Bottle for breastfed baby?

[bunhead34]

Hello,
I have a 3 week old who is EBF.
I want to introduce a bottle of expressed milk once a day.
Can anyone recommend the best way to do this, and the best bottle to use?

Thanks

The only bottle we managed to get my breastfed baby to take was a Nuk one with angled teat.

I think it can be trial and error though.

Every baby is different I'm afraid... my EBF baby took to the standard Tommee Tippee bottles just fine. His brother preferred the Dr Brown ones. It's a Lin expensive game of try it and see!

My DD was older, but I introduced one bottle a day using the Tommee Tippee closer to nature ones. They were the only ones we tried but I know not everyone gets on with them. Both of mine took to them with no problems though, and it didn’t stop DD breastfeeding (she still does in the morning now at a year old).

I used tommee tippee to start with but as my DD got older she became really fussy. My HV suggested getting cheap bottles from the pound shop as the teats are soft.

We really rated the Difrax ones. Pain to get in the UK but the best ones.

Apologies about adding another option but we found MAM bottles to be the best.

I like the minbie bottles best. The test is very similarly shaped to a nipple / breast.

I think there is a recommendation not to introduce a bottle for the first 6 weeks as it can interfere with breastfeeding, but if you already have it well established it should be fine.

Teat, not test!

Another whose took to tommee tippee closer to nature

I second MAM bottles and Google pace feeding for BF babies!

Fyi they say to wait until baby has BF for at least 6 weeks before introducing a bottle otherwise you run the risk of breast refusal.

Look up paced bottle feeding anyway, and if baby doesn't get on with a bottle you can try cup feeding too, usually works well.

Why do you want to introduce a bottle?

Just asking. Many mums feel they have to, for various reasons, let others feed, dire warnings that you’ll never get a break or leave the house, for childcare...

Firstly 3 weeks is early. Give it another few weeks until your supply is settled and you’re confident in your supply.

Fwiw I found bottles an utter pita. When you give a bottle you have to pump instead, to keep up supply, to stop your discomfort, reduce chance of mastitis etc. So while someone else if sitting cuddling and feeding your baby, you’re washing, sterilizing and pumping. Twice the work for each feed you replace with a bottle.

Second some babies like bottles as they don’t have to work for letdown. They’re less fussy with bottles, and it can seem like they aren’t getting anything from the breast as they fuss and then guzzle a bottle. It’s just easier, except it can be misinterpreted as a supply issue. Same with expressing, some people just can’t, and again it makes you worry about supply. Expressing isn’t as effective as actually feeding as well, so it can affect supply.

Not to say it’s can’t work, of course. But I pissed about with bottles with my first, it was hard work, stressful when I couldn’t express, baby preferred bottles and would fuss the next feed, and to top it all off we got to 4 months and she started refusing bottles completely anyway.

Second I just fed. Lot less work, i wasn’t having dh sat on the sofa while I ran about. So I fed, and he got me tea and snacks. Also stopped visitors insisting in feeding while I ran about getting tea and biscuits...

We introduced a bottle at 4 weeks with my second and it worked really well. We used the MAM bottles to begin with and then the Dr Brown. I found it reassuring to know that they would take a bottle if I wasn’t around in an emergency and allowed me the time to be able to get out the house. We introduced it too late with the first so he refused bottles completely and fed every hour and a half. Good luck!

We use MAM, introduced around 5 weeks. He has 3 bottles overnight once a week so I get a proper rest (still wake up to express once) and it means I can go out without him for a few hours without worrying about needing to rush back. It's amazing.

@bluebluezoo

Why do you want to introduce a bottle?

Just asking. Many mums feel they have to, for various reasons, let others feed, dire warnings that you’ll never get a break or leave the house, for childcare...

Firstly 3 weeks is early. Give it another few weeks until your supply is settled and you’re confident in your supply.

Fwiw I found bottles an utter pita. When you give a bottle you have to pump instead, to keep up supply, to stop your discomfort, reduce chance of mastitis etc. So while someone else if sitting cuddling and feeding your baby, you’re washing, sterilizing and pumping. Twice the work for each feed you replace with a bottle.

Second some babies like bottles as they don’t have to work for letdown. They’re less fussy with bottles, and it can seem like they aren’t getting anything from the breast as they fuss and then guzzle a bottle. It’s just easier, except it can be misinterpreted as a supply issue. Same with expressing, some people just can’t, and again it makes you worry about supply. Expressing isn’t as effective as actually feeding as well, so it can affect supply.

Not to say it’s can’t work, of course. But I pissed about with bottles with my first, it was hard work, stressful when I couldn’t express, baby preferred bottles and would fuss the next feed, and to top it all off we got to 4 months and she started refusing bottles completely anyway.

Second I just fed. Lot less work, i wasn’t having dh sat on the sofa while I ran about. So I fed, and he got me tea and snacks. Also stopped visitors insisting in feeding while I ran about getting tea and biscuits...

So I can get some sleep once in a while!

We use MAM bottles and they have been fine. We introduced one evening one at 3 weeks so I could get some sleep. My dh has ds downstairs and I wake when he cries and express. Much quicker than a feed and allows me to get a couple of 2 hour chunks of sleep. Introducing the bottle early has not caused any breastfeeding issues.

I use Tommee Tippee, haven’t tried any others as we had no issues.

I breast feed and my baby has one bottle of formula per night given by DH so I can get some sleep.

We’ve done this for a few weeks and DS is now 4 weeks old. He’s had absolutely no issues with switching between breast and bottle, and I’ve had no issues with my supply.

Personally I decided not to express because I’m happy to give him one feed of formula and I didn’t want to give myself extra work. I only ever miss one feed at a time and haven’t had any issues with engorgement etc, but obviously everyone is different.

We used MAM. Good luck!

My LO is 5 weeks and last week we introduced a bottle. We used the MAM ones and they worked fine.
Same as you I want an occasional good nights sleep and also can't wait for a trip to the hairdressers!
The MAM ones are good as you can sterilise in the microwave so don't need a separate steriliser. Reduces the messing a bit I have found! Good luck

@bluebluezoo OP wasn’t asking for a debate or opinions on whether to introduce a bottle or not. She doesn’t need to justify why. Telling someone to wait isn’t necessary. All babies are different, as are all mother’s’ experiences. My DS started taking an expressed bottle after 10 days as he established feeding so quickly and so well. It was the right thing for him and me- and continues at be at 8 weeks. He’s a great sleeper and growing brilliantly and has 1-2 expressed bottles per day.
It’s trial and error I guess OP, but another one who got on fine with the tommy tippee bottles here. Good luck and hope it provides the right balance for you and your baby

Well said @Cloudyrainbows321

Lansinoh bottles for us worked great, baby happily switched between breast and bottle.

Thank you @Cloudyrainbows321 !

I have some of the Tommy tippee bottles so will start with them and see how we go!