bottle feeding your breastfed baby

Breastfeeding mom, are you ready for a break? Are you dreaming of a night out without your baby, or a night of sleep? Are you returning to work soon?

First of all, congratulations on exclusively breastfeeding your baby! That is a huge accomplishment and you deserve a medal! But now, you may have some questions about introducing a bottle to your breastfed baby.

These tips are not meant to be rules, or make you feel guilty if you do bottle feeding a different way. They are just meant for you to pick what works for you to make bottle feeding easy and pleasant for you and your baby.

Getting Started

• Introduce a bottle when your baby is between 4 and 6 weeks of life. This allows time for your baby to get really good at breastfeeding, and it allows your milk supply to be established.
• Try to make bottle feeding feel sort of like breastfeeding to your baby:
• Use breast milk in the bottle instead of formula if possible
• Use a silicone  (not rubber) nipple, with a large base, and encourage a wide open mouth
• Switch sides during the feeding
• Use skin to skin when possible
• Cuddle your baby after feeding
• Hold your baby in a slightly upright position, so that the head is above the stomach
• Touch your baby’s upper lip with the bottle nipple and allow your baby to root and pull the nipple into his mouth

Keeping it Safe

• Hold the bottle horizontally so that the milk doesn’t flow too fast
• Feeding should take 15 to 20 minutes, just like in breastfeeding
• Gulping can be a sign that the milk is flowing too fast; the baby is gulping in order to catch a breath. If your baby is gulping, remove the bottle from your baby’s mouth after 3 to 5 sucks to slow the feeding and allow your baby to get into a suck-swallow-breathe pattern.
• If your baby is clamping down on the nipple, the flow may be too fast and your baby is trying to slow it down to breathe.
• Observe for signs of stress: furrowed brow, tense shoulders, arms, hands, yawning, sneezing, crying. If your baby is stressed, pause the feed and allow your baby to regroup.

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For Babies who are Like, Nah, I Only Eat from the Breast!
If your baby is not taking a bottle, try these tips:

• Touch the corner of your baby’s mouth to stimulate sucking
• Have someone else offer the bottle to your baby when your baby is against the caregiver’s chest, facing outward.
• Move around – sway, walk,or rock
• Offer the bottle when your baby is sleepy- just waking up but not fully awake yet, and when your baby is not very hungry
• Wrap the mom’s shirt or something that smells like mom around the bottle

Keep it Fun!

• Make sure you make the feeding experience pleasant by singing or cooing to your baby, smile and make eye contact with your baby
• If you or your baby get stressed, pause the feeding, and don’t try for more than 10 minutes
• Most babies will accept a bottle with time and persistence. In the meantime, see if your baby can be fed with a cup; a sippy cup can be used at around 4 months.

Get Help!

• If you have questions or concerns about bottle feeding, contact your baby’s pediatrician or an IBCLC for help! ​

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