How soon after birth can I bottle feed?

[Mama_2_Boy]

This will be my second and this time around I would like to pump and bottle feed in tangin with breast feeding. How soon can I do this and is there a risk of causing the so called "nipple confusion"? With DS I soley nursed for about 9 months then introduced a bottle and did both successfully.

Thanks.

[madeleines_mom]

According to the LC's I saw when getting BF help with my DD, you should wait at least until your supply is regulated, so about 8 weeks. That way it's not a huge concern if occasionally you have to bottle feed without pumping and there's less a chance of nipple preference (though there always is still a chance).

[JamieCatheryn]

Definately wait til breastfeeding is very well established and your milk supply isn't crazy anymore. Also I'd avoid the 6 weeks growth spurt if possible, best to feed directly then again for supply reasons. So, if everything's going well then right after that growth spurt may work. A word of advice, never try to bottlefeed your baby yourself, only have someone feed when you're away. It's less confusing that way and babe's more likely to accept it too.

[savithny]

How important is it that baby takes a bottle?

I ask because while nipple confusion is a definite concern if you try too early it is also true that if you wait too long you may get bottle rejection.

It's important to wait until nursing is established and your milk has come in well and baby has the knack of nursing. But it's also true that some babies, if you wait as long as 8 weeks, may never take a bottle. My first took a bottle when offered and nursed when I was available; with my second, I waited a bit longer and then didn't repeat it often enough, and as I prepared to head back to work she refused to take one at all from anyone.

When my first was born and I knew I'd be going back to work, the advice was to wait at least 4 weeks but to introduce the bottle by 6 weeks.

So if it's very important (ie, you're going back to work and will definitely need regular bottles) I'd do it towards the early end. If its something you want, but don't *need*, then waiting longer would make more sense.

(side note: a quick google found that this is indeed the recommendation from LLL's "The Breastfeeding Answer Book")
http://www.breastfeed-essentials.com/offerbottle.html

The best time to offer your breastfed baby his first bottle is somewhere between the 4th and 6th week of life. Waiting until this time ensures that your milk supply is well-established and lessens the risk that your baby will become nipple confused. Waiting longer than this may result in a rough transition as your baby may have developed such a preference for the breast that he is more unwilling to accept an artificial nipple.

Once your baby has accepted a bottle nipple, take care not to bombard him with the bottles. Use them only when you must be physically separated, and when you are together only nurse. If you want to make sure that your baby will continue to accept a bottle, offering one once or twice a week should help him "remember" well enough. There is no reason to offer bottles on a daily basis if you are not routinely separated from baby just so that he will continue to accept one. Doing so may also compromise your milk supply and make it more likely that your baby may begin to prefer the ease of the bottle.

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[vegasgrl]

Originally Posted by savithny

When my first was born and I knew I'd be going back to work, the advice was to wait at least 4 weeks but to introduce the bottle by 6 weeks.

This is what I've been told over and over again as well. Baby will be in daycare from 6 weeks to 8 weeks onward, so it was important that I at least have SOME time to get bottle feeding established as well before I go back to work, but waiting at least 4 weeks before starting seems like a really good idea.

[RoadWorkAhead]

We waited to 2 weeks with this baby. I waited to a little past 4 with DD and she never took it. I was forced to give one in the hospital with DS1 and we had a brief bout of nipple confusion. For us, 2 weeks was perfect. He'd already established that he loved his milk right from the tap, so he took a substitute but there was no question which was tops in his book. He still willingly takes bottle, but has obvious boob preference.

[Jayray]

Because of some hard emotional/sleep issues I was having, my babe got a bottle on day 4. The understanding I got from my midwife was that if they are going to have nipple confusion, they will have it no matter what, and that it's actually pretty rare. They gave me options of fingerfeeding and syringe feeding and all that, but my babe wouldn't do any of those. We didn't have any significant problems with breastfeeding.

[kcstar]

I intended to wait four weeks, but because of a medical issue I had to pump and dump on days 6, 7, and part of 8. So he got bottles then, and did fine with both.

The other thing I have heard recommended is that the father/non-BFing partner be the one to introduce the first bottle, and do most of the bottle-feeding. This gives a little different experience, and keeps the "Mom = BF" association.

I did give DS a bottle during the pump-and-dump days, but it was not his first.