Advice needed:) Need to introduce a bottle to a b****** nb

[mamamac]

I second everyone elses advice, but I do want to add something...

I was one of those Mama's that didn't introduce the bottle right away, so now when I am at work, my husband has a heck of a time getting her to eat. I work for 24 hours and pump every 2-3 hours and once after midnight. Your milk supply is usually greatest in the morning, so while you feed the baby, immediately pump the other side when you are done. Or if you are more talented than me, pump and feed at the same time.

Also, make sure you use the newborn nipples on the bottle as long as you are still bfing. This makes the baby work for the milk just as they do when they nurse.

Check out www.workandpump.com , they had a lot of info about pumping and bottlefeeding.

Good luck!

[MamaMel]

I really woundn't do it. It would be too risky for me to introduce the bottle that early. I go to LLL twice a month and always hear "I tried bfing w/ my first but he/she decided they liked the bottle better." How would you feel IF you DC decided they liked the bottle better? I mean at night time you flow is slower and they have to work harder to get the milk so he/she might decided that its not worth it and just want a bottle?

I would use either I cup spoon or dropper.

Here on kellymom is some great sites for how to use those

http://www.kellymom.com/bf/pumping/a...eding.html#Cup

and then around 6 weeks introduce a bottle

[ahisma]

Thanks for all the advice

I'm glad to know that this is possible...not definitively possible, but still possible nonetheless. I think that it's going to be pretty rough at first...but hopefully we'll get into a routine that works. I'm *not* looking forward to pumping at school...but I'm sure I'll get over that.

[ahisma]

Originally Posted by MamaMel I really woundn't do it. It would be too risky for me to introduce the bottle that early. I go to LLL twice a month and always hear "I tried bfing w/ my first but he/she decided they liked the bottle better." How would you feel IF you DC decided they liked the bottle better? I mean at night time you flow is slower and they have to work harder to get the milk so he/she might decided that its not worth it and just want a bottle? I would use either I cup spoon or dropper. Here on kellymom is some great sites for how to use those http://www.kellymom.com/bf/pumping/a...eding.html#Cup and then around 6 weeks introduce a bottle

MamaMel...

I've thought about the cup and dropper options, and also looked into finger feeding. I'm not sure how DH would handle it though...he's already going to be on his own with newborn, a 7 y.o. and cloth diapers

Luckily, nighttime is when I'll be gone, I'll be home in the morning and during the day. Do you think it would help if DH were the only one offering bottles, and then only when I'm not around? n Sort of like...when I'm here bf is the only option.

I guess I'm coming to terms with the fact that I may have to pump and feed EBF if he rejects bf in favor of a bottle. That is far from my ideal solution, but maybe not the world's worst "worst case scenario"?

[geckoed]

DS was in the NICU in one hospital, I was in another! I had to pump and find someone to deliver the milk. A finger feeder or cup feeding is easy and "better" some say. It worked quite well for us. They had me pump 15 min each side every 2 hours. My milk came in quite well that way. The first week since you'll have a nursing baby too I would feed on the left and pump the right for one feeding, then feed on the right and pump the left next time. So one-sided feedings (it works FINE I PROMISE) and you'll be pumping every feeding initially.