Breast and bottle feeding

[First time mum]

Hi Girls

Just wanting some advice.
I'm getting myself a bit confused with what my expectations should be around breast and bottle feeding/nipple confusion etc.
I plan to try and breast feed BUT how early on can I express and give my baby my expressed milk as well as from the breast, if at all?
I keep hearing "nipple confusion" all the time, but if I get specific bottles can I do this realistically?

All replies would be gratefully received - many thanks x

 

[keelie_b]

hiya,
I read everywhere not to express until 6 weeks because of this nipple confusion but my LO wont sleep until around 4am, and my OH always stays up till late so i go to bed and leave him some bottles and OH feeds him until he falls asleep. I was also VERY against giving my baby a dummy, but my nipples were sooo sore and Dylan wanted to comfort suck for hours so ended up with a dummy on day 5.
never had any problems with him being confused and life is a lot easier, this system really works for us.
Good luck to you xx

 

[ASD123456]

They advise against introducing a bottle/ expressing until 6 weeks.

I personally expressed and gave a bottle at 3 weeks without any problems or nipple confusion. Mind you at that stage I only used a bottle once a week say so never long enough to be a problem. I know a few girls on the forum have given their LOs one bottle a day from the start (because they have had problems etc) and have not had nipple confusion problems. I think the risk of 'nipple confusion' varies from baby to baby, like all things.

TBH, I was lazy and found in 100 times easier to breastfeed than bottle feed so only used bottle when I had driving lessons.

xxx

 

[bobby1]

I have not experienced any nipple confusion with Kai. We used a dummy very early on, actually on the advice of the MW because it really helped him settle.

We have given him a bottle of expressed milk overnight as I was just so exhausted and OH could do one night to gimme a break. We haven't had any trouble though..

 

[Sherlock]

I had a lovely long reply typed out and it got lost

Short version

Have a read of this FAQ

http://www.pregnancyforum.co.uk/forum/v ... 5&t=104775

The 6 week period is advised to make sure BF'ing is well and truly established. Also babies can start to perfer milk from bottles if teats make it too easy for them and they don't have to work for the milk like they do on the boob. And yes, for some babies nipple confusion can occur. From my reading it seems to be in babies who don't latch correctly or are not great feeders etc anyways. But thats not to say a brilliant BF'ing baby won't start to prefer a bottle if its easier.

I expressed a few times when LO was around 3 weeks old on advice from my HV for medical reasons. TBH it was more of a pain than BF'ing him. I had to express in between during a time when LO was wanting to feed ALOT and then get OH to go warm the milk up, get LO etc and feed him (advised for Mum to not feed baby expressed milk as baby can smell milk on you etc and its confusing) was more hassle than it was worth. I could have fed LO and been asleep in the time it took OH to get organised.

 

[NickyB]

TBH it was more of a pain than BF'ing him.

Definitely! I've expressed a couple of times and Lucy decided she'd rather hold out and have it from the source! So she won't take a bottle, and it takes AGES to try and get enough out to leave her with Grandma for the evening. It all ended up going down the sink!!

 

[1588]

I expressed from 6 wks after advice from HV. We used TT closer to nature bottles which she took straight away even though she won't take any kind of dummy at all.

I made sure that someone else fed her with the bottle first time which worked really well. But to be honest I don't find the time to express as she feeds every 2-3hrs but I do try to keep a supply in the freezer so that I can go out from time to time and leave her with mum or OH. Plus I heard it helps with weaning as I only plan to BF til 6 months.

 

[Chrissy1]

I've expressed one bottle a day for Poppy since the day my milk came in (day 3 I think) and I've never once had a problem with her having any nipple confusion. Now she's getting a bit older and knowing what she prefers she does prefer the breast and will play around with a bottle for about 30 secs before she takes the milk but she's never had any problem going on my boob after a bottle.

I've always just used phillips Avent bottles and teats because I got them in a set with the steriliser and breast pump and she's been fine with them.

She flatly refuses a dummy though!!! Just won't have it in her mouth and just pushes it out again even though we got her Avent dummies too! fussy little begger.

From my own experience I found Poppy willing to take milk from whereever she could get it when she was young and it's only as she's getting older that she's starting to show preferences. For me I prefer to give breast because it's a lot easier and quicker but giving her one bottle a day helps me to be able to get a rest if I'm tired and gives hubby a chance for some quiet alone time with Poppy for him to be able to bond with her too which I know he loves.

I think that it's just a case of see what your baby is like but I think way too much is made out of 'nipple confusion' and babies are just happy to get their milk!!!

 

[First time mum]

Thanks so much for your replies girls, I feel much better informed with the whole thing