https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Fri, 23 Oct 2026 01:12:39 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/should-i-start-giving-bottles-to-get-her-used-to-them#post-1043191 Mon, 26 Aug 2013 03:10:50 +0000 AprilFool 1043191@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I can't remember exactly when we gave LO a bottle but I think DH fed her in her first week of life! She never had problems going back and forth and due to supply issues gets a bed time bottle every night since 6 weeks and is 4.5 months now. </p> <p>I always pumped in the morning after her 5/6am feed. She only took one boob so after she went back down I would have a hot shower and pump. Remember if she wakes hungry you can always give her the pumped milk, no harm no foul. Start sooner rather than later so your supply can regulate with the extra milk for that pump. I stopped pumping for a while and my supply regulated to only what she was eating. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/should-i-start-giving-bottles-to-get-her-used-to-them#post-1043119 Sun, 25 Aug 2013 23:14:17 +0000 Maysprout 1043119@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I gave LO her first bottle at 2 weeks and she took it like a champ. Usually she got one bottle of pumped milk a day (some days none and some days 2) when DH took her either to let me sleep in or when he got home from work so I could go on a run or out and about. LO was not picky at all at first though, she didn't care if it was cold or warm or what kind of bottle it was, she just wanted to eat. As she got older though she got more opinionated. By 8 months she had said poo to the bottle and just would wait till I got home from work but by that point she was eating some solids so it's not like she just didn't eat the whole time I was gone.</p> <p>I usually pumped in the mornings since my supply was much higher in the mornings than the evenings and by evening she was cluster feeding getting ready to have a good sleep. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/should-i-start-giving-bottles-to-get-her-used-to-them#post-1043059 Sun, 25 Aug 2013 22:02:09 +0000 lawbee11 1043059@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Foodnerd81: That's what I am afraid of! Most of the time she only nurses on one side per feeding, so I think I am going to try pumping the other side in the mornings. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/should-i-start-giving-bottles-to-get-her-used-to-them#post-1043058 Sun, 25 Aug 2013 22:00:11 +0000 lawbee11 1043058@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrsjyw: We have a deep freezer so I am definitely planning to try and build a huge stash! I would love to be able to stop pumping before she's a year old and just rely on the stash. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/should-i-start-giving-bottles-to-get-her-used-to-them#post-1043001 Sun, 25 Aug 2013 21:13:39 +0000 Foodnerd81 1043001@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@lawbee11: the times I successfully pumped I did it in the morning, half an hour after she are and went back down. I get the pump set up, take a hot shower, and pump. She usually naps for a couple hours if she goes down then. But the first time I mistimed it and she was hungry for hours until I have her the pumped milk. :( </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/should-i-start-giving-bottles-to-get-her-used-to-them#post-1042994 Sun, 25 Aug 2013 21:10:39 +0000 heartonastring 1042994@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We gave her her first bottle at three weeks. We were going to a wedding the next weekend and needed my mum to feed her once or twice while we were gone. She took it no problem (I had DH give it to her while I was out of the room). </p> <p>It's been a huge blessing for us, as DH now does bedtime and gives her a bottle every night...that chunk of free time has been a life and sanity saver for me!</p> <p>We use Tommee Tippee bottles. She's so used to the bottle now that she'll take it from me as well. She's never had any issues switching between breast and bottle. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/should-i-start-giving-bottles-to-get-her-used-to-them#post-1042977 Sun, 25 Aug 2013 21:00:45 +0000 dolphin 1042977@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I pump at night before I go to bed. I hear you about unpredictability. There were times she would wake up RIGHT after I finished pumping and would want to eat. Gah! Luckily that didnt happen TOO often and I was able to build a freezer stash a little at a time. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/should-i-start-giving-bottles-to-get-her-used-to-them#post-1042968 Sun, 25 Aug 2013 20:55:27 +0000 immabeetoo 1042968@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@lawbee11: I only did one a week! not a day. I SAH. When he was that little I would pump after his first feed of the day. Once I had enough built up for a feeding, then I would pump when DH gave him the bottle. Pumping after a feeding made me less stressed that he'd want to eat again quickly. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/should-i-start-giving-bottles-to-get-her-used-to-them#post-1042903 Sun, 25 Aug 2013 20:29:45 +0000 pinkcupcake 1042903@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@lawbee11: I typically pumped in the evening. I think for the first feeding, I pumped several times a day (after nursing) until I had enough for one bottle feeding the next day (around 3 oz). I always pumped at the time she took a bottle so that my supply wouldn't be affected. Usually I got enough in that pump session for the next night's bottle feeding. I also started pumping after nursing sessions to try to increase supply. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/should-i-start-giving-bottles-to-get-her-used-to-them#post-1042870 Sun, 25 Aug 2013 20:12:52 +0000 lawbee11 1042870@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@dolphin: @scg00387: @pinkcupcake: One bottle a day seems like a good place to start for now. I am just worried about pumping because her feeding schedule is still so unpredictable--sometimes she can go 3 hours without nursing and sometimes she nurses every hour for part of the day. When did you pump? In the morning? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/should-i-start-giving-bottles-to-get-her-used-to-them#post-1042864 Sun, 25 Aug 2013 20:07:51 +0000 pinkcupcake 1042864@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We started around three weeks. We gave her one bottle a day (usually in the Evening so DH could do it) and she didn't have any problem switching back and forth. Because it seemed to be going fine, we quit offering bottles after a few weeks and I ended up BFing her exclusively. Big mistake! She refused bottles once I returned to work at four months. I really wish I would have consistently given her at least a bottle a day- it really would have saved us a lot of stress when I went back to work and she went on a bottle strike </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/should-i-start-giving-bottles-to-get-her-used-to-them#post-1042863 Sun, 25 Aug 2013 20:06:42 +0000 MrsF 1042863@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I had to supplement with pumped milk right away so we didn't have a choice. I would start sooner rather than later! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/should-i-start-giving-bottles-to-get-her-used-to-them#post-1042854 Sun, 25 Aug 2013 20:02:22 +0000 immabeetoo 1042854@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We started at 6 weeks I think? We did one a week or so; have never had an issue :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/should-i-start-giving-bottles-to-get-her-used-to-them#post-1042797 Sun, 25 Aug 2013 19:43:24 +0000 mrsjyw 1042797@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Wr use medela and tt btls! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/should-i-start-giving-bottles-to-get-her-used-to-them#post-1042796 Sun, 25 Aug 2013 19:42:18 +0000 Mrs. Jacks 1042796@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Get her use to a bottle before it's too late :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/should-i-start-giving-bottles-to-get-her-used-to-them#post-1042795 Sun, 25 Aug 2013 19:42:15 +0000 mrsjyw 1042795@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@chopsuey: :) </p> <p>A had formula for a day on day 3 after his first chk and had lost 10+ oz. And my milk wasn't it. We gave him pumped btls every time I needed to step out after two wks and he's never had any trouble w the btl. It did take a day of working on larch to get him on my boob. </p> <p>He took to a straw cup really early oon too :)</p> <p>Id start pumping just to build a huge stash! I know a mom who built enugg of a stash thatvshe quit pumping at 7 mths and still has enuf to make it one yr plus! 3 more mths til I quit pumping at work. CANNOT WAIT GLUCK!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/should-i-start-giving-bottles-to-get-her-used-to-them#post-1042789 Sun, 25 Aug 2013 19:40:36 +0000 Foodnerd81 1042789@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I started pumping vet occasionally last week when C was almost three weeks old- I've read between 3-6 weeks is ideal and I figured it would take a while to get used to pumping. She ended up taking a bottle without any problem at all, which was great, but I have a hard time figuring out when to pump so I'm not empty for her when she wakes up. I'm trying to get in the habit of doing if at least three times a week so she will be used to it. It is really nice to have the bottle there but it's sort of stressful figuring out the pumping logistics. </p> <p>I'd say you should start anytime in the next three weeks. Because I'm such an expert :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/should-i-start-giving-bottles-to-get-her-used-to-them#post-1042771 Sun, 25 Aug 2013 19:31:36 +0000 dolphin 1042771@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We started since the beginning, one bottle a day so DH can feed her and have their bonding time. No issues going between bottle and boob. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/should-i-start-giving-bottles-to-get-her-used-to-them#post-1042730 Sun, 25 Aug 2013 19:05:56 +0000 Smurfette 1042730@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would. We started at 2 weeks and still had issues. Resulting in a bottle boot camp the weekend before she started day care. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/should-i-start-giving-bottles-to-get-her-used-to-them#post-1042729 Sun, 25 Aug 2013 19:04:21 +0000 Revel 1042729@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I started pumping right around three weeks and gave a bottle at four weeks. So far going back and forth hasn't been a problem. Even though you don't go back to work for a while, the freedom the bottle gives you is worth it IMO. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/should-i-start-giving-bottles-to-get-her-used-to-them#post-1042727 Sun, 25 Aug 2013 19:03:50 +0000 Espion 1042727@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We had to start giving E bottles around 4 weeks out of necessity (low supply). At first it was a battle, because he didn't have a strong suck, but after a week, we found that the Tommee Tippee bottles worked best. I still nurse him day and night, but we have to give him 4-5 bottles a day. Thankfully, he's never shunned one or the other. I guess I'm lucky this kid is a boob man. :) </p> <p>Maybe offer a bottle of pumped milk? The common time recommended seems to be usually around 6 weeks, but every kid is different. Be aware that it make take some trial and error to find a bottle your LO will take. DH loves feeding E, so it's nice for bonding, too. :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/should-i-start-giving-bottles-to-get-her-used-to-them#post-1042724 Sun, 25 Aug 2013 19:02:10 +0000 Sapphiresun 1042724@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I have a year off, and so far exclusively breast feeding (3 weeks yesterday) but I think I plan to introduce a bottle around 6 weeks? Just to give myself an option of occasionally sleeping through the night and letting DH feed her or being able to go out alone in the future. I read that that was a good window, but I'm curious what others have to say. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/should-i-start-giving-bottles-to-get-her-used-to-them#post-1042699 Sun, 25 Aug 2013 18:50:56 +0000 chopsuey 1042699@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I gave both of mine bottles at at the hospital and they both went on bottle strike at 2 months! </p> <p>No advice, but I know @mrsjyw successfully nurses and bottle feeds her son. Hopefully she'll chime in! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/should-i-start-giving-bottles-to-get-her-used-to-them#post-1042676 Sun, 25 Aug 2013 18:45:56 +0000 Bookish 1042676@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We do one formula feed in a bottle, which we started at about 3-4 weeks? It went really well for the first few weeks, but now at 7 weeks she wants nothing to do with the bottles. I think she's just going through a fussy phase, but it's still concerning, since I am going back to work next week!! </p> <p>So that probably was not super helpful, now that I read back through it. :p I hope some of the bees with older LOs have better advice lol!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/should-i-start-giving-bottles-to-get-her-used-to-them#post-1042668 Sun, 25 Aug 2013 18:43:44 +0000 lawbee11 1042668@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>M is 3 weeks old and EBF. She's also never had a bottle. I don't go back to work until she is 6 months old, but I am wondering if I should start giving her a bottle soon so that we don't have to deal with her rejecting bottles later on? I have also been putting off pumping because it seems like a huge PITA, but I guess I have to bite the bullet soon. </p> <p>When did you start giving bottles to your EBF baby? </p>