when to introduce a bottle...

[Boo Boo]

Rylee is just over a month old - I read that it is a good idea to introduce a bottle (formula or expressed) for maybe one feed each day at about 6 weeks so they get used to the bottle??? I feel like I am just getting used to breastfeeding and now have to think about expressing and sterilising bottles etc. What do you think??

Thanks again
Laurin

[Lucy]

Laurin,

If you don't feel like you want to bother with the sterilising and the expressing, don't bother! Honestly, it may not be worth the hassle at this stage.

In my experience with Olivia and Charlie, BF takes at least 6 weeks to properly establish, and that is when YOU are at your tiredest, so adding a new skill to the mix might be more trrouble than it is worth, especially if it interferes with your BF.

That said, I will admit to having troubles getting Olivia and Charlie to take a bottle when the time came (Olivia 4 months, Charlie 3 months) when I NEEDED them to be able to take a bottle of EBM, it took forever to convince them (well, a week of trying anyway). But persistence and calm won in the end.

They then both went on to happily take bottle or boob.

With Lexie, I will not be bothering with a bottle unless an event pops up that means we NEED to get her onto a bottle.......

[bon]

Why is it a good idea to introduce a bottle? Unless you want someone else to do a feed or you want to go out without bubba...But if you don't really want to bother with it at this stage then don't. Like you said, you are just getting used to breastfeeding so it might be better to wait a while anyway.

[becky23]

Ok well I have a 6mth old that wont take a bottle which can be rather annoying especially if I need to leave for a few hours luckily the need hasn't really arisen but if I got sick my DH would have a screamer to deal with! So maybe this is not such a bad idea but maybe wait til 6 weeks to make sure you don't stuff around with the BF to much!

[~Jo~]

Like the other girls have said you might not need to at all. Sammy has never taken a bottle and has been drinking water from a sippy cup from 9 months old.

Jo