introducing bottle to breastfed baby - should I?

Question

Hello

I'm confused. I would like to introduce a bottle to my breastfed Baby just for emergencies.  But I'm scared at the thought of nipple confusion since my first went through it.  I'm planning on quitting work just for this reason ( I can always join back).   He is one month 18 days old now. So I'm just wondering is there a way I can get him to take a bottle without risking breastfeeding.  If so how do I do it ? Or should I just give up the idea of giving him a bottle since I don't plan on returning to work ?  Everytime I decide to just try to give him a bottle  I happen to talk to friends who's kids had nipple confusion and talk me out of it .  So I'm confused .

Answer

The latch nipples seem to help and get the slowest flow. My lactation consultant said babies don't get confused, they get lazy. Bottles are easier if the flow faster. Also try keeping your LO more upright with the bottle so that gravity isn't helping and that they actually have to pull the formula/BM from the bottle by sucking.

Answer

I have given both since he came home. I like munchkin latch bottles

Answer

My lact consultant recommended introducing bottle at 3-4 weeks, my baby doesn't have nipple confusion- she knows what to do at the breast, but it seems like she has a preference for the bottle.

Answer

At 6 weeks I tried to give my son a bottle with formula. He is ebf, and he WOULD NOT latch onto the bottle correctly and made a big discusting face once he tasted the formula. He doesn't want anything to do with it :( with my first son I ebf but I had so much then I could pump and always went back and forth between bottles and breast and he had no problem seeing I started it wheb he was young... so in my opinion I would  say the sooner the better to introduce bc now I'm afraid my baby will always reject a bottle

Answer

I've been giving a bottle and the boob everyday, I have to go back to work at 8 weeks pp, and I wanted him to be comfortable with either! I use playtex ventaire he doesn't seem to mind going back and forth

Answer

My doctor told me that it's not really that the baby is "confused" it's that the baby will get used to the bottle. Since milk comes out of a bottle with little effort, the baby will just get used to the simplicity of the bottle rather than the breast. But if your full time breastfeeding, introducing a bottle should be fine. Just don't substitute bottle for breast too much.

Answer

I think it just depends on the baby, my now 5yr old never had trouble and I gave him a bottle after a month. And my 1 month old now.. I gave him the bottle the first week and he still does good with both, it helps a lot when I want to go to the store and leave baby behind with husband. Or in case of emergency like you said, good luck.

Answer

My baby had trouble latching and getting any colostrum and milk the first days and lost a lot of weight. She almost hit the 10% and she became jaundice. My peds recommended to still put her on my breast since she hasn't hit the 10% and her bilirubin labs were actually just above borderline. But I decided with the help of a lactation consultant to pump and supplement and bottle feed. My doc recommended not to because of nipple confusion but my lactation consultant said it should be fine. Bottle fed my baby for the first week and pumped enough to get my supply way up ( too much I got blocked ducts cus it was too much for baby) and introduced her to the breast again and she took. Now she'll take the bottle only if she is starving and even then she'll cry and expect to be put on the breast. So it probably just depends on baby.

introducing bottle to breastfed baby - should I?

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