Breast feeding/bottle question.. not exactly eco related

Re: Breast feeding/bottle question.. not exactly eco related

• nkintzel

  April 2009

  Oh, sister! I have a lot to say/offer on this subject! haha!

  I took only 6 weeks off after having my DS. I knew that we'd need him to take a bottle, even though I planned on EBFing. (I was giving him expressed breast milk, not formula in the bottle)

  Anyway, we introduced the bottle at 4 weeks. This was the time that I had read that was the best time. He did OK with the bottle. I made sure that only hubby or someone else gave him the bottle, never me. I wanted him to know that mama only gave boobs. Also, we were sure to use a slow-flow nipple, even as he got older. That reduces the chance that baby will prefer bottle to breast, because it comes out quicker.

  Ok, so when he was about 4 months old, he started daycare. He was so so on the bottle. He did OK all summer with my husband, not awesome, but OK. Eventually, he just started reverse cycling. He would absolutely refuse the bottle at daycare, and not take anything the entire day. I would nurse him before I dropped him off, on my lunch, and right after work.

  It really freaked me out! but, he was nursing a LOT all night long, so I guess he just knew how to get his calories in the manner in which he wanted them!

  So, what I'm saying is that even if you introduce the bottle at the "perfect" time, its still hard, and babies will still make their own decisions. My niece is 4 months old and goes back and forth between breast and bottle like its nothing. My DS still HATES a bottle. But, now he's taking a cup. And, when he was little, we could get him to take milk out of a medicine dropper. So, there are ways.

  I definitely wouldn't shy away from breast feeding due to the fear of the bottle rejection. You'll get through that. Reverse cycling isn't fun, but its kind of nice to know that baby is getting 100% of his or her calories from you. ANd, it doesn't last forever. We started with the cup about 6 months old, and now he's totally drinking from it.

  

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• cindy453

  April 2009

  Thanks for sharing your experience!

  I think I'm still just a bit traumatized, lol. I've worked in infant rooms at preschools before, I've been a nanny for an infant... I've just never watched a baby before that wouldn't eat anything and that refused things that comfort most babies. 

  I'm thinking even if Emerson refused the bottle, I wouldn't have to leave her until she was a little over 4 months. By then if we had to, I could introduce rice cereal just so she could eat SOMETHING when I'm not there. I most likely will only be gone 2 partial days a week anyway... 
  

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• SapphyrEyes

  April 2009

  I agree with pp.  Our DS however would not take a bottle once he got bfing down.  He did have bottles the first couple weeks of life because neither of us could figure out bfing until a wonderful lady from LLL came over and helped us out.  But, even then he still wasn't keen on it and did have major nipple confusion.  They do say the optimal time to try a bottle is between 4-6 weeks old.  But, even if you do this keep in your mind that some babies are just stubborn and may not do the bottle thing and wait for what they feel is the good stuff straight from the tap.  My DS did that the few times he was with DH when I went out for just a couple hours with friends.  His most recent bottle was back in September and by time he finally took it he was so tired and hungry he didn't want to fight with his godmother who was very kindly watching him.  And she actually diverted his attention from being fussy by taking him for walks and playing with him and was patient to get him to take the bottle.  The other thing to try, which is what we did, was cup feeding (we did this at a few days old because of the pumping schedule I was on) or even using a dropper.  

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• jen5-03 member

  April 2009

  Due to jaundice, I supplemented with formula starting on day 2. She took 1-2 bottles a day for a couple weeks. And she did great at the breast during that time too. I stopped supplementing and didn't give her a bottle again until around 8 weeks. Did not work. Tried several different bottles. FINALLY found one that she would take... sometimes.

  It can be super  hard to introduce a bottle when you're at home because baby can smell your milk and knows that you've got the real deal so why should he bother with this crazy bottle stuff, ya know? DD took most of her bottles from DH or my mom or babysitter.

  DD never was good with a bottle again. She started part time daycare at 8.5mo and would not take a bottle from 9am until 2pm (but of course at that age she had solids and a sippy of water to get her through). By 11mo, I got rid of all the bottles in the house because they were just pointless.

  - Jena
  
  

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• Sunny1inTucson

  April 2009

  Our pedi recommended introducing the bottle at 2 weeks. So we did and she did just fine (obviously had other ppl feed her the bottle, not me). We started with Avent but found that Playtex Drop In's nipple worked best.

  Then we forgot about the bottle until ~ 6 wks and that next time we tried the bottle it wasn't so smooth.

  So that would be my main advice - introduce the bottle but don't then forget to occasionally use it so baby doesn't forget about it either.

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• FutureSRC

  April 2009

  Even if she refuses the bottle at first, once she gets used to it you'd probably be ok. The baby you watched, if left again, might be ok with the bottle. My daughter refused a bottle from me, DH, and friends who watched her while we went out to dinner until I was gone for about 4 hours (at a wedding) when she was about 4 months old, then she sucked it down and was fine at all subsequent attempts to bottle feed. I SAH so she didn't get bottles more than once every couple months.

  Also, at 4 months she might be able to take a sippy cup even if she won't take a bottle. DD loves her sippy.

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• c1arita

  April 2009

  I am trying to bottle-train my little booby baby now also! I intro'd the bottle around 2 weeks of age, but didn't give her another until she was about 4 weeks of age -- so I agree with the pp about not forgetting about it! I am getting ready to go back to work  in a few weeks and I'm worried that she won't eat much while she is away from me, so we've been experimenting with different bottles each day. Her favorite, by FAR is called the Adiri Natural Nurser. Of course it is an expensive bottle, but it is the only one she will take to right away. I would HIGHLY recommend this bottle!!! She seems to be able to drink from it just like how she would breastfeed, like the sucking motion is the same. It's also soft to the touch, more like a booby than some hard plastic bottle. I suggest you try the Adiri, and I have been giving her one bottle a day now so she is getting more used to it... I guess I'll see how it goes for DD once she is in daycare but hopefully all will go well. The few times I have been away from her and left behind a bottle of breastmilk, she has been fine and taken it without problem. Keep experimenting and you'll figure out a way to make it work!!!
  

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• tmp-214118062502913

  April 2009

  I had to go back to work FT at 6 wks PP so we HAD to get her used to a bottle.  We started at 4 wks as well, once a day with DH or my mom offering the bottle.  She handled it like a champ (Avent bottles).  Then when I actually went back to work, the first week was heck where DH (SAHD) was lucky to get her to down 2 oz a day.  She would pretty much be connected to my boob from when I got home to when I left the next day.  Then she got used to it.  In fact lately she sometimes eats from the breast the way she does with a bottle (pulling away to take a breather, etc.).  She seems to go through phases with the bottle as well as with the breast, and her tastes in bottles have changed (for a bit we could get away even with cheapy 99 cent Gerber bottles but a couple weeks later she started refusing them and again would only accept the original Avent nipple).

  I agree with others, it takes a lot of experimenting and patience.  But babies are so smart, they won't allow themselves to starve.  They don't like change in their routines (unless THEY create it), so it takes a while to adapt and accept things like this on their own terms. 

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