EBFs: When did you intro bottle?

MommaP12 · April 2009

I was told by a few friends/sources to wait to between 3-4 weeks to intro the bottle. Problem is my DS sucks SO HARD sometimes, I am literally bawling when he first latches on. He is so frantically hungry when he wakes up, that first suck is so painful, I sometimes cry, after that, we're good, but man, sometimes it's so bad. Sometimes it's not so bad too, seems like it's worse in the middle of the night. I want to intro a bottle asap, but don't want to screw up the nursing. He's just 3 days shy of 3 weeks, so if I intro'd it today, it'd be about 5-6 days earlier than I was planning. Too soon????

mrs.sheller · April 2009

I used a bottle since day one, because we had a lot of trouble with breast feeding at first. I never used it in excess at the beginning, only when needed. Now I give her at least one a day so that she is used to it when I have to go back to work.

sterfehr · April 2009

I tried pumping for the first time a few days ago (at 3 weeks) and had my mother in law give him a bottle and it went fine. He breastfeed just the same as ever for the next feeding.

Have you tried lanolin? It's a thick cream for nipple soreness. Sometimes it really hurts after a feeding and if I put the cream on I feel better by the next feeding and it doesn't hurt when he latches on.

Mrs.AKP · April 2009

we intro'd the bottle at about 5 weeks.

KatieRL1979 · April 2009

DD has been getting mostly bottled breastmilk since we got home from the hospital - and my nipples have never been happier

Jackswife123 · April 2009

We just introduced his first bottle last night...and it went really well. ?I think we probably could have done it a week earlier and it wouldn't have made a difference...

Good luck.?

heatouel85 · April 2009

lanolin does make them feel much better if they are cracked/dry, but it won't actually heal them. after feeding, express a little extra BM and coat your nips. let it dry, then put lanolin on them if you want. the BM will heal your sore nips in no time if dryness/cracking is the reason for your pain!

also, if your LO's latch is less than great, it could be the cause of your pain as well, so keep an eye on that!

i intro'd a bottle @ 2 weeks, had someone else give it to her and she did great. i'm sure your LO will too!! GL!

PatsGirl81 · April 2009

did at 4 weeks. still sometimes does well, other times fusses a lot but does that when BFing too.

DiAnne82 · April 2009

I introduced one around 3 weeks and she did fine. No problems going between the bottle and the breast.

MommaP12 · April 2009

I use lansinoh after every feeding, but my nips aren't cracked/dry, got through that week one! It's literally just that he sucks so HARD with the initial sucks, after that he's eating great, so I don't think it's improper latch either, I think he's just a baracudda. UGH. Thanks ladies, bottle, here we come b/c my nips need a break!!!

Ricky Bobby · April 2009

I used a bottle day 2. He was jaundiced and the nurse suggested supplementing after I nursed to help with the jaundice.

Once we were over the jaundice (day 4 or 5) we started doing a bottle every night at week 2. DH feeds ds a bottle of formula so he sleeps a little longer at night. If I can get three straight hours of sleep, I am good.

But then again, I used pacis from day 2 too.

If you introduce a bottle use a slow flow nipple. We use playtex drop ins.