When to Start a Bottle
What to Consider When Offering the Bottle if You are Breastfeeding
It does not take a new mother long to realize that breastfeeding requires being "on call" 24 hours a day. Her baby's need to eat around the clock, though necessary, can be tiring. It can also limit what mothers are able to do away from their babies. However as desperate as you might feel to simply start feeding your baby a bottle to give yourself a break, there are some important things to remember before you initiate either pumped breastmilk or formula in a bottle.
Breastfeeding and Bottle-feeding are Different
How your baby sucks at your breast versus a bottle is completely different. With a breastfed baby, she needs to open wide, take as much of your aureola in her mouth and then compress behind the aureola to press milk out. A good analogy is to think about opening up and taking a big bite of a large cheeseburger. You wouldn't get much meat if you just nibbled on the end of the bun. Suffice it to say, the baby's jaws do most of the work and it's a bit more of a workout!
In bottle-feeding, the baby doesn't have to open nearly as wide and the breastmilk or formula will simply dribble out on its own. The baby can suck on the tip of the bottle nipple and the liquid pours out much more quickly and easily.
Why Babies Can Get Nipple Confusion
Because the baby needs to suck in completely different ways from breast to bottle, some babies may not be able to easily learn how to go back and forth from breastfeeding to bottle-feeding without getting confused. They may try to suck at the tip of the mother's breast just like they do the bottle. Not only does this hurt the mother, but it doesn't allow the milk behind the aureola to flow out of the sinuses. They also may begin to prefer a bottle since it is easier to get the breastmilk or formula out as opposed to nursing at the breast.
How to Know if Your Baby has Nipple Confusion
If your baby has nipple confusion, you might notice that after receiving a bottle, she has more difficulty the next time you try latching her to the breast. She may try to suck on the tip of the breast. She may even pull away or cry. This is a sure sign of nipple confusion if breastfeeding has been going well and your baby has more difficulty latching right after you start a bottle.
Believe it or not, babies can also have nipple confusion by sucking on anything else but the mother's breast, including a pacifier.
To prevent further problems from nipple confusion, stop feeding your baby a bottle and resort to exclusive breastfeeding. Be sure you know good techniques for breastfeeding, latching and use other feeding devices such as a sippy cup or supplemental nursing system (SNS) to feed your baby.
When to Start a Bottle with Your Breastfed Baby
It is best to wait until your baby is latching well consistently at each feeding, you have a good milk supply and the baby's weight gain is right where it needs to be before starting a bottle. For most mothers, it will take about 2-3 weeks before all of these breastfeeding issues come together and you and your baby are both ready for a bottle. If you give your baby a bottle and your baby has difficulty getting on the breast at the next feed, it is too soon to be giving him a bottle.
You can also make the mistake of waiting too long to give your baby a bottle. By 6 weeks, many babies will get set in their ways and may refuse taking a bottle. In most cases, the ideal time to start a bottle will be between 2-4 weeks postpartum.
If you have any questions about when to start a bottle for your breastfed baby, talk to your local La Leche League leader or breastfeeding consultant.
When did you start a bottle for the first time? Share a comment here.
Starting a Bottle
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