How soon can I express and bottle feed?

[bunnyrabbit]

I was hoping to combine bottle and breast feeding as soon as possible so husband can bond and for convenience when we're out etc. I've read conflicting reports...some say it's fine to start this from the start and others that you should wait until baby is 3 weeks to use a bottle so baby gets used to the breast. What do you all think?

 

[sue_88]

4 - 6 weeks minimum.

I have heard stories of it working as early as 2 weeks and baby not getting confused but I personally won't be risking my supply or breast feeding in general.

 

[pinkmonki]

I second 4-6 weeks. Your supply will be starting to settle and baby should accept a teat without deciding a teat is easier

 

[Amygdala]

Agreed with the above. It's not so much about baby getting used to the breast, although some babies can get confused when offered both or lazy to drink at the breast when offered "easier" bottles (that's why "slow flow" teats are important and wider bottles are generally better than the classic narrow ones). But the main point is about establishing supply. This is a lot easier by demand feeding baby than by expressing. You'd have to express very regularly (probably every two hours in the beginning, night and day) and even then there's no guarantee for success. After about 6 weeks, sometimes a little earlier, your supply becomes established and it's less of a big deal when you express, as long as you express as often as you'd normally feed.

 

[HHenderson]

I read as early as two weeks but now that I am reading this I want to make sure she is eating properly so I will just make dad burp her instead until we introduce bottles.

 

[_Lexi_]

We had no choice but to express immediately as Jessica refused to latch on. Initially this was into a syringe. On day 3 she was diagnosed with jaundice and fad to spend 2 and a half days under phototherapy lights. As soon as my milk came in properly I started expressing with a pump and feeding her with a bottle whilst she was under the lights and breast feeding when she was out from them. She's now 11 days old, and we still both breast and bottle feed. I'm not comfortable feeding in public yet, so it's handy having expressed milk for her. Neither my midwife or health visitor have said its a problem, my hv encouraged it today. My oh loves being able to feed her. We make sure I'm never the one to give her a bottle though. We also went straight to size 2 teats under mw recommendation, apparent the flow on the size 1's would be too slow after being used to breastfeeding. It might not work for every one so soon, but for us, it's going great x