When is bf-ing "established"?

[DDDixon]

Just wondered how I know that breast feeding is established? Am bfing on demand and looking forward to trying my baby with bottles of expressed milk, I read a lot of things that say six weeks?

Thanks in advance

I know with dummies it's 6 weeks as well.

I'd say if you're at 6 weeks and you're not having any problems then you're probably established.

i think it varies, we've talked aboutt his at LLL meetings and I don't think there is any set point at which it becomes "established"

from a physical point of view I guess it is when that initial hormone driven rush of milk has settled down, and your body has settled into a nice supply and demand rhythm (helped by feeding on demand)
talking to individual women a lot seem to put it at past 6 weeks and think of it in terms of when they felt happy with feeding. when it all clicked and felt "right". so i think it can be quite a personal thing

in the early days expressing and feeding bottled can interfere with your supply, so it's very much a physical reason for not doing it early

I have to say that I first gave my DD a bottle at 3 weeks and I felt it was the right thing to do. We didn't have any problems with her taking both breast and bottle. I have heard of mothers who have left it till 6 weeks or later as that seems to be the recommendation- and then had real problems getting their babies to take a bottle.

So I would personally try a bottle fairly early on (as long as you are both comfortable feeding) but at first only give a bottle occasionally to minimise the chance of upsetting your supply.