nipple confusion questions

[lissagayle]

I haven't had my LO yet, I'm due Aug 31st

I'm going to breastfeed and also pump, because my OH has said that he really wants to be able to feed her so he can have that bond with her. I don't want to deny his wishes.


I have been reading some books and heard that if you switch them from the breast to the bottle they could be become confused and only want to take one of them.

My question is will I be able to do this breast and bottle, or do I just need to choose one and stick with it??

 

[Samantha675]

Once BFing is established, usually around the 6 week mark you can start pumping and introduce a bottle.

 

[sparkswillfly]

I tried to do both started from 4 weeks. I think it was too early. She started to refuse the breast I found it too hard to try and turn it around. She used to scream the house down when I got my boob out. I was very sad. I would exclusively breast feed for 2 months, just to be sure.

 

[asacia]

Depends on the baby. Some babies will happily take both from birth, others are fine with both when they are a bit older.

My baby couldn't latch on at first, and once he got used to a bottle, it was very, very hard to get him to the breast. It took 8.5 weeks to get him to feed from me. Since then, he has refused a bottle completely. Despite him being 10 weeks old now, it is one or the other. I could probably push it, but I don't want to risk it.

There are alternative ways of feeding if you are worried about confusing. See:
https://www.kellymom.com/bf/pumping/alternative-feeding.html

I'm sticking with just breastfeeding, apart from one planned evening out in July, when my Mum will cup feed him. Its slow and messy, but the right option for us.

There is also syringe, dropper and finger feeding. There will be the right option for you.

I'd say think about how important breastfeeding is to you. If it is incredibly important, you might want to play it safe. I know that if DS refused the breast now, after all we've been through, I'd be devestated. There are other bonding things Dads can do. My Mum is an excellent Baby Burper, and that is her job after I've fed him. OH likes to snuggle up while we are feeding too, he'll chat to the baby and stroke him, only problem is when he makes DS smile and he latches off and dribbles milk everywhere!

 

[Lucy_lu_84]

I've only just started BF - and have been given different advice, we had a really bad night the second nght home and a midwife told us to feed him a bottle. Which i didn't do, as I had heard of nipple confusion.

Spoke to my own midwife when she came around and she said if BF is important to jsut carry on how I am going and not to introduce a bottle to early. That if wanting to feed him another way to spoon/ syringe or something like that.

 

[soup]

i gave my little man a bottle of express milk every other night (well oh did) from 2 weeks old and so far he is fine with both.

 

[elm]

In my opinion bonding is about so much more than feeding the baby. I have feeds that feel like a bonding experience when we're making eye contact and it's all lovely but equally there are feeds when he's just getting on with drinking and I'm watching television / reading.

Your OH can bond with your baby by spending time with her, changing her nappy, getting her changed etc etc.

There are ways that you can feed a baby without a bottle, we used a supplimenter taped to a finger in the first few weeks after feeding issues and we also did some cup feeding. We didn't use a bottle til he was a couple of months old.

xxx

 

[Lu28]

I really do think it depends on the baby. My LO wouldn't latch on for the first week so I gave her EBM by bottle. It took a week or so of good effort to get her back on the boob when she did seem able to latch and we've been giving her a bottle at night since then, otherwise breastfeeding. It is a risk though that baby might reject the breast so I guess it just depends on whether you're willing to take the risk. My LO hadn't taken anything for a day when I introduced a bottle out of desperation and luckily it turned out well for us in the end.

 

[Mervs Mum]

I totally agree with Elm about bonding.

At the end of the day it's up to you. You may get different advice from MWs depending on their BFing training. Believe it or not they are not all upto date on the latest advice and research.

Personally I would advise waiting as long as possible - the 6 week guide is given after extensive research carried out looking at lots of cases. You will hear lots of mums who have introduced bottles successfully very early on and BFed fine - indeed I was one - but if you are one of the unlucky ones then it could cause problems in the early and important days and weeks when you are tired and fragile anyway

 

[Shifter]

My hubby gives Jack his baths and plays with him, which are perfectly good bonding activities.

We were lucky, we were persuaded to use nipple shields from day 2 and introduced a bottle at day 6 and we never had a problem with confusion. But I admit that we were lucky and I am so glad. We ditched the shields at 2 weeks and he hardly has bottle of EBM now.

 

[goddess25]

It really depends on the baby. My LO could feed from breast and bottle from birth with no confusion.

 

[Sonyax]

In my opinion bonding is about so much more than feeding the baby. I have feeds that feel like a bonding experience when we're making eye contact and it's all lovely but equally there are feeds when he's just getting on with drinking and I'm watching television / reading.

Your OH can bond with your baby by spending time with her, changing her nappy, getting her changed etc etc.

There are ways that you can feed a baby without a bottle, we used a supplimenter taped to a finger in the first few weeks after feeding issues and we also did some cup feeding. We didn't use a bottle til he was a couple of months old.

xxx

I agree, my husband is the nappy guy and walks round the park and stuff, he has mentioned the expressing when Jess is big enough so that I can get more sleep. (sleeps an issue at the mo as i'm recovering fron c section still with complications). My husband doesn't feel left out and he actually keeps looking at me proudly even though I'm a mess lol!!!!
I'm sure your hubby will find he has enough to do being your back up and encourager in that first 6 weeks then you can express after.
Hope it all goes well for you I started researching early too keep reading the posts here they really helped me