Hopefully you’re not reading this the night before your baby’s first day at daycare… *laughs nervously* …that’s actually a pretty common scenario for many mommas! Nursing is going so well, with no “need” to introduce a bottle, so the transition to a bottle gets rushed right before mommas returns to work. And how do you even transition baby to a bottle? Or, Maybe you’re planning ahead and looking for the “right” way to introduce a bottle to your breastfed baby. You’ve come to the right place! You’ll find my own advice, plus links to trusted sources with valuable tips to help you on your way!
[Disclaimer- A lot of this is going to be trial and error, so start EARLY and leave enough time introduce baby their bottle!]
WHEN? When should you start?
If your breastfeeding goal is to nurse (directly latching baby at the breast), concentrate on establishing good latch and milk transfer (often working closely with a lactation professional) in those first few weeks after birth. Once you and baby are comfortable with nursing and your baby’s doctor is happy with their growth, you can begin to think about bottle feeding. Ideally, you’d want to introduce a bottle before baby loses their automatic suck reflex. What’s an automatic suck reflex? If you touch the roof of your baby’s mouth with your finger, a pacifier, or a nipple, they will automatically begin sucking. This reflex can diminish as early as 2 months old. A good range to introduce a bottle is between 6-10 weeks postpartum after a good nursing latch has been established. (Latch by Robin Kaplan, M.Ed. IBCLC)
At the VERY least, Start two weeks before you’ll be leaving baby with a caregiver!
WHY? Why use a bottle?
If you are planning to be away from baby during their feeding time, for any reason, you’ll want to ensure that they are able to successfully take a bottle. For some mommas, this means a solo-trip out of the house, girls night out, or a much needed date night to reconnect with a partner. For some mommas, this can mean returning to work after maternity leave. For some mommas, this can mean sharing the responsibility (and joy!) of feeding with a family member or friend. There’s no one reason to use a bottle, and some mommas choose to stay close to baby and offer the breast whenever they are able. This is not a space for division or judgement, this is a space for learning, together.
This is also not a space for guilt. If you are feeling guilty about giving baby a bottle… Let yourself feel it, yes, but let’s work on that. Your baby will be cared for. They will be nurtured and loved and nourished while you are separated and then nurtured and loved and nourished when you reunite. Will you feel guilt when they begin to use a spoon in addition to your breast? Probably not, right? Group a bottle in with all the other utensils that will eventually help nourish their bodies. That mindset may ease your mind a bit, so remind yourself of that when feelings of guilt creep in.
WHAT? What bottle should you use?
Every bottle is different… but it may be the NIPPLE that your baby is rejecting! Try a few different kinds! (For example, many babies prefer the narrower based nipples even though they aren’t marketed as the ones that have a wide base and look like a breast. Some babies find silicone nipples to be too slippery. Some babies like the slightly textured or angled nipples. Etc) It’s widely recommended to use a NARROW BASED nipple with a GENTLE SLOPE. These can be easier for a nursing baby to latch onto. In the image below, I show you a gradual slope (Lansinoh, one of my favorites) and a more rounded one (Comotomo). Select a SLOW FLOW nipple so that they can be paced-bottle fed and work for the milk, like they do at the breast.
What about “Nipple confusion?” When we hear that term, we can get scared that baby will never go back to the breast. What this comes down to is flow preference- with baby preferring the quick, passive flow of a bottle to the breast, which they have to work at. This is why selecting a slow-flow nipple and using paced bottle feeding is so important!
Some of my favorite bottles for nursing babies:
WHO? Who should feed baby?
There are two schools of thought on this tip- Some advise you to leave the house so baby can’t smell you. If you are present, they may wonder why they are latching to a bottle instead of you. On the other hand, some people swear by having your partner use your pajamas or something that smells like you next to baby while they feed from the bottle so they CAN smell you. You could try both!
HOW? How do you transition?
It helps to ease into this SLOWLY and gently. Allow baby to play with or suck on just the nipple, detached from the bottle. You can even dip the tip of the nipple into breastmilk to attract baby. Make it a sensory experience, don’t force it! Do it when baby is in a good mood. You might have heard advice to wait until baby is super hungry so they give up waiting for you and just take the bottle. This seems kind of drastic and sad to me… and a distressed baby is actually LESS likely to want to try a bottle. You could actually try the opposite- feed them partially from the breast, and switch to a bottle while they are still hungry but not starving.
Begin by allowing baby to play with the bottle nipple before attaching it to the bottle. Then, when you are ready to feed, stroke baby’s upper lip with the nipple and let them taste/smell it. Wait until they open their mouth wide, and let them latch onto the bottle. Make sure whoever is feeding baby is using paced-bottle feeding, holding the baby at an upright angle and holding the bottle more horizontal, allowing baby to have control over the flow of milk. Be sure to take frequent pauses for baby to burp and digest. Don’t rush it! Watch for baby’s hungry and full cues.
More tips and tricks from professionals I trust:
- La Leche League International- “Introducing a Bottle to a Breastfed Baby”
- Rachel O’Brien, IBCLC “Bottles for Breastfed Babies (part 1)”
- Rachel O’Brien, IBCLC “How to Give a Bottle to a Breastfed Baby (part 2)”
- Kellymom.com “How to Bottlefeed the Breastfed Baby”
- Katie Clark, IBCLC “Breastfeeding with Bottle Feeding 101”
- Katie Clark, IBCLC “How to Give a Breastfed Baby a Bottle and Avoid Bottle Preference”
- Milk Diva: “Will Giving a Bottle Ruin Breastfeeding? What Other Choices Do I Have?”
- Milk Diva: “Bottle Feeding: Tips to Help Reduce Swallowing Air”
…But wait, we didn’t even talk about PUMPING!
Ah yes… this is a super common question I get over on Instagram. If you’re nursing… when are you supposed to pump? This depends on personal preference/situations. Some mommas pump once a day, to store a bit of a stash in their freezers. A great time to do this is after your first feed of the morning, when your body is naturally making more milk. Some mommas only pump before leaving baby, or only pump at work. Remember, if you are skipping a feed, you’ll need to pump instead. Regular milk removal is so important in protecting your supply and feeling comfortable, not engorged, when away from baby!
Do YOU have any tips to share? Leave them in the comments for other mommas to try!!!
Be sure to follow Pump Momma Pump on Instagram for education, motivation, and support! (And more great tips like these!)
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