work. As to stuffing up the BF, no, don't think so - I started using a little EBM at her 7pm feed to "finish her off", and she'd happily switch between breast and bottle. Good luck, and if you are going ahead it's worth trying a couple of pumps to see what works best for you.

you can pretty much introduce the bottle whenever you want but just be warned if you miss a feed your boobs get massive. quite good if you are going for the french bustier look. not if you are wanting to go for a long gym session..

also if you havent expressed yet dont expect too much, it just doesnt work for me sometimes, nothing comes out. if i dont have any expressed milk and want to go out i know give dd formula (shock, horror) which she seems quite happy with.

and btw it sounds lik eyou are doing a sterling job, well done. I feel very lucky to have cracked BF it is quite a wondeful bond.

I did it at 4 weeks on mw advice and it was fine - dh gives one a day...tho this last 3 days she has been refusing it which is a shame as I was planning on having a whole day to myself this week!