When to introduce bottle for BF baby?

[etwahl]

I'm not there yet (3 more moonths!) but I've been reading conflicting things in different books. Some say to wait until the baby is 6 weeks old to introduce a bottle, and some say to do it at 2 weeks, otherwise there's a chance they will never take it.

Also, what's a good number of times per week to give the bottle?

Tammy,
Mom-to-be Mar 8, 2003!

[megsmom]

Just like most parenting advice, the range of opinions is out there on this one. I personally think introducing the bottle earlier (2-3 weeks) is better. Babies are still fairly flexible at this point and will accept something new. If you give it infrequently, every 1-2 days, this will help to keep them interested in the bottle and likely not result in nipple confusion. I had to introduce the bottle fairly early due to low milk supply (at 2 weeks) and gave it here and there as needed. It never caused nipple confusion for Meg.

Jen
mom to Meghan
born 7/13/01

[nohomama]

We introduced Lola to a bottle between 4 and 5 weeks without any problems. I felt like it took us that long to get breastfeeding down and aside from nipple confusion, didn't want to give her an easy out from the breast.

In our case, it was actually my partner Daniel who introduced the bottle. Once a day, usually before bedtime, he would give Lola a bottle and I would leave the room. It allowed them to bond in a way that they previously hadn't been able to and set the precident that people other than Mama could serve up some milk.

[Karenn]

We introduced it at 3 weeks and he took it fine with no problem- no confusion. We gave it every other day or so. Then we went on vacation for 3 weeks and didn't use a bottle. When we came back, he refused it. We had to try a bunch of different bottles/nipples before he would take one again. (Ended up with Gerber and all my pricey Avent bottles went to waste!) So, I think the "3 week" advice that I received was probably right on the money. Now he gets a bottle once a week and that seems fine.
Good luck!
Karen

[cara1]

we started a bottle w/in the first week when i was having problems. DH gave 1 per night for a while & there was no confusion. Then we stopped bottles for a while, & it was horrible convincing DS to take them again by the time I went back to work.

I think that as long as BF is well-established (for mom & baby), it's ok to start bottle.

[juliasdad]

The research I did all seemed to point towards the 4-5 week area, and so that's what we had planned to do. Unfortunately, I came down with something so nasty that I decided to keep my distance from babygirl for a week, and so it was actually a lot closer to 6 weeks when she got her first bottle (we agreed that it was important for me to give it to her; thought she might be too distracted by mom, and didn't want anyone else giving her one before we got her better established).

I had no problems giving her the first bottle; she took right to it without a second thought. I made sure mom was nowhere in sight or scent, and I held DD in as much the same way as mom does as possible while feeding. We use Dr. Brown's wide bottles, and it was pretty neat to actually see her at the bottle the same way she's at breast, with her lips turned out.

Since then, I try to give her one bottle per day; during the week, I'll do her last feeding of the night, and on weekends I get up with her and do her first feeding of the morning while mom gets some more sleep. Have yet to have a problem. This is all with expressed breast milk.

-dan

[ct]

With my first we started the bottle at around 3-4 weeks and she was okay taking it. With my second, we started at 2 weeks and he took it without any problems, so I'd definitely recommend the sooner than later approach. With DD we gave expressed BM, with DS we are giving formula (I don't have time to pump with a 2 YO and a 1MO :) - I pumped several times and it's just too hard to juggle everything). We give him a bottle every 2-3 days and he has taken it great, although this week he has decided he won't take it from me, only my husband and my mom. I'll keep trying though. Best of luck to you...

ct
SAHM to Lilli (9/20/00) & Alec (10/21/02)

[Momof3Labs]

We introduced a bottle at around 4.5 weeks. I've been repeatedly told 4-6 weeks. If you offer it too early, you risk bf'ing problems, and if you wait too long, you risk the baby rejecting the bottle. A LC has told me to continue to offer a bottle at least 2-3 times per week to maintain his interest.

Lori
mommy to Colin Daniel 9/28/02

[mamahill]

UGH! I wish we had been consistent earlier on. DD took a bottle for the first week (about one a day) because she was having latch issues. Then we held off for a couple weeks, gave her another. Then we waited another couple weeks and BAM - she had grown an opinion. Since then she will NOT take a bottle and like someone else said, all my pretty Avent bottles have gone to waste (well, now we can use the sippy-cup tops with them, so we're SORT of using them). I don't think nipple confusion is all it's cracked up to be. I think LCs fear that we'll give up on BF because it's harder (initially). When we have #2, I will introduce a bottle from the beginning and continue with the 1 a day. Don't get me wrong, I love BF and am already dreading the thought of weaning (still several months down the road!), but a break every now and then would be nice... oh well, they're only this small once!

Don't worry, you'll learn as you go. I don't think there's necessarily a right or wrong answer, but more of what is right for you (ah, isn't motherhood so wonderfully vague?!).

[egoldber]

Due to various issues, my DD had a bottle in the hospital and then approximately one a day from then on. She never had a problem with nipple confusion and would happily nurse from the breast or take a bottle. My (very pro breastfeeding) ped indicated that while nipple confusion is a real issue for some babies, it is not terribly common.

HTH,