How Often to Give a Bottle to Breastfead Baby

Hey! I have a 3 1/2 month old son who takes to the bottle and the breast very well. I waited till he was about 5 weeks old to introduce the bottle because we had so many problems breast feeding in the beginning. But he took to it right from the start and doesn't have a problem going back and forth. I'm stay at home for the most part except on Sat. I take classes to finish my degree so my husband stays home with him and uses two bottles that day. And throughout the week we will use a bottle when he wakes up at 4am one because it is faster and two he seems to be more satisfied and full so he falls right back asleep till 8. There have been times though that he has taken a bottle 2 or 3 times everyday for a week here and there because I'm having problems with sore nipples and milk blisters, but it hasen't effected how he takes to the breast, it's almost like he misses that closeness to his mama :)

HI, R.! I'd recommend having someone else give a bottle maybe twice a week. With such a young baby, you don't want to end up unintentionally causing nipple confusion, or risk lowering your supply by bottle feeding too often. The rule of thumb for bottlefeeding a breastfed baby is an ounce an hour, so even if it doesn't sound like much, it's the average amount the baby gets when nursing. So, if he nurses every 2 hours, he's get 2 ounces of pumped milk every 2 hours. Also, be aware that you want to use the slowest flow nipple you can get (newborn), and that babies cannot regulate the flow of an artificial nipple, so it often appears as though they are sucking down milk because they are so hungry, when in reality they have to swallow quickly because their mouth keeps filling with liquid. it would be helpful to have your daycare provider be aware of this. There is great information here: http://www.kellymom.com/bf/pumping/bottle-feeding.html

Best wishes!

Once a day when dad got home from work worked great for us. If I wanted to go out I would nurse the baby and leave the bottle for later and pump extra after putting him/her down for the night. I liked the freedom it gave and smooth transition when I went back to work.

I am VERY opinionated on this topic, because I followed LLL guidelines and ended up NEVER being able to give either of my kids a bottle. I had to go into the hospital for 4 days and on the 1st day my son went 15 hours with out eating!!! My husband ended up bringing up to the hospital 3x a day to eat & that is the LAST place a baby needs to be!

So, here's my recommendation... you need to keep up your milk supply & bonding & prepare the baby for needing that bottle. I would keep him on the bottle once a day, every day until he's accepting the bottle for every feeding. Once he's happy with either way... then you can skip days, and cut back eventually to the 2 or 3 a week he'll need. Believe me... I'm not the only one who's been told to wait, and then goes through the most horrible time later with a baby refusing and not eating til mom gets back home! It makes it 100 times harder to leave your baby when that happens!

He takes a bottle! Yeah. Most of your work is done. You might not need to give any bottles at all, if you are home. Then, on the work days, of course he'd get bottles. Now and then, maybe a few feedings a week, try the bottle to make sure he still takes it. Pumping is not fun, I know. Breastflow bottles by Evvenflo are great b/c they simulate the breast. We use those, and this is our third child. I am very happy with these bottles. We had to use them from day one b/c it took over a week before I could fully nurse without being too sore. Now, at 10 weeks, he takes these bottles whenever I am not home, which is not often.

Hi R.,
As a working mom, I recommend that 2 weeks before you go to work you follow the bottle schedule that he will have at day care. Each child is different, I never had a problem switching between breast or bottle. You may also want to offer a bottle every time you are in public, just to get him used to it.
S.

No matter how often you decide to use a bottle, you must remember to pump at the same time/close to the same time. If you continue to provide a bottle without stimulating your breasts, they will think your child isn't eating at that time and your supply will drop. Also, right around 12 weeks is when your supply changes from hormone driven to demand driven, so it's especially important you don't set yourself up!

R.,

You will be getting a ton of advice on this one... I nursed my son as well as provided a bottle of breast milk. After returning to work, I did have to supplement little by little with formula as I had to find ways to increase my breast milk supply, but I am happy to say I successfully nursed my little guy for 11 months without any issues of going between bottles or breast. I had to stop only due to toxic meds for my auto-immune condition as it was severe at the time.

I would say follow your son's lead. My hubby wanted to have some hands on with our son, besides just holding or diaper duty. So, he enjoyed giving a bottle or two for feeding. I pumped constantly to keep the (stimulation) supply demand up while he did - plus watching my son take the bottle with hubby was still helpful to me while pumping. After he took the bottle from hubby, I would put him at the breast to 'nurse', even if there wasn't much left, but it was instinct for me and it felt like the right thing to do - plus it helped him nap! :)

You shouldn't have any issues as I feel a baby will still prefer the breast as it is very cozy and comforting to snuggle in anyway. We used Advent & Medella bottles/ nipples - and they seemed to be quite similar to the breast for him. All in all - no issues with going back and forth at all.

In daycare - he had a couple of bottles while I was at work and I nursed in the evenings and on weekends. I pumped at work all I could. :)

Follow your own judgment and baby's que's. You both will be fine~ :)
Worse comes to worse with all the differing opinions; ask your pediatrician.

I'd say keeping your milk supply strong and establishing a tight relationship with your son are the highest priority right now. A lot of moms don't even introduce the bottle until time to return to work. You can look on the LaLeche League website for more ideas - www.llli.org. Click on Resources then see Answers. They have a great book about working and breastfeeding too that you can get thru them or order from a bookstore.

Hi R., I gave my son a bottle once per day for a few weeks before I went back to work(he was 3 months). At daycare, (6-7 hrs/ 4days per wk) he would eat 3 bottles. He was so happy to see the breast again at the end of the day!!!!
congratulations on your wonderful new baby!

I would just do once a day. have dad do it so the baby gets used to someone else feeding him. if grandma comes over maybe she can give him a bottle too.

Once a day will get him used to it.. you do not need to ramp up to more bottles a day as it gets closer to work..

working 2 days a week is a good mix for you and your kids.. you keep your connection to the work world but the kids are not away from you too much.

Its not usually the bottle that babies have a problem taking... I would be more concerned about him refusing the breast after a while. I also nursed while working full time. I would only have him have bottles while he was with his sitter and when he was with me he would nurse. I would suggest, as does the le lache leage that you only give a bottle when necessary. Bottles are so much easier to drink from that given to often babies may start to prefer them... until they are about 3-4 months... by then they are getting both the nutrient and bonding benefits from nursing that they then always prefer nursing to bottles. Of course all babies are different, so go with your gut.. but once he takes a bottle, you shouldn't have trouble with him taking one with the sitter. Good luck and most of all good for you for doing what's best for your baby. Breastfeeders are still a minority, but with each women who decides to breastfeed we are one step closer to turning the tables.~~ and congratulations on your little angel!

I don't understand your ? Because if your giving a breastfed baby breast milk in a bottle you would feed the baby as much you would normally put the baby on you. It doesn't matter if you put the baby on the boob or you give it a bottle with breastmilk. now if you are feeding the baby formula instead of breast milk thats a different story. Formula fills a baby more than breast milk so feeding a baby formula you should wait 3 to 4 hrs inbetween a bottle. But if its breast milk you need to feed as often as he is on you. I would still put baby on you or pump.

Heya, R.. I don't belive in nipple confusion. Both of my children and numerous others that I have known do just fine with bottle/breast combo. Plus, pacificers, thumbs, etc.:o)

Congrats on giving your baby breastmilk...regardless of how he gets it! Right now I would exclusively breastfeed to establish your supply and demand. Occasionally if you want dad to feed him, give him a bottle. No biggie. Babies usually take bottles alittle better from "non-mom" figures bc they can smell your breast and want you.

Find a bottle that he likes, my kids (surprisingly) loved plain old gerer bottles (of course after I spent a butt load on playtex nursers!). This was nice bc they attached right to my pump. I would express and freeze. Then you don't have to deal with messy bags, etc. Putting milk in ice cube containers works well too. Each one is 1 oz. which helps with feeding.

Don't stress yourself. A hungry baby will eat, eventually! TRUST YOURSELF! Mom instinct is the best and stress will effect your supply. Just relax and enjoy this special time with your little one. It goes by too fast! So nurse your little heart out!

DM

Hi R.,

I gave both of my children a bottle once a day until I went back to work. They did fine going from breast to bottle. I nursed each one for a year and never had a problem. I plan on doing the same with my 3rd.

Good Luck!
A.