Introducing a Bottle to Breastfed Baby

I would definitely start on a stage 1 nipple. Most kids aren't ready for a stage 2 or 3 for awhile longer. It is something you can talk to the lactation consultant at the hospital about - they usually have some useful advice.

You've got lots of great advice from everyone else already. I just wanted to remind you that the hospital that you deliver at should have lactation consultants on staff that you can make an appointment with for free(even after discharge). I would suggest utilizing them as much as you need- that's what they're there for. Good luck and Congrats!

Congratulations. I breastfed my second son almost exclusively until he was a year old. I introduced him to the bottle at three weeks and he received a bottle (with breastmilk) from others (like dad and grandma). I has great success with both boys using the avent bottles. With their system, they have different nipples based on the age of the child and each different nipple had a different flow rate.

My greatest problem came from external sorces. My employer would only let me pump once per day (even with a doctors note saying I had to pump more often due to repeated clogged milk ducts) and only during my lunch. They refused to provide any quiet space to do so until other woman complained that they could not talk on their cell phone in the bathroom while I was pumping. After being harassed by a fellow employee they finally allowed me to use an unused confrence room to pump and eat my lunch. But I did it for a year and my son got huge benefits out of it. Good Luck.

Most moms I know who EBF never use anything but slow-flow nipples! Since the breast never changes, they don't change the bottles either. Here are some tips on bottle feeding so that the baby doesn't get nipple confusion and start to prefer the bottle:

Have your partner introduce the bottle so that nursing is a special time back together.
Partner can wrap baby and/or bottle in one of your shirts or undershirts so it smells like you if the bottle isn't readily taken.
Stop after every 1/2 ounce or ounce to burp the baby. 1) More air is taken from the bottle. 2) Even the slowest-flow nipples are usually faster than the breast (unless you have a very strong let down) and most babies will take 4-6 ounces very quickly not realizing they are full. When you stop and burp often, they have time to get the message that they are full.
Never feed more than 3-4 ounces at a time (or more than you can pump in one sitting). Most women never have more than that in their breasts, so if you give more, their bellies expand and they expect more but you can't keep up.

LLLI.org and Kellymom.com have good info on bottle-feeding and pumping.
Good Luck!

Congrats to you. I have had wonderful success with the BreastFlow bottles made by FirstYears. They act just like the breast. No nipple confusion or anything. Good luck!

Hi T.,

I was told about a year ago when I was about to have my first, to use either Dr. Browns or Playtex Vent Aire Wide because the nipple is most like mom's and to definitely use stage 1 for awhile. In fact, my daughter just turned 1 and I still use stage 1 every now and then because I don't like her drinking too fast. She used to get sick every time I gave her stage 2. Also, I started giving her a bottle at 3 weeks and never had a problem with her not wanting to breastfeed anymore. Hope some of this info helps!

Use the slow flow nipples. Stage 1 I think they're called. Medela also makes a great bottle. It has a flat nipple and is suppose to me more like mom. I think we waited about 2 weeks before we introduced the bottle and I never had any problem. To help avoid confusion, someone else should give her the bottle. Preferably when you're not in the room. Congrats on your new baby! :D

I did the same thing with my second, when I went back to work at 5 weeks. I thought she would prefer the stage 2 bottles b/c the are bigger, more like the breast, and I got the fast flowing. In fact they were too big and fast for her and she struggled with them. We went back to newborn bottles, and actually had to try a couple of different kinds before she was comfortable. I would buy a couple of sizes and flow rates and she what your child is most comfortable with... oh and be aware that s/he might reject the bottle for a little while. It will be ok, thought. They will eat when they are hungry enough. My daughter rejected the bottle for two weeks when I was at work, but she is now 14 lbs and VERY healthy!

Congratulations, T., on your upcoming arrival! How exciting! I have a 9-1/2 year gap with my last two kids, and it's been great! Your older son is going to be a huge help to you when the new baby comes! I nursed my kids too, and my daughter (who just turned one) decided to wean herself at 7 months. I used the medium flow nipple, and she about choked to death. She had a hard time keeping up and would keep stopping, almost like she needed to catch her breath. I would start with the slow flow, especially for a new baby. You don't want to choke him out and then he won't even take the bottle. That's certainly not what you need to worry about if you're headed back to work!

I wish you the best of luck with your new baby!!

I know this goes against what every lactation consultant will say, but we used breast and bottle from the beginning. My first son didn't care at all. My second seemed to like to nurse more until I found out that the nipple wasn't fast enough for him. You may want to try it out from the get-go so you have time to play with bottles and nipples if your little one decides to be picky. Congratulations on the new little one!

congratulations! my daughter gets one smetimes 2 bottles a day, i use the medela nipples and bottle that came with my pump(slow flow). have someone else give her the bottle for the first time, you want the nipple to look as much like real as possible. ggod luck!

Yes, I would get the nipples with less holes.

Def stick with the slowest flow. I like the Playtex. My flow is so slow, so my daughter will only take a bottle now, but I think she would have kept nursing if I had a normal supply and flow. Also, if you want to keep nursing, only use a bottle when you are away. I'd say using a bottle at three weeks once a day to get things started is good.

Congratulations! I also EBF my son and had to go back to work in 12 weeks. I did not introduce the bottle or the pacifier until 4 weeks. I also recommend not giving a pacifier until then too to avoid any nipple confustion from a paci or bottle until breastfeeding/latching on is well established.
I still EBF him (6 months old now) and still use slow flow nipples. I have both the #1 and #2 Advent nipples (I think they are for 0-1month and 2 months) I switch back and forth and he as no problems. I also occasionally use the medela slow flow nipples/bottles that came with my pump, just depends on what bottles I have available. (I pump in bottles and store in freezer to minimize extra handlings, therefore I rotate through about 12-15 bottles. I have no plans of getting bigger nipples, he is taking them just fine.
I nurse 3-4 times per day and he takes 2-3 bottles per day now, and has no problems going back and forth. However, the only problem I had was that he would not (and still doesn't) take bottles from me very well. He'll fuss and squirm and reach for the breast. However he has no problems taking a bottle from anyone else.
Good luck!

My baby had to go to the NICU a day after her birth for about 4 days. They gave her bottles, and she did develop "nipple confusion". I was devastated that she would take formula over nursing, which the nurses suggested we "supplement" her with when she wouldn't nurse. I had a meltdown and called in a lactation consultant, who saved my life! I had a perfect nursing session with her help, and she told me that when I got home not to give the baby any bottles for 3 weeks, at which time she would be a "professional" at nursing. It's impossible to say how things will go once you go back to work, but I do recommend joining a breastfeeding support group and contacting a lactation consultant, such as those at the Elizabeth Blackwell Center in Columbus, whenever you are struggling. You have the legal right to take 12 weeks off work, so if it is financially feasible, I would do it. If you add up gas and childcare expenses, you may find that it makes more sense to stay home with your baby. Good luck!

My son, who is now 5, was introduced the bottle on the second day of life due to jaundice issues. I was in school full time when I had him, so he got bottle and breast equally each day. He did awesome with both.
What I felt worked with for us is that I never fed the bottle. If I was feeding he got the breast. If I could not for some reason give him the breast, someone else gave him the bottle. We used regular medium flow nipples. He much rather prefered breastfeeding over bottle.

I definitely suggest a slow flow nipple. My kids liked the Avent bottles/nipples the best, though my youngest never did take to a bottle very well. The other two were champs, though, and easily did the breast feeding/bottle feeding very easily.

First, get the slow-flow nipples (ie, fewer holes). My breastfed babies never took more than a #2 and that was when they were 10-12 months old!

Second, don't wait that long to introduce the bottle or you're baby may never take it! We waited the recommended 4 weeks to start a bottle with our first-born and regretted it often. He NEVER drank from a bottle. Absolutely hated it. Around 4 months old we introduced a sippy cup with water at mealtimes and then after a few weeks of that, he'd take expressed breastmilk in the sippy cup. However, he NEVER took any formula (and we tried many brands). So we learned our lesson... with our 2nd and 3rd children, we introduced a bottle of formula at about 1 week old. Never had ANY problems whatsoever with breastfeeding. The bottle was just like once a week when I was out anyways. They would switch back and forth with no issues. We kept the #0 nipple for a few months and then switched to the #1 nipple until they were about 10 months old.

Most of my friends introduce a bottle of formula early and have no problems at all breastfeeding. I have heard more stories of problems of waiting a few weeks to give the bottle and then the child never taking it... end up crying all day at daycare becasue they are hungry but still refuse the bottle.

Hi- I have a six month old son and am still breastfeeding and working full time. I introduced a bottle within the first month and had no problems. Be sure to only use a slow flow nipple. As long as you are breastfeeding you don't change the nipple - they need to work as hard on the bottle as they do the breast. My son has no problem taking the bottle or breastfeeding. I also introduced a pacifier from day 2, and had no issues, he liked the pacifier in the beginning, but only wants it occasionally.
If you plan to work & pump - check out this website: http://www.workandpump.com/
I found most of the books I read didn't contain much information for a full time working mom, this website is full of great info.
Enjoy your new bundle of joy!!

I nursed my second child for two years and my now 15 month old is still nursing. I just started him on the Dr. Brown's bottle because I found it wasn't so much the nipple that was the problem as much as it was having to release the nipple to get more milk. They have to unlatch to let the air back in on a regular bottle with the Dr. Browns it has a special insert that prevents them from having to do that. They can just continually suck and get milk until they are full. I hope pumping works well for you too and congratulations on your new baby. Remember that if pumping is hard not to give up nursing you can still nurse all evening and at night which will be good for baby too.

There is a nipple from Playtex nursers, they are a hole in the top of the bottle, not pointing directly at the back of the throat, but at the roof of the mouth, I had loads of success with it, and was able to breastfeed and bottlefeed for almost two years with my two youngest.

Congratulations! I breast fed my daughter (now 20 mos.) for about a year. I still don't use bottles with more than one hole in the nipple. Playtex makes them with one hole but different flows. We used the slow ones at first. Grace did go through some nipple confusion at first, but with nursing more often while at home we, worked through it just fine. I would recommend that you do not feed her by the bottle if you can. That way your baby will know that when they feed with mommy it is by the breast. More than likely you shouldn't have any problems and your baby will come to look forward to that special time with mommy. I would always try to feed right when you pick her up, your baby will want to reconnect with you this way. If you are using daycare, just speak with the staff and let them know you will need a few minutes each day when you pick up your baby to do this and find out where you can do it.

Good luck and post back with any other questions!