Should I introduce a bottle?

My DD#3 is 2 months old and nurses like a champ! She is in the 90th percentile for both height and weight. She has never had a bottle. I am wondering if I should introduce the bottle so that I could leave her with a babysitter. I am a SAHM, so I don't anticipate needed to leave her with a sitter very often. We do have a wedding coming up in January (DH is in the wedding party) and there are no kids allowed. (I'm not sure if that applies to nursing babies, though ... what do you think?) There is also a concert DH and I want to go to in March that is a couple of hours away. Other than that, there isn't much of a reason why I would need to be separated from her. I really like the idea that moms and babies should be together to nurse. I really don't mind taking her with, but I don't know if it will be more difficult as she gets older and is on more of a routine for naps and bedtime.

For those who are breastfeeding exclusively, did you introduce a bottle? If so, at what age?

If I choose to introduce a bottle, when and how should I do it? (I would give her pumped milk). Does it take a lot of pumping to get enough for one bottle? I don't even know how many ounces she would drink at this age.

 

Ok, I'm a SAHM and I did NOT introduce a bottle to my youngest. Truth be told, he was never with anyone else so I figured why. We did have to feed him with a syringe at times because he refused a bottle.
I say, introduce it, but she may not take it. Good luck! I guess I was always afraid that he'd take to it better than me! Besides, I just LOVED nursing.

 

They had their last bottles at 5 days old when my son glared at me the whole time. I felt bad b/c I knew he could nurse, & I just wanted to leave the hospital!

I do not regret never introducing a bottle. If you want to, you could- I found pumping for a bottle to be a whole mess of work that I didn't want to mess around with.

As to your wedding- I'd bring her. IMO nursing babies are exempt from a no-kids rule. You could call and ask but be prepared to not go if the answer is no kids. ardon:

 

The ideal time to introduce a bottle is between 4-6 weeks or when breastfeeding is well established.
You dont want to do it before because it could impair her ability to breastfeed, and you dont want to wait too long after because she may not take one at all!
Most moms have to pump a couple times to get enough for 1 bottle. If she only feeds one side you could pump the other to store some milk, if she feeds both sides you can pump immediately after pumping for a few days and your body will start to make more milk. Or if she sleeps any long stretches, you could pump during that time.
At this age, she will drink anywhere between 2-5oz.

Lots of moms have to experiment with milk temp, bottle type, nipple type, etc. Some moms cant be in the room, some cant even be in the house. If baby knows you are nearby she may refuse and hold out so its best to have someone else offer the bottle. Best of luck to you!

 

I wouldn't introduce a bottle just for the wedding and the concert. If I were you and I wouldn't be allowed to bring my nursing baby to the wedding (or at least have her nearby with a babysitter so I'd be able to go and feed her whenever she's hungry), I would not bother to go. As for the concert, in March your daugther will be half a year old and can be spoonfed milk with grains or something if she refuses to drink from the bottle.

 

I went back to work so I was forced to introduce a bottle. I introduced it around 6 weeks because I went back at 8 weeks. Whether you build up a stash for the freezer depends on you and what you think you might want. Right now you only know about 2 occurrences you will be gone, but if in the future someone offers to watch kids so you can go out to dinner with your husband, etc you may want that option. If you decide to pump, I would just pick one time a day when you have time to do it (which depends on your other two's schedule) and pump the same time everyday. As pp said, you could pump one side if she only nurses on one side, or you could pump after a feed. Or, you could wait till she starts dropping feeds overnight and pump at the time she used to nurse. It really is u to you and what you want to do.

 

I tried over and over again in the first 8 weeks to get my son to take a bottle and he never would. We started trying again at 7 months and he still wouldn't.
But he has at various times drank things from an open cup--even as early as 3 months old. So you could go to the wedding without him and certainly the concert in March and have him drink from a cup while you are away.
For the wedding if the reception is in a hotel, I'd take him and who ever will babysit and have them up in a room in the hotel.

 

I introduced Sullivan to the bottle early, but only because I had two 14 month olds and if someone else was around to feed her, it allowed me to pump and then spend time, bathe, feed my twins. She rarely gets a bottle and sometimes if I try to give her one she slaps it out of my hand and pitches a fit. But if she's hungry, she will take one just fine from someone else. She never had a problem with nipple confusion and even early preferred bf to bottlefeeding. My other dd not so much, she loved the ease of bottlefeeding so I should have waited to introduce the bottle until much later. IMO at 2 months old, I think it would be fine. Bf is well established and I think it's safe to assume she would prefer you at this point even after bottle feeding. It would free you up a bit and take away any anxiety you might have about leaving her because you know she's ok with a bottle. But you have to do what feels right for you and your baby.
GL!

 

If you plan to give her a bottle at some point...for a babysitter or when you go out, I would definitely introduce it very soon. If you wait too much longer she might not take it and then you might be stuck. Every baby is different, so you never know, but anyone I know who waited more than a couple months then had a problem with the baby taking a bottle. I nursed all 4 of my kids (my last 2 were twins..who I nursed for 15 months). They usually had one bottle a day from the time they were about a month old, because I just wanted to make sure they were comfortable taking one for times when I did have to go out. I nursed them 95% of the time, and brought them with me all sorts of places, but it was good to have the bottle to fall back on just in case. So if you anticipate needing it in the future, I think now would be a good time to introduce it...even if it's just here and there. But of course it's totally up to you

shannon

 

I think I will try out the bottle and see how she does. Thanks for your thoughts, everyone!

 

So, How did it go?

 

I haven't tried yet. I think I have enough for a bottle now. Do you think I should be home when someone gives her the bottle in case she refuses it (so I can still nurse her) or should I go out on a date with DH and hope she takes the bottle?

 

I'd go out but close just in case after a good honest try with the bottle she won't have any of it.