??when?? EBF transition to bottle for back to work

ACAsomeday · December 2011

When do you recommend trying bottles (pumped milk) for babies who will need to go to daycare? I go back Feb 6th. I want to continue BFing as much as possible once i'm back at work. I was planning to wait until a few days before to start bottles but some tell me it takes a while for the LO to accept it. He does accept pacifiers.

I'll be workin 2-3 12's per week - anyone have experience with BFing and pumped milk via bottle simultaneously? what was your experience?

Vieve831 · December 2011

I would start asap - just one bottle a day to make sure he will take it. I think its a good sign that he takes a paci though. My LO has been refusing bottles for several weeks. He also refuses pacifiers. Just yesterday my sister got him to take a bottle for the first time so hopefully we can repeat that. I go back Feb 1st and the thought of LO crying until he gets hungry enough to take a bottle breaks my heart

lilpenguingurl17 · December 2011

I'm in the same boat. I go back at the beginning of February. I started pumping 2 days ago, and gave him a bottle yesterday afternoon @ 5 weeks old. He chugged 2oz down. I gave him the bottle again during a night feeding. He only drank 1oz, but then cried in hunger a minute later, so I nursed him. He only nursed for 7 minutes. He's never had a pacifier. I'm planning on giving him a bottle 1-2x day to get him used to it. It's just in time to have a few drinks tonight.

Happy New Year!

Mrs.Greeko · December 2011

The window to introduce a bottle is around 3-4 weeks. And then you have to keep doing it regularly so they don't reject it. I would start now. Whatever you do, do not wait until a few days before to try a bottle for the first time. My second was a bottle hater (didn't keep doing bottles regularly) and for the first two weeks I was back to work she didn't eat at daycare, she just screamed. It was so incredibly stressful and awful. You want your baby to be okay with the bottle for the baby's sake, your sake, and your caregiver's sake. As far as simultaneously bottle an breast feeding. It's easy. Pump as many times as your baby eats when you are away, provide that milk for the next day, BF when you are with baby.

JKTTC1 · December 2011

I go back Feb. 6 too

We've been giving LO a bottle of pumped breastmilk since the beginning. He takes it with no problem. One every night!

littlewinnie15 · December 2011

We have also being giving a bottle since the beginning. Our LO doesn't have any nipple confusion, he takes a bottle and pacifier great. My suggestion is to have your DH, or someone else, start giving it to him. LO tends to fight me a little bit, I think they say it's because they can smell the real thing on Momma. If your LO takes a paci well, I wouldn't think you'd have much trouble with the bottle...but I agree with PP's that you should start as soon as you can!

skipperkelly · December 2011

I go back to work on Feb 2 and introduced a bottle 4 weeks ago. My husband will give LO a bottle every day. LO is still getting used to taking the bottle (he definitely prefers the breast) so I'm really glad we started early. Good luck!

smilelari · December 2011

Mrs.Greeko:
The window to introduce a bottle is around 3-4 weeks. And then you have to keep doing it regularly so they don't reject it. I would start now. Whatever you do, do not wait until a few days before to try a bottle for the first time. My second was a bottle hater (didn't keep doing bottles regularly) and for the first two weeks I was back to work she didn't eat at daycare, she just screamed. It was so incredibly stressful and awful. You want your baby to be okay with the bottle for the baby's sake, your sake, and your caregiver's sake. As far as simultaneously bottle an breast feeding. It's easy. Pump as many times as your baby eats when you are away, provide that milk for the next day, BF when you are with baby.

all of this. also beware of the boob hater. ds started rejecting the boob so I turned to eping. in hindsight I should have been more persistent through what was just a nursing strike.

in short, start w/ bottles now and do 1 per day every day. when you go back to work, as much as possible do bottles only at daycare. nurse when you are w/ baby.

rubycitrine · December 2011

We introduced a bottle at nearly 5 weeks. Like PPs said, I recommend introducing it sooner rather than later. This will also give you more time to troubleshoot if your LO refuses it at first.

LesRN · December 2011

we gave LO a bottle when she was a couple weeks old and then continued with one every couple days or so. she would take it no problem. then we got lazy and quit giving her one for several weeks. on Christmas I tried to give her one while all the family was here and she absolutely rejected it. so then we were very strict about giving her a bottle 1-2 times a day and after a couple days she was good again. LO had never taken a paci either and now that she is better with the bottle she will take a paci now! So definitely be consistent with offering the bottle and start asap!

??when?? EBF transition to bottle for back to work

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