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Switch from bottle to bf possible?

Mahon BabyMahon Baby member
in Breastfeeding

My ds was in the nicu for 5 weeks and was bottled fed the last 3 weeks. He was born at 32 weeks exactly.  They told me to practice bf'ing when I get home and eventually he will adjust to being breastfed.  He's been home for over a week now and only once has he taken to the breast.  Even then it wasn't when he was hungry, he was just hanging out.  I know he can do it, there's just times where he acts like he has no clue what my boob is.

I'm afraid the longer he's on the bottle the less likely he'll ever bf.  I'm so sick of bottlefeeding and then pumping in the middle of the night.

Is there any hope?

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Re: Switch from bottle to bf possible?

  • katlizabethkatlizabeth member
    Yes, there is hope!  I don't have a personal story for you, but I have read many on this board, it can be done!!  There is hope!!  Keep trying-do it when your LO is sleepy or not starving and it may work better. 
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  • thehimwithherthehimwithher

    Yes, dd did it at 9wks!  I let her 'comfort nurse' once a day at bedtime while eping so that she wouldn't reject breast later.  Once she was older and stronger it was much easier for her and I to figure out bfing. 

    I'm sure it will take a while since ds was so early (my dd had issues and she was born term).  Be patient and give it time.  GL

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  • thehimwithherthehimwithher
    oh, and forgot to add that i had a friend who's ds 'got bfing' at 4 months old!!  she is the one who gave me hope that we could go back to breast. 
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  • jrnewhookjrnewhook

    I've just been trying to make the switch now. DD has it figured out after a couple of weeks of offering her the boob more and more. I'm finding it very difficult to handle the pain. I've officially given myself a two day nursing strike to try to heal, otherwise I might get too dicouraged and stop trying. Everyone keeps telling me that the pain gets better, so I'm trying to hold out.

    Getting back to the point, though. DD also just laid there with my boob in her mouth at first. That's when she wasn't yelling at it. Express some milk and then try to latch when LOs hungry. You could even drop BM from a bottle onto your nipple while trying to latch, but this was a two person job for us. DH helped. Now she knows exactly what to do and she's always interested.

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  • vml14vml14
    I just got my LO back to breast at 10 wks after EPing for the past 5 weeks.  She was a terrible nurser earlier, she just didn't know how to suck to get the milk, but now all of a sudden she's doing great!  Hang in there...
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