When is it ok to introduce an occasional bottle to EBF baby?

I think it's probably still too soon but DS is 3 weeks and is BF'ing well. I forget what we did with my DD but I know we introduce a bottle before 8 weeks (I went back to work at that point). I will be going back to work again this time so I don't want to wait too long and have DS refuse a bottle. Also, I'd like to be able to go out and run errands, possibly even have dinner or a movie with DH. Right now I'm afraid to go too far becuase DS can be unpredictable about when he gets hungry. I'd like DH or my mom to be able to have a bottle on hand just in case but I don't want to mess with BF.

When is it "safe" to introduce a bottle?

Re: When is it ok to introduce an occasional bottle to EBF baby?

We did this in week 2 or so - very early. DH would give him a bottle at night around 9 so I could get a block of sleep till 2/3am. DS has no problem switching between bottle and boob at all.

Re: When is it ok to introduce an occasional bottle to EBF baby?

We did it at 3 weeks and DD took the bottle great!

Re: When is it ok to introduce an occasional bottle to EBF baby?

I would do it early. We kept bottles in circulation the whole time. A daycare place nurse warned me that she's seen kids refuse the bottle if not used to it. As for refusing boob... Neither of my kids did that ever.

When is it ok to introduce an occasional bottle to EBF baby?

I've heard "wait as long as possible and avoid artificial nipples"....that being said we gave him a bottle the first night we were home from the hospital....I needed to sleep!

almost 14 months and he's still nursing. I luckily didn't have any issues of him alternating between bottle and breast.

Re: When is it ok to introduce an occasional bottle to EBF baby?

I had dh use a bottle with tiny tot when she was 3 weeks. She was starting DC at 12 weeks and I didn't want it to be a problem She's almost 7months and I stilll nurse her with no problems.

When is it ok to introduce an occasional bottle to EBF baby?

We gave DS his first bottle at 5 weeks. I was nervous about nipple cobfusion

Re: When is it ok to introduce an occasional bottle to EBF baby?

We did it at 3 weeks. There was no confusion at all.

Re: When is it ok to introduce an occasional bottle to EBF baby?

From experience do it early and do it consistently. My pediatrician recommended at 1 month to begin offering a bottle once a day. We did that here and there but never consistently. Well, came time for daycare at 12 weeks and my DS refused to take a bottle. Finally, he's taking a bottle with no issue and he nurses when he's with me with no problem.

Re: When is it ok to introduce an occasional bottle to EBF baby?

We did it at 3 weeks and DD had no issues or confusion.

Re: When is it ok to introduce an occasional bottle to EBF baby?

We introduced it with my first dd early on - around 2-3 weeks maybe. She took both bottles and breast with no issue at all. Loved them both.
I waited longer with dd2 just because I didn't have a need for the bottle and am now paying the price. She hates the bottle and refuses it most of the time.
Of course I have no idea if it it was the difference in when it was introduced, or just the baby, but I definitely would have done it earlier if I had known.

Re: When is it ok to introduce an occasional bottle to EBF baby?

Its safe now, go ahead!

Re: When is it ok to introduce an occasional bottle to EBF baby?

If there are no issues with BF then you can. Once they get the hang of nursing they prefer it over a faster flowing bottle anyway

When is it ok to introduce an occasional bottle to EBF baby?

We started giving DD a bottle every once in a while around 2 or 3 weeks, usually just when we were visiting family. Around two months I started giving her a bottle of formula every night before bed and EBF for all her other feedings. I'm still doing that now that she is four months and she has no problems switching between the bottle and BFing.

Re: When is it ok to introduce an occasional bottle to EBF baby?

We did at 4 weeks and had no problems. We used pacifiers right away.

Pacifiers can also cause confusion, so if you are using them no problem, a bottle should be ok.

When is it ok to introduce an occasional bottle to EBF baby?

I didn't know you had another baby! Congratulations!

We did it at 5 weeks, but we had been been using pacifiers since about week 2.

Re: When is it ok to introduce an occasional bottle to EBF baby?

I started right in the hospital-they fed her a bottle overnight in the nursery so I could sleep a but, I BF the rest of the time. We kept it up at home, DH would give a bottle overnight or on the rare chance I wasn't home and she needed to eat during the day. I BF until 6 months with no issue.