? for those planning to/or have EBF

**Octoberbride09** · July 2010

I was planning on EBF and really wanted not to use a bottle until LO is a little older. I guess now I am realizing how much easier it would be on outings to pump and feed and am second guessing my original plan a bit. What did you do? How long did you wait to introduce a bottle?

VejjoMama · July 2010

My MW told me 4-6 weeks was a good time to introduce the bottle.

djfacemachine · July 2010

I've read that you should wait 2-3 months before introducing a bottle to help form good breastfeeding habits. I have to return to work after 12 weeks so I'm going to start pumping and introducing a bottle after about 8 weeks probably to help get her used to it. I'm hoping to do a combination of breast feeding and bottle feeding after I go back to work.

MommaEm · July 2010

I had to introduce it in the hospital because DS was in the NICU. He was mostly a BF baby but had to have pumped milk for his meds 2x a day. I'm hoping to EBF DD.

sillypit · July 2010

We are going to try to wait about 4 weeks and then slowly introduce the bottle just because DH wants to be involved in helping to feed her. I want to breastfeed as much as possible before I go back to work and she has to be bottle fed pumped milk almost exclusively.

drewiekc · July 2010

I'll be returning to work at 10 weeks PP. The pedi we chose said that we should start introducing a bottle at 3-4 weeks.

FishNchips1 · July 2010

VejjoMama:
My MW told me 4-6 weeks was a good time to introduce the bottle.

This. Lactation consultant told me around a month or so.. So once I start pumping DH can help with feedings

Angela814 · July 2010

Honestly I think it's much easier to just nurse baby than to pump and bottle feed. All you need when you go out then are diapers and wipes instead of diapers, wipes, cooler pack, bottles, etc.

We introduced a bottle at 4 weeks. She got a bottle every few days, maybe less often, until she started daycare at 12 weeks. I had read that 4 weeks is the ideal time to introduce a bottle.

kibbyy75 · July 2010

drewiekc:
I'll be returning to work at 10 weeks PP. The pedi we chose said that we should start introducing a bottle at 3-4 weeks.

This for me, too.

Aloe0l · July 2010

I was told to not even think about pumping until 3-4 weeks so long as BFing is going fine. I do plan on going back to work, so I think I will at least attempt to pump a few times around 4 weeks, just to get the hang of it. But, I am not sure when I will introduce a bottle (sometime before we have to start going to daycare).

mommyme · July 2010

I bf ds for a year. We introduced the bottle at 6 weeks to get him ready for dcp. I never used a bottle when he was w/ me until near the end when I had to suppliment 1x per day.

On outings I would bf in the car if needed (more comfy). For quicker trips we planned them around feedings.

hippotree · July 2010

We waited about 3 weeks to introduce a bottle.

Pumping and feeding a bottle while you're out and about isn't really easier. First, you have to pump and keep the milk cool. Then while you feed LO the milk, your boobs are ready to explode and you may have to pump while you are out. IMO it's way easier to just NIP.

ScottiesLilHottie · July 2010

4 - 6 weeks is typically a good time to introduce a bottle. However, be careful with taking bottles on outings and using them. If you do it too often, you can hurt your supply. Technically whenever little one takes a bottle, you should be pumping to signal your body to continue to produce the same amount of milk. Many women aren't comfortable with NIP at first, but once they realize how much easier it is -- sometimes they calm down about it. It took me awhile with my daughter to become comfortable with nursing, but once I learned how to it discreetly, it was a lot easier for me than having to worry about pumping a bottle to bring along.

Dobie_Mama · July 2010

Angela814:
Honestly I think it's much easier to just nurse baby than to pump and bottle feed. All you need when you go out then are diapers and wipes instead of diapers, wipes, cooler pack, bottles, etc.

Ditto this. I think it's a total PITA to have to pack refrigerated milk, bring your pump to replace a nursing session, etc.

We introduced a bottle at 3wks and DD had no issues going back and forth between bottle & breast.

tiggergirl0325 · July 2010

My first two never took a bottle. I called them my nipple snobs. LOL They would arch their back and scream and hold out for hours if anyone tried to use a bottle with them. Around 6 months I was able to get them to take expressed milk with a sippy. I didn't work with either of them, so luckily we only needed them to take a feeding without me on rare occasions like date nights.

When I went out on outings, I would just nurse them wherever we were. With a little practice, it's not hard to be discreet while nursing in public. Also, I know there would have been no way to get them to take any bottle or cup from me when the "real thing" was so close, anyway. Just from my experience, nursing in public was SO much easier than worrying about pumping beforehand and keeping the bottle cool while we were out and then warming it up when the baby was hungry. If you NIP, you can just do it with no prep or extra baggage.

With this one, we'll start trying to get her to take a bottle at around 8 weeks, but only for the times that I'm at work (I work part time in the evenings/weekends, so she'll only need to take a bottle for 3 or 4 feedings a week at the most)--for those times, I'll have to be pumping at work. Like others have said, it's a pain to use a bottle if you're available to BF because you'll likely get engorged and/or hurt your supply.

DiAnne82 · July 2010

I wanted to EBF last time (but had some issues, hopefully won't this time!). With that said, we introduced a bottle at 3 weeks old (because I had surgery and couldn't nurse her), and she did great with it at point (no nipple confusion, went back and forth between me and the bottle fine). I've had friends who waited a lot longer to introduce the bottle and had issues where the baby wouldn't take a bottle. This time around I plan to introduce around the same time (after I had to introduce the bottle at 3 weeks, I read that was a good age to try anyway).

rcbuko · July 2010

We waited 3 weeks. DD did not take to the bottle easily and it wasn't until 6 weeks that she actually drank from one without fussing too much.

I actually found it easier on outings to just BF her. She never wanted a bottle from me even after she became used to a bottle. If you are uncomfortable, bring a cover or try to find a removed place to BF. I would BF everywhere and never had a problem.

happy-honey · July 2010

DD got a bottle maybe 4 days into it only because I was concerned with her ability to go back and forth and it also gave me the opportunity to start pumping since I was engorged. We would do a bottle maybe every other day or out and about as it was easier than having to stop everything and feed. I knew I was going back to work and had heard the horror stories of those that couldn't get little one to take a bottle so that helped motivate my approach. DH fed bottles in the beginning so we didn't have any issues.

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