How to Bottle Feed the Breastfed Baby
If you have only been breastfeeding your baby, you might be wondering how you can start bottle feeding.
When it’s time to get back to work, it is essential to incorporate bottle feeding since you don’t want to leave the baby starving.
However, starting to bottle feed your baby can be accompanied by many challenges, and you might be worried if your baby will accept the bottle.
You might also be worried that your baby will refuse to breastfeed anymore when they get used to the bottle.
Fortunately, you won’t have to be worried when you have the right information and tips.
While it may not be easy as it seems, it is doable if you learn how to do it.
Here are 6 essential tips for bottle feeding your breastfed baby:
- Know When is the Right Time to Introduce the Bottle
While there is no perfect time to start bottle-feeding the baby, experts advise mothers to wait until the milk supply is well established.
This usually happens after around two to three weeks. Therefore, you can introduce the bottle between four to six weeks.
Further, experts advise using a breast pump to feed the child with mother’s milk. It will help him/her to develop immunity. You can use the option of breast pump through insurance so that the baby latches to the bottle quickly.
Keep in mind that if you wait for too long, the baby might strongly refuse the bottle.
2. Choose the Right Bottles and Nipples
When it comes to choosing the right bottles, it is crucial to note that not all babies have the same sucking patterns.
If a certain bottle worked well for your first baby, it is not guaranteed that it will work for the second one.
The best thing to do when buying bottles for your baby is to buy one by one, examining what type is working for them.
You can do some online research to see the top bottles for breastfed babies and compare their features and benefits before making a purchase.
This will save you from the loss of purchasing large quantities of bottles, which the baby won’t even like.
You should also ensure that you find the right nipples. The nipple should remind the baby of the breast.
In this case, short silicone nipples with a wide base are the best.
3. Check the Position
When introducing the bottle, you don’t want to change too many things to ensure that the baby does not fight it.
If you want your partner to start the bottle feeding, show him how exactly you hold the baby when breastfeeding, and encourage them to use the same position.
4. Start with a Slow Flow Nipple
When breastfeeding the baby, the milk does not come in a heavy flow. Hence, the nipple you want to start bottle feeding with shouldn’t have a fast flow.
Slow flow nipples will make the baby suck just as they do with the breast. Otherwise, your baby will become a lazy feeder.
You should also take little breaks even if the nipple has a slow flow to make it seem like real breastfeeding.
5. Keep the Baby Close
To babies, breastfeeding is not all about getting milk. It’s more of having a good time and bonding with their mother.
Therefore, you should ensure that your baby does not lose the opportunity to bond with you, simply because they are bottle feeding.
Always be in close contact, cuddle the baby, and talk to them just as you were doing when breastfeeding.
6. Bottle Feed the Baby When They Are Hungry
If you want your baby to take the bottle more seriously, don’t give them every now then.
The bottle-feeding schedule should be similar to that you were using to breastfeed.
If you bottle-feed the baby when they are not hungry, they might refuse the bottle, and you may think that they don’t want it at all.
