To pump or not?

halo_tx · February 2012

So DD is 3 weeks old and our pedi recommended that if we want to introduce a bottle, now is the time to do it. So I'm trying to decide whether to start pumping and giving a bottle or not- I am a SAHM and am happy EBFing so I would only really like to do the bottle so that someone else could feed her once in a while if I wanted to be away from her more than few hours on occasion when she's older. I had originally thought that I could just wait a few more weeks and pump and give a bottle once in a while. But our pedi said that for her to take a bottle we would need to give it every day? I feel like at this point dealing with pumping daily is a hassle I don't want to deal with in addition to nursing constantly. I also have oversupply and don't want to make it worse by pumping. But if I wait to give the bottle, do I run the risk of her never taking it at all? I would love to hear what other SAHMs have done as far as pumping! TIA!

jess!ca · February 2012

I am not a SAHM, so we needed to get her used to a bottle, but we waited until 5 weeks to try. It worked well. We did it once a day (in the evening) every other day or so for several weeks leading up to my return to work. I would think you could wait another couple of weeks and be fine. I don't think you need to do it every day, but every couple of days would get her used to it so it's not totally out of the blue again when you need to have her bottle fed. And I have to say, even if I were a SAHM, within the first 6-8 weeks, I needed a mental health break and to be out for more than 2 or 2.5 hours to do something for myself, so there are def. advantages of getting her used to a bottle! Even if you just use it to get a morning to yourself on the weekend, it will totally be worth the time pumping. I would just pump the amount that she eats and no more if you are dealing with an over supply. That way you are not pumping extra, and signaling your body to make extra. (So while she is eating, presumably someone else is feeding her the bottle, you can pump the same amount she eats.) GL!

tokenhoser · February 2012

First of all, it's not now or never. Up to about 2 months, you'll probably have zero issues introing a bottle. So don't feel like you must make this decision today.

I started pumping about 4 week, just now and then. We did occasional bottles for a while, then regular dream feed bottles for about 6 weeks starting at 3 months, then we gave that up. And around 5 months, he quit taking bottles. I'm a SAHM this year, so it wasn't really a big issue. He goes to bed at 7 pm and doesn't need to eat again until 11 pm, so if I want to go out I can. I can leave during the day for up to 3 hours, so that's not an issue. So even if your baby never takes a bottle, it's a really temporary issue until the baby can go longer without eating. I didn't want to leave him when he was tiny, anyway - I think we left him with Grandma with a bottle maybe 5 times total, and 4 of those times he never touched the bottle.

hannafemme · February 2012

We introduced the bottle around 4 weeks with no problems. I meant to give him a bottle once a day, but it was too much of a pain, so he rarely got a bottle before I went back to work at 3 months. Once I went back to work, he had no problem taking the bottle.

I think every baby is different, but I wouldn't stress too much about pumping.

textbookcase · February 2012

Well, I had to introduce the bottle early because I had to supplement due to supply issues. We're off of the formula altogether now (yay) but it's nice to be able to have H feed her if I need to be away for a few hours now. I don't think they need to get the bottle every day, dd definitely doesn't get one every day. She does use a pacifier, so maybe that helps her be able to use the bottle as well.

As far as pumping, dd usually only nurses from one breast per session, so a few times a day I pump from the side that she doesn't nurse from to build up a bit of a freezer stash or to make a bottle for H to use. I always pump from one side first thing in the morning after she nurses, because that's when I get the largest amount. Then, I pick another time in the day when I feel like a breast is extra full and I pump then.

Mrs. Sarah&Micah · February 2012

We introduced the bottle around 3-4 weeks and DD did great. Because I EBF, we forgot about the bottle until she was about 10 weeks old and she completely refused the bottle and it was a rough 2 weeks before I went back to work fulltime. DD ended up relearning how to take a bottle but it was stressful. I am not sure if this could happen to you if you introduce it and then don't for awhile, but I would suggest giving a bottle occasionally just in case! Good luck!

mabst196 · February 2012

Even if you are a SAHM, you're going to want the baby to take a bottle occasionally if you have to go out, etc. Maybe once a day is a bit lofty, but try a couple times a week.

wendyll64 · February 2012

I had to introduce a bottle before he was a week old because my milk was so slow to come in... he had a little nipple confusion at first (he was getting frustrated at my slow letdowns) but I found sitting him up during bottle feedings made him work harder for it. I still have to give him a bottle every now and then when he just can't seem to get satisfied or he's left with my mother, but he doesn't have any issues. He's such a pig, though- he would eat from anything. You do want the baby to be able to take a bottle just in case.

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