Houston Babies
when to introduce a bottle?
Eliza will be five weeks old tomorrow and I feel like our nursing is well on it's way to being established. She "needs" to take a bottle because she'll be going to MDO sometime between 3 and 6 months. When we had to do syringe feeding, we tried a bottle (both Avent & Dr Browns) but she didn't like either of them. We tried the Dr Browns again last weekend and she still didn't like it. I'm getting some preemie nipples for the Dr Browns and going to try a breastflow bottle as well.
Is there an optimal time to introduce a bottle?
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Re: when to introduce a bottle?
I think Le Leche recommends 6 weeks. We tried with both girls for the first time around 10 days. Amelia never took one and Juliet will take one, but of course it's not her preferred method of eating. We tried EVERY bottle on the market with Amelia and had zero luck. With J we've tried 3 different ones (drop-ins, tommee tippee and nuk). She likes the nuk ones the best, plus they give her the least amount of gas. Try the ones you have and give the breast flow a shot. The Tommee Tippee and drop-ins are also popular among nursing moms. Good luck!
i have always read 4-6 weeks.
does she take a paci? we went with the soothie bottles for paige since she took the soothie pacis. i have heard good things about the breastflow bottles also.
nope, no paci either. bah. which really sucks since she hates the car seat and if she took a paci, it might make it bettter
j+k+m+e | running with needles
We gave Cooper his first bottle at 5 or 6 weeks. We used the Breastflow at first and they worked well because the nipple on them makes their mouth shape/movement more similar to breastfeeding. As he got a little older and had no issues going back and forth between bottle and boob we switched to Dr. Brown's because he had bad gas. Bottles he honestly didn't care, so long as he was getting fed! He was particular about pacifiers though, he would only take Soothies until around 6 weeks- 2 months then he suddenly switched to only taking the Nuk ones.
We gave the 1st one at 4 weeks b/c that is when the LC said was a good time. DS used Dr. Brown's and Avent bottles. He also took a paci from day one though so he wasn't picky about nipples.
We gave one the first week, so I am no real help. Good luck!
ETA: Why are you starting MDO so soon?
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i know what you mean!!
maddy took a paci easily, and it was def helpful w/ car rides... in fact, for sleeping and car rides is pretty much the only time she needed one.
paige is 50/50 with a paci... or maybe 80/20, haha... if someone is in the backseat with her, we can continuously offer it and if we get lucky, she'll take it for a minute or two and there will be a little relief from the screaming... if only one adult is in the car, we're SOL.
I have no idea about the optimal time, but I think we started around six weeks. We always used Avent, and it went well.
He went through a phase at a few months old where he decided he didn't want to take a bottle anymore, but he got over it quickly. It was probably my fault because he VERY rarely got one at that point and just wasn't used to it.
thanks all. I think I'll pick up a few more types and let Josh try with her this weekend. A good excuse for a run without the stroller and a pedicure.
Pagas - our MDO takes babies at 3 months, so that's why so early. Just because we can. And I'm thinking about part time work. Or just time to myself.
j+k+m+e | running with needles
Both of mine got a few bottles in the first week to supplement before my milk came in. So that was the ready to feed formula bottles.
DD didn't get a bottle again for about 6 weeks and really never took to it. In extreme situations she would take a Dr Browns, but really protested.
DS didn't have a bottle again for a while either. But this time I decided to start with low-end bottles and work my way up if needed. He is just fine with cheapo Gerber bottles or Nuby bottles... which, incidentally, are an awful lot like those ready to feed formula nipples. He doesn't love a bottle, but he's no where near as persnickity as DD was.
Evan used a bottle every once in a while from day one (at the hospital), but we started giving them exclusively just after 3 months (when I went back to work).
The breastflow was okay, but he loved the Nuk bottles. I think it was also because he uses the NUK paci which is the same shape.
Good luck!
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We introduced at 3 weeks because we were told to wait 2-3 weeks. You also don't want to wait too long as she may not take a bottle at all at that point. DD loves the Tommee Tippee ones. I have some Nuby ones I didn't like you are welcome to have and try out as well...I get back in town on the 2nd. The Nuby and Tommee Tippee ones are supposed to be more like breastfeeding.
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