Nipple confusion???

[Sleepy sue]

Hi ladies, I went to antenatal classes recently one specifically on bf. I was told that if you are bf you can't give the baby a bottle, even with expressed milk due to nipple confusion and LO may not go back on the breast.
My DH is completely gutted about this he was so looking forward to feeding our little man. Do any of you have experience of combined feeding or nipple confusion?

I so want to find a way that he can feed him x x

 

[TORino]

I thought you could introduce a bottle once feeding was established? After a few weeks etc?

 

[littlemuffin]

See I heard that you can.

As my friend is trying to wean (have I spelt that right???) her baby, and she is confused and wont drink out of a beaker, or anything. So i've been told it's best to do both, so they don't find it uncomfortable when you don't BF.

You do what you want to do. I will be hopefully BF and pumping so my OH can feed.

 

[pinkyprincess]

When we first brought Tyler home I was exhausted. That night OH stayed up with him and bottle fed him so I could get some sleep (which did me a world of good!) he went back to bfing fine BUT a couple of days in I got sore nipples and used nipple shields one night (and a dummy!) the next day he wouldn't take at all. The midwife was due over and god knows what she did but she got him latched on again. Since then I've been too scared to give him a bottle but as he's now 3 weeks old I've started expressing so hopefully over the next few weeks I can introduce the occasional bottle.

 

[JensBump]

My SIL found that her LO just would not take a dummy or anything other than the breast so there is always that possibility

 

[3p2oz]

I did a bit of both from the first couple of weeks with my first. She would easily switch between breast and bottle(i would express for the bottle). I fed her myself for 3 months and it made it very easy to move her onto the bottle fully. Hubby helped lots when i was tired by bottle feeding and enjoyed the bonding he got with our girlie xxx

 

[jojo_2012]

Once baby is bfing properly you can give them a bottle if they'll take it. There's lots of other jobs for OH to do, bathing etc he won't feel left out when baby comes trust me.

* tapatalking from my bb *

 

[Princess81]

My l/o has been having breast and bottle (expressed) from birth and has been fine x

 

[l_maclean]

Our midwife said that nipple confusion is pretty rare, but that it does happen. We were told you're best to wait about 4 weeks, after that they should have mastered the boob, and be fine.

And if dads are worried about bonding, get them to do the other bits like bathing and nappies, feedings just a little bit of the work at first.

Xxx

 

[BevG]

yeah i read that they say to bf for about 6 weeks to get it established and then you can introduce a bottle if u want to

 

[Princess81]

It was a concern of mine, but as Cam was premature, he needed top ups with formula whilst he was still in hospital. I mentioned this concern to the midwife who informed me that it is extremely rare for nipple confusion to occur. And now he happily feeds from the breast and from a bottle and never had any trouble taking a dummy either.x

 

[BabyBrain]

My sister did 50/50 feeding for her 2 boys and they were fine with it, I'll be doing it with Albert too. LO will soon learn that Daddys "nipples" are different to yours lol and will adapt xxxxxxxxx

 

[Samsgirl]

im also hoping to be able to express so that hubby can have a go with the feeding...in my mind will probably try to introduce this after a couple of weeks....but will just see how it goes..xx

 

[BabyBrain]

I have been told you shouldn't express before 6 weeks if you can help it, something to do with the way the milk is??? dunno how true it is though xxxxxxx

 

[l_maclean]

I have been told you shouldn't express before 6 weeks if you can help it, something to do with the way the milk is??? dunno how true it is though xxxxxxx

I'd not heard that one - one of the girls in my antenatal class had to express for her first from the very beginning cos he was 12 weeks early and in the nicu. xxx

 

[benjis mum]

The midwifes and HV have to promote sole breast feeding and arent suppose to encourage any kind of bottle or formula. But in the real world lots of parents successfully do a mixture of both. I expressed my first bottle for Ben when he was about 2 weeks old and he took to it fine, whereas a friend of mine has introduced a bottle at 15 weeks and her baby will not touch it. Every baby will be different, some will cope and some will refuse or get confused so i suppose it depends on how much you feel about sole breast feeding, if you're happy to do it then maybe don't introduce a bottle as the others have said until 4-6 weeks but be prepared that by then baby may be so use to nipple that they refuse bottle..........

Oh why is everything so complicated!!!!!

 

[lyndsey_28]

hey hun

i bf my 2nd son and while in hosp overnight mw gave hima bottle of formula to top him as they say!! as he was constanty latched as milk dont come in properly for a few days and i was exhausted and baby latched back onto me fine!!

when i got home i fed him as much as i could but sometimes did th occasional bottle feed with formula to fill him up a bit more and never had a problem, but i used the tommee tippee closer to nature bottles as apparently they resemble the nipple/breast more than any other bottles after 1st week i expressed milk at times so other half could feed baby and he always latched back on fine, but i suppose every baby is different and u will only find out once baby arrives which they prefer if not both xxx

 

[Princess81]

The mw's in the hospital had me hooked up to the breast pump from day one

 

[x_larlybelle_x]

I have breastflow bottles. They r supposed to make baby work as hard on them as they do on the breast. Not sure of it will work but thats my plan so DH can feed Pip at night if I need to sleep.

 

[Sleepy sue]

Thanks ladies, it's amazing what contradictory advice we receive as expectant moms. I def think I'm going to try and combine feed with expressed milk. I have the tommee tippee bottles that are supposed to be good. I'll prob wait a few weeks before trying it, but then make sure I have hv or mw visiting the day after so if I need advice on latching etc she is there.
Nothing is ever easy grrrrr lol x x