Breastfeeding & moving to odd bottle

Classact

Hi All,

I plan to breast feed my baby so I'm hoping all will work out ok. I was just like to get set up for a little further down the road when I may introduce the bottle to baby.

Is there a particular bottle that is best suited?

What about soothers? When are they introduced to babies if breastfeeding?

Thanks for help

Cat Melodeon

You'll get lots of differing advice on this and you'll really have to be led by your baby, so I'll just tell you what we did.

I'd planned never to use a soother, by day 4 it was my lifesaver. I had foolishly left my boy almost constantly on the breast for the first 36 hours, so by day 3 my nipples were sooo sore. I kept feeding him through it it was tough and he just wanted to be on all the time. Now, they are supposed to feed A LOT during the first 3-4 days to get your milk to come in and get your supply up, but seriously, my boy didn't want to come off at all. So, in with the dodi for an hour between feeds. It worked a treat and we settled into a routine in next to no time. He dumped the dodi himself when he was around 11 months, has never looked for one since, so it doesn't have to be a problem.

As for bottles, it doesn't really matter which one you choose. I used one that was the same brand as the soother I used (Avent) to minimise confusion. He took it no bother the first time after a little bit of spluttering. I only ever used the teats with the slowest flow, he'd choke and get wind if I used a bigger one. The bottles I got came with the breast pump, which I started using at the end of the 3rd week. It's great to give yourself a pumping routine so that you can build up a stock for the freezer and never have to worry about leaving the baby with someone, or so you can get a bit of a lie in.

We combined breastfeeding and expressing until he was 11 months, continued expressing for him until he was 14 months at which point he went straight to cow's milk. It really wasn't any bother once I got into it, I just wish I'd got an electric pump at the start. The other essential was Lansinoh cream for the first 4 weeks (2 tubes max) and a few muslin cloths. I had a breastfeeding pillow but never really got the hang of it, normal pillows were fine.

mohawk

like cat melodeon says everyone has different advice.

My son got a soother at 5 weeks even though I always hated them and never wanted him to have one. I only gave it to him as a last resort and he gave it up himself at 6 months.

I didn't start expressing until he was 6 weeks as lots of people like LLL recommend you wait until your supply is established. I waited until I knew BF was going well until I bought a breast pump. Some people say to wait a few weeks to inroduce a bottle so it doesn't affect your supply or confuse the baby. I always tried to make sure from about 6 weeks he was getting a bottle at least once a week if not more.


We used avent bottles and they worked well for us I know some babies are fussy about the teet. My son refused to take the bottle if I was home. I would pump most mornings and store some in the freezer so that I leave him with people for a few hours and if he was hungry he would drink it.

When I went back to work at 6 months he decided that he would wait til I came home in the evening to have milk (he would drink 3 ox max during the day). So I never really got much value out of the breast pump as he preferred to feed from the source!!

Above all classact you are the mother and you know best so do what feels right for you and your baby.

hibride

A friend of mine showed me a bottle she loves but I don't remember the brand. The difference with other bottles is that the teat is wide and big, so it doesn't matter how much the baby opens her mouth, she'll never find hard plastic, just the soft teat, and it supposedly feels like a real nipple.

She's on holidays now, I'll ask her when she returns

Moonbeam

probably tommee tippee ctn bottles.
They are great and the anti colic plus ones are even better for small babies.

How Strange

Mothercare sell a range called (I think) breast flow which are supposed to closely mimic breastfeeding for the baby.

As for the soother, we used it after a few days because he was using my very sore boobs as soothers. It helped/helps him settle when he's a bit out of sorts. You'll read all kinds of arguments for and against their use but ivebwuickly come to realise you do what you have to for your baby and I'm the one awake at 3am every night with a wee baby not them. It hasn't affected breastfeeding with my little fella as far as I can tell.

I intend to introduce a bottle at wk 7 or 8 so mammy can get out of the house for a couple of hours without always watching the time and worrying if I get delayed that there's a starving baby waiting at home for me.

Cat Melodeon

How Strange wrote: »

you do what you have to for your baby and I'm the one awake at 3am every night with a wee baby not them. It hasn't affected breastfeeding with my little fella as far as I can tell.

+1
Hope it's all going well for you Howstrange!

Edit: just realised we're both up at 3 in the morning - at least you have a baby for an excuse, I'm on a work all-nighter and dodging on boards. Think it's time for bed!

How Strange

Thanks Cat Melodeon, I read your post at 5am! I think himself is going through his 3 wk growth spurt. He was looking for a feed every 2hrs or less last night and was feeding a lot longer than normal. He's putting on lots of weight so he's definitely happy!

As for bfing I don't regard it as any more stressful than bottle feeding with the obvious exception that dad can't do a night feed. That would be a bonus but we've been caught out twice now where he needs a feed and we didn't get home when we expected and all I need to do is lift up my vest top and feed.

Classact

Thanks Cat Melodeon, Mohawk & everyone else for all the great advise and taking time to go in to detail with your experience. It has really helped me a lot. Thanks again everyone.. I'm scared enough at getting the hang of breastfeeding at the start, I hope I can make it work ok and not be told in hospital that baby is not getting enough or find it difficult when I get home and have to turn to bottles. The stories of sore breasts and baby not latching ok scare me a bit.

Thanks again

Das Kitty

Classact wrote: »

Thanks Cat Melodeon, Mohawk & everyone else for all the great advise and taking time to go in to detail with your experience. It has really helped me a lot. Thanks again everyone.. I'm scared enough at getting the hang of breastfeeding at the start, I hope I can make it work ok and not be told in hospital that baby is not getting enough or find it difficult when I get home and have to turn to bottles. The stories of sore breasts and baby not latching ok scare me a bit.

Thanks again

I don't know what hospital you're going to but there will probably be a lactation consultant in there. Ask for her as soon as possible.

Cottontail

Classact wrote: »

Thanks Cat Melodeon, Mohawk & everyone else for all the great advise and taking time to go in to detail with your experience. It has really helped me a lot. Thanks again everyone.. I'm scared enough at getting the hang of breastfeeding at the start, I hope I can make it work ok and not be told in hospital that baby is not getting enough or find it difficult when I get home and have to turn to bottles. The stories of sore breasts and baby not latching ok scare me a bit.

Thanks again

I found the LaLeche league were a great help in breastfeeding support, you can even go to meetings before you have the baby and get help and advice. Might be helpful to you for support & advice.

EJD

I combined breastfeeding and bottle feeding my baby from about 4 weeks, never any confusion between bottle/nipple etc. I used tommy tippee bottles - they are wider at the top and supposed to feel more natural to the baby.

Baby took a soother from a few days old, again never any confusion or anything with it.

Probably best to go with your instinct depending on your baby, some babies don't take to bottle feeding at all, some won't take the breast etc

Best of luck with it all xx