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Pumping & introducing the bottle - have we missed the window?

JoAnna914JoAnna914 member
in Breastfeeding

Hi ladies.  I was wondering if I could get your thoughts on a couple of questions I have about bottle feeding breast milk and pumping.

My first question has to do with getting DS to take the bottle. My son will be seven weeks old tomorrow, and I am half way through my maternity leave.  When I go back to work, I will be away from him for 11 hours a day.  Obviously, DS will get bottles at daycare and I will need to pump during the day.  DH has tried bottle feeding DS twice in the last two days with limited success ? first time it went ok, and the second time, DS wouldn?t take the bottle at all.  At nearly 7 weeks old, have we missed our window to introduce the bottle?  We will continue to try with different bottles, but I?m hoping that someone can relate their experiences with introducing the bottle this late in the game.

My second question has to do with the timing of pumping and feeding right now.  I am still feeding DS on demand, and he still cluster feeds, so it?s difficult to tell when one feeding ends and another begins, so I try to pump every time DS goes down for a nap.  Inevitably, DS wakes up the second I finish pumping and wants to eat.  I am always afraid that my pump session has depleted my immediate supply and that I?m depriving DS of food, so I?ve limited my pump sessions to twice a day for a max of five minutes on each side (only gives me around 3-5 oz per day ? not quite enough for one bottle feeding the next day).  I can?t seem to find anything on the internet that addresses whether this perception of mine is indeed true.  Does anyone have any resources that discuss the physiological aspects of breast milk supply?

Thanks in advance for reading this and for your responses.

 

 

 

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Re: Pumping & introducing the bottle - have we missed the window?

  • thatsmarythatsmary

    Sorry for the quick reply. 

    I didn't introduce a bottle until I went back to work at 10 weeks and I didn't pump until I went back to work either.

    Kellymom.com is a great website for all things b/f related. 

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  • aporwollaporwoll member

    Hi - 

     My son is a few weeks older than yours...I first introduced a bottle around the same time.  We tried Phillips Advent at first, but I wasn't a fan (I felt the milk came out too easily, without any effort from LO).  Since then, I have tried BreastFlow and I LOVE them.  It took him a few minutes to get used to it, but then he had no problem.  It works more like breastfeeding and encourages him to actually latch on.  We have only given him a handful of bottles, but I definitely would recommend trying this brand.  

    I've also wondered about your second question...and have no real advice! 

     

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  • ProcrastinatingBrideProcrastinatingBride member

    I intro'ed the bottle at 6.5 weeks without a problem.  DD took one every other day from DH while I was on mat leave and now takes 3 a day at DC with no problems.  We use Dr. Brown's bottles and PREEMIE nipples (slowest-flow so as to mimic the slow flow from my breast).

    When you say 3-5 oz is not quite enough for a bottle feeding the next day, it makes me wonder if you're giving too much in a bottle for a 7-week-old.  DD takes 4 oz bottles and has since about 8-10 weeks, but I would not consider giving her more than that, personally.  I'd sooner feed more frequently (and I wouldn't be too keen on doing that at this stage either).

    I guess I would recommend pumping early in the morning, which is when your supply is usually best.  I can get up to nearly 11 oz in the early morning if DD is still sleeping and has STTN, and I got 5.5 oz this morning right after feeding DD.

    GL.

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  • JoAnna914JoAnna914 member
    Thanks for all the feedback so far.  I will try the brands of bottles recommended so far and will also try to pump early tomorrow morning.  With regard to 3-5 oz being too much, like I said, DS is still cluster feeding so sometimes 2 oz is plenty, and sometimes he wants double that.
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  • CurbsideProphetCurbsideProphet
    We had limited success with DD taking a bottle prior to her starting daycare. They are working with her and she is getting much better at it. They have had much more success than DH did.
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  • uncharch7uncharch7

    DS is a week younger than your LO and takes 3.5-4oz in a bottle 6-7x/day. Average intake for a BF baby is 25oz, so divide that by the number of feedings in 24hrs and that'll give you bottle feeding size.

    Keep trying and with different types. Avent was WAY too fast for DS, but we lucked out with Breastflow. We found the nipple on Avent was way too long too, Breastflow has a shorter nipple and wider base, which worked well for DS. 

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