Using bottle to feed

[xxbeckyxx]

Sorry if this is a bit long winded, but I would like to be able to express breastmilk and put it in a bottle for other people to feed my baby once my milk is established (I'm guessing about 4 weeks after she's born??) I would like my OH to be able to feed baby and also to be able to leave baby with mum for longer than an hour if I need to without worrying.
However...

1. My mum says that unless baby is introduced to a bottle teat fairly early then she might not take it, apparently none of us (me+siblings) would accept a bottle because she didn't try them till quite late. So when would I be introducing bottles? I don't want to do it too early as I don't really want to express till my milk is sorted.

2. Midwife says that you shouldn't use bottles at all if you are breastfeeding as some babies find them a lot easier to drink from (don't have to suck so hard) and then won't go back to your breast afterwards cos it's hard work.

What are people's experiences with this??
I'm not planning on leaving baby for long periods of time shortly after she is born, but I have bought OH a weekend away with me in March for his christmas pressie and mum says she's happy to babysit for the weekend as long as the baby is ok to feed from bottle. Baby will be about 4.5 months old so I would like her to still be just on breastmilk at this age. It's the only thing that's worrying me slightly about planning the trip!

Any help/experiences would be appreciated, first time expectant mum so haven't got a clue, so even if you tell me all the above is completely wrong that's ok!!

 

[lucylu87]

Im a first time mum too so cant help but would love the answers to all ur questions too. x

 

[Emmamb]

i left my youngest for an evenin when he was 3 weeks old but my boobs were so heavy and painful after missing a feed that i had to go home early.

make sure the bottles u use r breastfeeding friendly eg avent,tommee tippee closer to natuer etc.
I cant quite remember how i made sure he'd take bottle but think i just tried him wiv 1 about a week b4 i was due to go out.
i found easiest way to express milk is straight after a feed,express whats left,itl help build ur supply up aswel xxx

 

[Stunned]

I'D like an answer too especially since I plan on mix feeding after 4 to 6 weeks. Breast feed through the day, express and store last feed before bedtime and give formula to encourage sleeping through the night. The stored feeds are
to be used if baby is away from me for long, cos
I probably will need some time to myself occassionally after having baby attached to nipple permanently.

 

[kellylou]

I have heard the best bottles are the dr brown for combining but i have tommee tippee closer to nature ones and hope they do the job, am gonna try and get established breastfeeding and introduce a bottle feed once in the day etc

 

[ZMD]

i offered tegan a bottle just before she turned 4 weeks old she has one occasionaly if i go out or shes really playing up so OH has her. i use tomme tippe closer to nature bottles and she seems fine with them x

 

[BMadx]

Hi. I had to top up with formula for first three days and had bought a medela swing beforehand so used that bottle. For the first four weeks I expressed 2-3 times a day and used to top up my little one whenever he seemed to need it, and also one of the night feeds (usually 3am one) was just expressed milk from the medela bottle. I thought the flow was a bit too fast from that teat so I bought an avent bottle and also later bought the medela calma teat. The teat on the medela calma is quite good to use whilst your still establishing breastfeeding as baby needs to work quite hard to get milk out with the same sucking action as feeding.

We are now at 8 weeks and I still top up the 10pm feed with expressed milk and do the 2-3am feed with just expressed. I then express with the pump during the morning feed with baby on one side and pump on the other (pump around 100-150mls). I will always have a spare bottle of expressed milk in the fridge in case I need to go out and mum or OH need to look after baby. I always tend to feed him before I go out but the little monkey does like to play a bit during the day as I demand feed so we don't have much of a day routing, but do have a good evening/night time one.

I'm planning a trip to the city tomorrow (weather dependent) and will take expressed milk with me in case I can't find anywhere decent (and warm!) to feed. The midwives in my area have mixed opinions on the need for bottles if breastfeeding, and the BF clinics I went to were totally against it and even made me feel guilty (so I never went back). I'm happy with the routine we have now and it means I get more rest at night and OH can do the night time top up so I can get an extra half hour of sleep. Bubs only normally takes 10-20mls top up but it's still worth it to get the extra hour or so undisturbed sleep.

Hope that helps!
x

 

[xxbeckyxx]

BMadx - I know what you mean about midwives/bf people being against it, but that sort of attitude stops me asking them for help. You'd think they'd be happy I was trying to give breast milk but it's just not good enough for them!
So glad to have this forum for these questions!

 

[Rowesb]

I'D like an answer too especially since I plan on mix feeding after 4 to 6 weeks. Breast feed through the day, express and store last feed before bedtime and give formula to encourage sleeping through the night. The stored feeds are
to be used if baby is away from me for long, cos
I probably will need some time to myself occassionally after having baby attached to nipple permanently.

I had/have to give T expressed milk for his gaviscon before each feed. I found it easier to give it him in a bottle with 1/2 oz and then bf him, I have been doing this from early on and I think doing this caused him less confusion in the long run, so may be worth trying. He does down the bottles differently, will feed for ages off me but downs 3-4 oz without stopping for breath from a bottle which I think is what gets him

I have quoted this as it is not necessarily formula that helps them sleep, Toby has gone for 8hrs plus since a few weeks old and is fully bf, I think a lot is the temperament of the baby, i'ld see how you both settle before adding in the formula, as this is highly likely to affect your supply at other times too


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[Minchin]

Hey there

I introduced a bottle at 4 weeks ish and he has no trouble taking that and boob. I express every morning and OH gives LO the expressed milk at the 11pm ish feed. We use Dr Browns bottles and like those a lot. Hope this helps?! I didn;t have much of a clue how I was gonna do things before I started and then it just kinda worked itself out!

 

[midnight]

good question im too a total novice and im split on bf or formula feeding i formula fed all my others and my last ds has bad asthma and 1 of the reasons id like to give it a go id also like to try as i have never tried it i considered it on my last but with me having a disabled child the MW advised me that it would be best to bottle feed so i did and i know this will be my last baby so dont want to think god i never even tried i have so many questions buzzing in my head lol
my MW said once baby is established it will be ok to express and bottle feed and even though they recommend not before 6 weeks this is only a guide line and most babies are established before this time my questions are

1 when do you express like before feed after feed between feeds morning/evening and how many times a day

2 how do you stor ethe milk fridge freezer?? and how long does this milk last???

3 what bottle is the best and what pump?

4 are dummies a no go?????

5 how long during the day and night are you actually going to have baby to the breast in the early days??

i wont even go into bras and breastfeeding tops lol


and sorry for the long post i really do not have a clue

 

[flexilexi394]

Midnight, I'll have a go with your questions-
I think you have to express whenever you are most full, some people do it in morn, some in the bath, I'm gonna try it whenever I can and see when's best. I will breastfeed solely until 6 weeks.
I have the tommee tippee manual breast pump closer to nature and tommee t closer to nature bottles to use.
I have dummies because I think if they use your breast for comfort rather than food that's just inconvenient so gonna use a dummy if I come across this problem!
Apparently baby doesn't feed for too long in early days because their tummies are only small and they can't hold much milk, so I guess it will be little and often for a little while.
I've got myself 2 nursing bras and going to get 2 more next week.
I am just going to wear vests under normal clothes that stretch down so I can lift top up but vest down as I don't know how my normal clothes are going to work with breastfeeding.
Hope this helps, bearing in mind I have never done this before so someone that has may answer a little better lol. X

 

[flexilexi394]

Might I add, I'm plannin on breastfeeding for a long time, but I mean I'd like to have the option of expressing too. X

 

[midnight]

thankyou i was thinking vests under loose clothing would be way cheaper than the nursing tops too
hopefully all will go ok with us both then eh? and hope this baby doesnt get as hungry as my others as i had to put them on hungry baby feed almost straight away