Breastfeeding and Bottles

Bottle-feeding is sometimes necessary in the early days if a baby isn’t transferring well, needs extra supplementation for jaundice or hypoglycaemia, or mom isn’t able to feed due to medications given in labor.

Sometimes, parents beat themselves up for this early bottle introduction, especially if their goal is to exclusively breastfeed. BUT this can be a head start for the future. Why?

In the first 4 months of life, suck is a reflex for a baby, meaning, they don’t choose to suck or not, they just do if we stimulate their sweet spot. It can be stimulated by anything- ideally a nipple, but a bottle, soother, finger, anything! After 4 months of age, this suck reflex integrates to the central nervous system and suck becomes voluntary! Your baby who bottle fed in the beginning, but then breastfed exclusively since then, may choose NOT to suck on the bottle…and that sucks for you if you need to leave them with a caregiver.

What to do? If your baby started out on bottles and breast, keep a ‘practice bottle’ in your week, every few days. If they didn’t start out with any bottles, get breastfeeding established and then introduce a bottle every few days, before the 4th month. Like everything, stay consistent with it!

Need help navigating bottle feeding? Gimme a call and let’s work through it together!