questions from a new mama

[skfmama]

I'm a new mama and my DS is just over 6 weeks old. I have a few questions...

So far I've only nursed DS, but we're thinking about introducing a bottle soon. I'd only use it occasionally (date night, or when I go back to work one afternoon a week...that'll be in June).

What kind of bottle would you suggest? Any tips for a smooth bottle introduction, and so it doesn't interfere with breastfeeding? We don't currently use a pacifier, if that matters.

What kind of pump would you suggest? We'd like to save money and not get anything too expensive. We have a simple manual pump that we got from the hospital...no frills. I've been looking into the Avent Isis - any experience with that one?

I'd like to build up a bit of a freezer supply. I know it's best to thaw milk in the fridge...but then do you give it to the baby cold? Or leave it on the counter for awhile to get to room temperature?

Also, how many ounces does a baby take at an average feeding?

My last question is about frequency of feedings. Right now, DS eats about 8-10 times a day. I assume that's going to gradually decrease. Could you give me an idea of what that might look like? For example, how many times a day does your 3 mo old eat? 4 mo? I'm just curious about how that generally changes, so I know a bit of what to expect.

Thanks so much!

[sara_j]

I introduced a bottle around 3 weeks. I know this is sooner than most places say you can, but we didn't have any trouble with nipple confusion. He does use a pacifier, so I don't know if that made a difference or not. I also didn't give him the first bottle, my mother did. Supposedly having someone besides yourself do that will help the process go smoother. Like you, I only use the bottle occasionally. I would recommend that once he's got the hang of it, you try to make sure that he has one at least 1-3 times a week. I gave one to my son last week and it was the first one he'd had in weeks, so it took him a little while to get the hang of it again.

I started out with a manual pump. That lasted about 10 minutes. It just takes way too long. I went to Target and got this one (the double pump): http://www.target.com/s/189-8618370-...1&searchPage=1
It's much less expensive than the common Medela breast pumps. I was worried about the "get what you pay for" omen, but it's worked fine for me in the two months I've had it so far.

I'll be interested to hear what others say about how they thaw milk. I usually just run the bag under hot water and then pour it into the bottle. My son isn't picky about the temperature. Even if it's a little chilly, he gobbles it right down. I just bought trays to freeze milk in one ounce portions, so I think what I'll probably do with those is let it thaw on the counter, unless I don't have time to do that, in which case I'll use hot water.

The ounces per feeding will go up as they age. I actually don't know exactly what my son takes. He just usually nurses for about 15 minutes each side. He's a healthy 15 1/2 pounds (and very tall), so as long as he gains weight at the normal rate, I'll keep doing that. When he drinks from a bottle, he takes 5-6 ounces.

My 3-month-old eats every 3 hours. That might seem fairly frequent to some, but I started that routine after reading a book called The Baby Whisperer. She recommended 3 hour feedings so that they get enough food during the day so that they could go longer stretches at night. He usually does a 6-7 hour stretch overnight, and has even lately almost gone 8 hours. In another month, I'm going to go to feedings every 4 hours.

So that's my take based on my experiences. Hope it helps!

[sara_j]

Oh, and as for bottles, I use Dr. Brown's natural flow glass bottles.

[beckyand3littlemonsters]

I found the avert isis to be pretty good when my ds cameron was a baby i managed to pump 9oz in 10 mins, although unfortunately he wouldn't take a bottle but chloe was quite happy to drink it herself
caden was happy enough with the tommee tippee closer to nature but then he was the only one would actually take a bottle.
at 3 mths i think my lo's still fed every 1-2 hrs, actually caden still feeds 4-6+ times a day and he's 2.

[Megan73]

Kellymom.com has a handy milk calculator to estimate how much expressed breast milk baby needs at a feeding.
It sounds like you're doing great but I just wanted to stress that the most important thing is to feed on demand and not on a schedule. Your baby is still SO tiny and frequent feeding will build a good supply.

[kavamamakava]

I reallly don't know about the bottle, but I was given a Medela Harmony handpump at the hospital after I had a minor surgery and I loved it more than the Avent Isis. I also used the double electric at the hospital and could barely get anything out (that's why they gave me the Harmony). Your baby may nurse 8-10 times a day for a long time yet. Or cut back for a bit and then increase. You really never know and sometimes it's comfort feeding or a growth spurt or teething pain and nursing feels nice. You just never know. But your baby and your body will work together nicely.
You might want to try giving your baby expressed milk at home. My babies wouldn't drink my expressed milk :/ But when I was away from them for just a couple of hours they drank water and were fine.

[akayerich]

As far as tips for a smooth bottle introduction, I would definitely try sooner rather than later. If you wait too long, its more difficult to get baby to accept the bottle. That's what I've always been told, anyway. Of course you don't want to give a bottle too early, either- I think anytime after 3-4 weeks is ok, so at 6 weeks, you should be fine. Another thing (and this is just my intuition, not really backed up by any research I've read) is to not give bottles yourself- this way baby associates the bottle only with other people and breastfeeding only with you, and this probably helps keep the bottle from interfering with breastfeeding. And (also just my opinion) I think it's a good idea to keep giving a bottle every once in a while after you've introduced it, so that baby doesn't forget. If he takes it well the first time, and so you don't try again for a few months, you may not be so successful the next time.

The type of bottle depends on the baby. Somebody here gave me the advice of getting just one of a few different types, and see what baby likes best. Then get more of those. That's what we did, and found that after trying all the more expensive ones, like Dr. Browns, Avent, and Adiri, our baby just wanted cheapo Evenflows.

If you're just going to be pumping occasionally, a manual pump might be OK. I have a Lansinoh manual and it's great. I also have the Ameda Purely Yours double electric and liked it also (as much as you ever can like a breast pump, anyway...) I used the electric at work, but found the manual to be much less hassle when I wasn't in a big hurry to produce a lot of milk.


As far as using the stored milk. DH would always run the bag under hot water to thaw it (if we forgot to put some in the fridge to thaw overnight). Then to warm it, he would heat some water in a mug in the microwave for about 1:45 seconds, and then set the bag of milk down in the hot water for a minute or two. Some babies will take it cold, though. But it might make the transition to bottle easier if the milk is body temp. Oh, and don't forget to pump anytime baby gets milk from the freezer, so you don't create supply problems. That's probably the ultimate "bottle not interfering with breastfeeding" tip.

[MamaPhD]

What kind of bottle would you suggest?
-We used several different bottles (Medela, Gerber NUK, and something else), but used the same nipples for all- Gerber NUK orthodontic slow flow from recommendation from dentist sister. Orthodontic shape nipple is supposed to be best for baby's mouth development.

What kind of pump would you suggest?
-I was working full time at the time, so I bought Medela Pump In Style Advance. It was expensive but I loved it because I could pump both sides at the same time really quick. For working 1x per week, though, it might not be worth it for you, though. I didn't like manual pumps.

I'd like to build up a bit of a freezer supply. I know it's best to thaw milk in the fridge...but then do you give it to the baby cold? Or leave it on the counter for awhile to get to room temperature?
-I always thawed frozen bag of milk under hot water at the sink. Takes like 20 seconds and thaws & warms milk at the same time. I would NOT leave milk on the counter, just cuz I might forget about it. It depends on baby whether they like milk warmed or not, though.

Also, how many ounces does a baby take at an average feeding?
-My DD took 3-4oz until 5 months old, then I quit my job, so she ate directly from boob.

My last question is about frequency of feedings. Right now, DS eats about 8-10 times a day. I assume that's going to gradually decrease. Could you give me an idea of what that might look like? For example, how many times a day does your 3 mo old eat? 4 mo? I'm just curious about how that generally changes, so I know a bit of what to expect.
-DD ate 8-10x per day until she was 10-11 months old (in addition to her several nice solid meals & water sippy cups!), then dropped to 5-6x per day until ~15 months old. I started to wean her around then (curently still weaning), and now we are doing 2 feedings per day at 17 mo.