Expressing, and BF, nipple confusion?

[flissity]

I am due my 3rd in May, but its been a while since I had a newborn!

I breastfed my other children, didn't have a need to express, but this time I will. Mainly as I want to continue a club I do on a Saturday morning once I am over the birth recovery etc.. So I'll need to think about expressing for DH to feed baby while I am out. Also so I can take older children to their after school evening activities and leave DH with baby once hes home from work.

I do worry about nipple confusion though! I wouldn't want to ruin the BF by introducing a bottle of expressed milk a couple of times a week.

Any advice on this?

If you are worried about Mille confusion, how about cup feeding?

I think we feel a need to get them on the bottle but there are alternatives

Oh and the Infant Feeding section is good on MN for stuff like this

I found getting dd used to a bottle at a few days old much better than waiting 6 weeks. Lots of my friends waited and baby never took to a bottle. Dd would never, ever take a bottle from me though.

Agree with pp about cup feeding as an alternative as well.

I started my DS on a bottle after 3 days and at 7 weeks will take either quite happily.

I hadn’t even thought of a bottle alternative... thank you. Also did not know there was an infant feeding section !

I guess all babies have different preferences..
thanks ladies

My little one was in special care (only for a few days) and i told the staff I was concered re this same thing.

They pretty much told me they had yet to come across a baby who had nipple confusion when offered boob and bottle from day 1. Ds had a dummy, expressrd milk and boob all from day one and was absolutly fine.

I have also had friends who waited till bf was established before offering a bottle and baby would nevrr take it. I say go for it as early as possible!

All the best! X

Our local infant feeding specialist midwife said nipple confusion isn't really a thing. They can get bottle preference, as it's easier to get milk from a bottle than a boob. But I can't imagine that a couple of bottle feeds a week would cause issues! Especially if your DH gives them, not you.

Yes good point about it not being me who does the feed.

@Charis1503 glad you see what I mean, interesting about introducing it early- will definitely research this!

Hi.
Congrats on baby.

Our LO is 5 months.

We have combination fed from birth - we use the medela bottles. No confusion at all.

She has to latch onto the bottle and work for the milk, Its not free flowing. Works fantastically.

@Redhorss - no baby yet! Just thinking ahead.

That’s really good to hear - I have been looking at medela pumps

Both my DC had bottles from 1 month, prior to that we used syringes or a cup. Once they used bottles there was no confusion & I combi fed them both past a year. In fact DD carried on breastfeeding till nearly 2 but stopped formula at 1.

The medela double pump is a bloody godsend. Get one of those pumping bras and then you’re handsfree.

I did google those double medela pumps, they do look kind of funny 🤣 but can definitely see the convenience. @APurpleSquirrel that’s amazing. I fed my 2nd until she was 1 , I loved it ☺️