2019. Constantly changing the feeding position or switching out new nipples may just end up confusing (and frustrating) him. When to Introduce a Bottle to a Breastfed Baby. American Academy of Pediatrics. As always, what works best for your family may vary from what is outlined below: Nursing frequently and using the breast as a pacifier are what builds a good milk supply and helps you and your baby develop a special closeness during the period immediately after your baby’s birth. The transition from breastfeeding to bottle feeding is a major change for the infant. Waiting too long can lead to a baby who is nipple-preferenced. See more on breastfeeding and the working mom. The #1 app for tracking pregnancy and baby growth. You will continue this pattern until you have enough milk stored in your freezer to get you through a normal work day plus a few extra for any hectic day at work where you may not have been able to pump as often. American Family Physician 68(11):2129-33. https://www.aafp.org/afp/2003/1201/p2129.html [Accessed July 2019]. For more information on easing this transition, see our article on how to wean your baby. Plan to leave your baby for 1-2 hours before you go back. If you are generating a PDF, click Save. And why not? It can be difficult to get a fully breastfed baby to accept a bottle and teat if it is not introduced by 3 months of age, so offering baby an occasional bottle feed from around 6-8 weeks of age can help. Earlier than this, baby is still getting used to adquiring the right skills to breastfeed – introducing a bottle will only confuse him. if your baby is 6 months old or more and can drink milk from a cup, you may not need to introduce a bottle at all; For more information, see drinks and cups for babies. How to Introduce Bottle Feeding to Your Breastfed Baby. Others may tell you that if you just wait him out, he'll eventually be hungry enough to take a bottle. Baby should be held in an upright, almost sitting, position that is similar to the position usually used by the support person. Most lactation consultants agree that a bottle should not be introduced to a baby until they are at least a month old and breastfeeding is well established. What if I want to skip the bottle and teach my baby to drink from a cup? That won't work for you, but it might work for Dad! Our FAQs present information on topics of interest to parents of breastfed children. When discussing baby bottles the term “flow rate” refers to how fast the milk comes out of the bottle nipple when baby is sucking. Your pediatrician may have given you a total number of ounces your baby may feed in a day or a range from the smallest probable amount to the largest, based on your baby’s weight. Introducing bottle to a breastfed baby can be challenging. I go through best practice on bottle feeding a breastfed baby and paced feedings here. 1. This opens the browser print window. (Find more information on such topics as sterilizing bottles and how often to bottle-feed in our article on bottle-feeding basics.). Your baby needs time to get used to new sensations, so stick with the same nipple, bottle, and feeding technique for a while before trying something new. Give your baby a bottle after breastfeeding. When you have enough stored to equal the expected volume and a bit more, you can begin to plan a time to introduce a bottle. Many breastfed babies associate “boob time” with mom alone and consider bottle-feeding an entirely separate activity. If you are returning to work or school, plan ahead and do a trial run or rehearsal of the new routine. That means the magic window for offering a bottle is somewhere between 3 and 6 weeks. When is the best time to introduce a bottle to a breastfed baby? There are some advantages to this method: There's no chance of nipple confusion, and you won't be tempted to prop up your baby with a bottle at nap time or bedtime (which can lead to tooth decay). Look for bottles with a slow flow rate, gradually sloped nipple shape, and a nipple tip that looks like a real nipple (not strangely shaped) Your baby is very wise and will wait for you to come feed her if she knows you are nearby. I've tried everything, but my baby is only getting more frustrated and resistant. If you're returning to work, start bottle-feeding at least two weeks before your start date so you both have time to adjust. Of course, helping your baby drink from a cup is time-consuming. Thaw out the 2-ounce bottle in the refrigerator overnight. Turns out, that was one of the keys to my success. Head to the … Before the birth of our first baby, lactation consultants recommended introducing baby to a bottle between four and six weeks of age. 6. Some have found that it can help to have an article of clothing you have worn, like a nightgown or t-shirt, to place on their arm, shoulder, or chest where the baby can smell your scent. You want breastfeeding to be well-established and practiced. The information in this post is also contained in our Working & Breastfeeding article. When Can I Introduce a Bottle to a Breastfed Baby? If your baby is having a hard time, try these techniques: One resourceful father put on his wife's bathrobe and tucked the bottle under his arm while holding the baby in a breastfeeding position. What's the best way to introduce my baby to a bottle? Ideally bottle feeding should be opted only when breastfeeding is not possible at all. But this just isn't true. Let your baby draw the bottle nipple into his mouth – don’t force the nipple into the baby’s mouth. Try to pick a time when the baby is sleepy and relaxed, such as a few minutes after an evening feeding, and carefully position the baby for an “extra” feeding with the bottle. Since I had 10 weeks off from work, she was exclusively breastfed until the 2-month mark. Introducing too early can lead to nipple confusion for baby. Wait at least three weeks after their birth before you introduce a bottle. Feeding Breastmilk From a Bottle Just be sure that your baby gets the same one-on-one, physically nurturing and affectionate time with you during bottle-feeding that she did with breastfeeding. But don't worry: For most babies, this is just a short-lived developmental step. Click the Print button that is displayed on the web page (not the Print command on the browser menu or toolbar). While exclusively breastfeeding is always preferable over any other source of feeding, it is always not possible when you have to return to work or other obligations. Therefore, introducing the bottle needs to be a tricky endeavour. When introducing the bottle for the first time, start small. Some moms feel guilt when introducing bottle feeding because it’s a huge change for baby, while some moms worry about nipple confusion (also known as nipple preference). If dealing with a range, store volumes of the lower amount. Most bottle brands sell nipples of varying “flows” or “speeds”, and they suggest moving up in “speed” as baby gets older. Begin introducing the bottle 1-2 weeks before you return to work or school. It may take a while for a breastfed baby to get the hang of bottle feeding, because they need to use a different sucking action. Make sure you have lots of time to take it slow during this process. In some countries, infants who can't nurse are taught to use a cup from the get-go. Breastfeeding and returning to work in the physician's office. This means that you need to start introducing your baby to a bottle at least two to three weeks before your first day back on the job. Choose a day that your primary support person will be available and a feeding time where baby tends to be more pleasant and patient for his feeding. Infant Feeding in Emergencies (Multilingual), Karin Gausman Leader Accreditation Fund (KGF), Steps to Accreditation with Videos about Application Work, How to Submit New Leaders and Leader Applicants, Global Professional Liaison Network (GPLN), Cleaning and Sanitizing Pumping Accessories. We dutifully waited until week four to introduce a bottle and, with some convincing, our firstborn … Bottles and other tools. Medical questions and legal questions should be directed to appropriate health care and legal professionals. "We had to try a few different nipples until we found one that most closely simulated the breast. That means he could take anywhere from 2 to 3 ounces. Hand Expressing. The way a baby drinks from the bottle requires a different sucking method and may take your baby a while to get … See if he’ll turn slightly or open his mouth to seek out the nipple – called the rooting reflex. Many babies who have been getting bottles all along suddenly decide they simply prefer breastfeeding and don't want a bottle anymore. He knows milk comes from you and may not understand why he’s not going there instead of to this foreign object. Experiment With Different Bottles. If you are holding your baby, it may trigger the habit to breastfeed and make introducing the bottle more difficult. 1. Administrative Office: +1-919-459-2167 | +1-800-LALECHE (525-3243) Maybe baby’s dad can feed the baby a bottle while you get a longer stretch of sleep, or perhaps you have another caregiver who’d like to bond with your baby. After a few weeks this reflex fades and introducing a bottle can take a while for your baby to get used to sucking on a teat, even if they have had bottles before. Cleaning and Sanitizing Pumping Accessories Read on to find tips for introducing bottle to a breastfed baby. To figure out how to bottle feed a breastfeeding baby here are certain steps and procedures you can adhere to: Choose to introduce the bottle to your baby when he is hungry and not when it is the time to feed him. Most lactation experts suggest waiting until your baby is at least a month old and breastfeeding is well established before introducing a bottle. Hold him upright in one arm and bring the cup to his mouth, tilting it gently until a bit of milk or formula drips in. Unless you use a sippy cup or a cup with a built-in straw, you'll have to help her drink – and be prepared for the inevitable mess. That's not necessarily true, and making a baby go for long stretches without eating isn't a good idea. This give them enough time to practice latching and nursing from the breast. When to Introduce a Bottle to a Breastfed Baby. (Wait at least five minutes before breastfeeding – that way he won’t associate refusing the bottle with immediate gratification.). The general consensus is that introducing a bottle to your breastfed baby should wait until your little one is 4 to 6 weeks old. This post contains affiliate links. For example, if you are working on a Windows computer, and you want to print to a PDF file, select Save as PDF. If your baby starts crying and pushes the bottle away, back off, comfort him, and then try again. Don't be surprised if this happens, and just take advantage of these quiet and intimate times to reconnect with your baby. Your baby may not eat very much when you aren't home and may begin waking more frequently at night if you're apart all day. American Academy of Pediatrics. The following are some suggestions that may help when offering a bottle to a resisting baby. Browse to the web document that you want to print. Introducing a bottle to a breastfed baby: 5 helpful tips. How to introduce a bottle to a breastfed baby. Most lactation experts suggest waiting until your baby is at least a month old and breastfeeding is well established before introducing a bottle. Your baby will need time to learn this new skill. Have her get used to a cup at an early age (but not until breastfeeding is well established), and introduce it gradually – one feeding a day. Not all of the information may be pertinent to your family’s lifestyle. Often it helps to run the bottle nipple under warm water, if it was also in the refrigerator, to make it more acceptable to the baby. After introducing the bottle, giving your baby 1 bottle per day only 2-3 times a week should be plenty of practice before going back to work. When baby begins to stir, place the bottle from the refrigerator in a bowl of warm water (bath temperature) or a bottle warmer while the person offering the bottle goes to get baby from his bed, changed and ready for the feeding. Introduce a bottle to a breastfed baby when he/she is calm and relax. to get baby used to the bottle while maintaining a strong breastfeeding relationship. If you're returning to work, start bottle-feeding at least two weeks before your start date so you both have time to adjust. Introduce the bottle in a stress-free, low-pressure manner. Introducing Bottle to Breastfed Baby “When should I introduce bottle to breastfed baby?” can be a tricky question, especially since there is a window of time where the baby might actually reject the bottle, or even begin to reject the breast, depending on how long you wait. May 15, 2017 - When to introduce a bottle to a breastfed baby depends on why you are introducing it and when you need your baby to take a bottle. 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