Introducing Expressed Milk to a Breastfed Baby

[horchatatresleches]

I’m currently pregnant and planning to breastfeed once the baby arrives. While I don’t intend to pump regularly, there’s an event (the Six cinema release) happening when my baby will be around 1-5 weeks old that I’d love to attend but can’t bring the baby to. My plan is to leave the baby with my husband and provide some expressed milk. I’m wary of introducing a bottle too early as I don’t want to jeopardise the breastfeeding relationship, and I’m also concerned that my baby might refuse the bottle. I have a portable pump, so I’ll be able to express milk in the car or the cinema toilets if necessary. From my research, it seems that paced bottle feeding with a nipple like the one on the Lansinoh bottle could help avoid nipple confusion or bottle preference. Has anyone here had experience giving their baby pumped milk without affecting supply or interfering with breastfeeding? I’m also aware that I may not feel up to leaving the baby, or might not be prepared in time, but since I don’t need to make a commitment until much closer to the event, I’m not ready to decide yet.

llli.org/breastfeeding-info/introducing-a-bottle-to-a-breastfed-baby/ - it's American, but we used some of the advice in this link.

We introduced at 4 weeks, which seems to be the general recommendation. Before the first one, I just collected letdown in a Haakaa over the day and that was his first bottle. Then I would pump whilst my husband gave a bottle each evening.

Went smoothly (I know some BF babies will refuse!) and didn't affect my supply. Did have some issues down the line due to tongue tie and it was very useful that he'd take bottle top ups!

Other option might be to check if any cinemas are doing a dedicated mum and baby showing of Six - then you could take baby with you! I would have loved that on mat leave