We've been EBF since LO was born (3 weeks ago) and still going strong 
I'm just curious when I should start introducing a bottle of pumped milk into the mix? I'll be on maternity leave for a full year, but I'd like to be able to have DH feed her sometimes and just in case I need to be away for a feeding have the bottle available.
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We introduced the bottle pretty early on (maybe around 1 month)? A lot of people were telling me not to introduce the bottle because of nipple confusion but we never had any problems with it. It's nice having someone feed LO some pumped BM once in a while to give mama a break! The only time we had any problems with bottles was weaning him off of it (onto sippy cups). Switching between breast & bottle didn't confuse him at all.
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Oh man...LO stopped taking a bottle at 3-4 months! Like, she downright refuses to eat from one, even if it's breast milk! LO is now 8 months old and I'm still EBF her...I'm so screwed as I'm also going back to work when LO is a year old (yay Canadian mat leave!)...I have four months to figure this out!
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I introduced a bottle when LO was 1 day old (at the hospital). Had to supplement with some formula because she was jaundiced.
I breastfed probably 80% of the time when we got home, but gave LO 1-2 bottles of pumped milk a day until she was 2 months old. We went out of town and I EBF her while we were gone. After that week she refused the bottle and wouldn't take it for the life of her.
LO just turned 1 and I'm still breastfeeding her. I think month 2-3 is really crucial when it comes to bottle feeding. -
@Rubies: Eek! Hope she takes a bottle soon! My suggestion would be to leave LO with DH for a few hours and have him feed her the bottle. Hopefully if she's hungry she'll take it.. :T Either that, or you can try getting her to drink her milk through a sippy cup.
My LO loves her Zo li cup and drank about 8 ounces of water today! We took her out and she must have been thirsty. -
We introduced a bottle at 4 weeks, and give LO one every other day to keep him in the habit. At 6 months, we have been lucky to have avoided any bottle refusing. It's kind of a pain, but it's worth it for me to be able to go out and leave a bottle.
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My LO is nearly 6 weeks and we haven't yet, but I have started pumping to increase my frozen stash. I also want him to feed with DH if I need a break, so I plan on introducing one soon.
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We didn't introduce a bottle soon enough with LJ and she never really took one well. Obviously with Jack Jack, she's been on the bottle since day 1. I don't really believe in nipple confusion, so I say as soon as breastfeeding is established with reliable latch and good supply, introduce it!
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Right around 4 or 5 weeks. We're lucky in that he has never refused it even though he gets them only sporadically.
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I did at 2 weeks. She was a super nurser right from the get go. At 2 weeks I got a fever and mastitis so I started pumping milk to try and help it and my husband would take over one feeding an evening while I went and took a hot long shower.
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@prettylizy: We introduced a bottle after about a month. We tried to feed her a bottle at least once a week, and now at 8 months she still takes the bottle as easily as the breast.
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I think she was 5 or 6 months which is very late. I now still only give her one bottle a day and it's a struggle.
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We had to at 2 days due to latch issues and jaundice- but have had no problems with nipple confusion or preference, he takes both very happily.
We just make sure that he gets the bottle reinforced daily so he doesn't change his mind- plus it gives me a little break and some bonding time with daddy!
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I don't really believe in nipple confusion either. I think a lot of the time it's more that the nipple in the bottle has a faster flow than the breast so babies don't have to work as hard at the bottle. So make sure the nipple is a slow flow one.
I would say once breastfeeding is established then introduce a bottle and give one regularly - every few days.
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I also don't really believe in nipple confusion. olive has had a bottle almost every day since she was born, and she still hates the bottle. i would introduce it as early as possible! def before 1 month if it were me!
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We started bottles at 4 days old and didn't have any problems with nipple confusion. I wouldn't wait too long to introduce one. And I definitely second @cupcakemama's advice to keep using one regularly. We got lazy about it, and now at almost 6 months, we're having a hard time getting LO to take a bottle
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At 5 days old. She was stressing and wouldn't latch so we gave her a bottle of expressed milk to get her calmed enough to do so. She goes back and forth without a problem and she's a month old now.
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At 1 month. I had my husband give her one bottle every day for about a month so that she gets used to drinking from one. It also gave him some nice bonding time with LO and me some much need rest (although I was pumping while he was giving her the bottle, lol).
After that month, we just gave her a bottle when she was being watched by someone other than me. At 8 months, we fell out practice giving her the bottle cause she wasn't being babysat very often and she eventually stopped taking the bottle. Fortunately, she was drinking from a sippy cup and eating solids by then.
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Thanks everyone for the info. I'm going to start to pump today and see if we can't get her to take a bottle next week from her daddy. I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks nipple confusion isn't real, I just really wanted to get established at breast feeding before we started on the bottle.
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This is a major concern for me as my baby will be going to daycare at roughly 10-12 weeks old. She HAS to take a bottle. I'm really adamant about breastfeeding but worried at the same time!
So jealous of all you Canadian mamas!
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Since my baby will be going to daycare at 8 weeks I will introduce the bottle within the fist 2 weeks so she can get used to it
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