Introducing Bottle to Baby

When Did You Introduce a Bottle to Baby?

February 5, 2010

Don't give the baby a bottle, it will cause nipple confusion! Prior to having a baby, the concept of "nipple confusion" is one that most mamas think is reserved for regulars at Hooters. But once a lil one arrives, friends and family will have plenty of advice about the best time to introduce bottles and pacifiers to a breastfed baby.

Most lactation consultants suggest waiting until a baby is a month old before offering her a bottle, giving both mom and her wee one enough time to become comfortable nursing. Some moms follow this advice, while others throw caution to the wind. One friend who recently gave birth told me that she offered both human and man-made nipples from the day her tot was born and never had an issue. Another waited for three months, at which point her son outright refused the bottle if his mother were in the room.

When did you introduce your baby to the bottle?

11 Comments

3 years 15 weeks

"Hence, I don't believe in nipple confusion." I hope you mean you don't believe your child was prone to it and not that it doesn't happen for ANYONE. Otherwise that's one seriously ignorant statement. It'd be like making a blanket statement that your supplementing with formula increased your child's jaundice and caused your low milk supply. I gave all my kids one or two bottles in their lives, all around 4-6 months.

GMarie 3 years 15 weeks

Every situation is different. My son loved to nurse and did so for 22 months, never taking a bottle or needing formula. I determined whether he was getting enough by how much he grew (which was a lot!) That was great for us, but every baby shows up with their own preferred way of doing things. :) One of the best pieces of wisdom I ever received was that babies don't read all the advice and parenting books - they go by what they need. That's different for each child, each mother, and each combo, and that's good!

3 years 15 weeks

i never gave my daughters the bottle ever, did i think about it? yes! but i was lucky enough that i was aloud to stay with my daughters all day every day so instead of offering a bottle, i offered a sippy or a straw cup...but breastfeeding for 1year + was hard and took alot of dedication and sacrifice but i am proud to say that i made it past 1 year.....but i tried every bottle you could imagine and a woman said try a sippy cup ..and bless that womans heart because it worked

3 years 15 weeks

i think it depends on the child. i am about to deliver but my dr suggest to give my baby a bottle from the start at a specific time of the day if we know we want to bottle feed at that specific time (my husband want to bottle feed him before he goes to sleep) our pediatritian stated that it should help him to go between the two better. we will just have to wait and see. but my dr said that in most cases nipple confusion doesnt exist.

3 years 15 weeks

I started the bottle around 4 months because of the worry of him not wanting the breast anymore. And he loved the bottle. So I'm kind of glad I waited, I think he might have been the kind that would prefer the bottle. He had no problems when I went back to work when he was 5 months.

oliveoyle625 3 years 15 weeks

I am having the hardest time ever with bottle training. We have gone through all the brands that are highly recommended from Tommee Tippee, Avent, Dr. Brown's to Breastflow and she will NOT have it. My baby is almost four months by the way. She had jaundice and had to take the bottle in the form of formula and mostly pumped breastmilk initially. I was worried she wouldn't nurse, but now she will ONLY nurse and that's about it. It's really tough on me and my ability to go to class or much else without having to worry that the baby is going to starve and/or cry and cry.

MonkiChriz 3 years 15 weeks

At day 5, my baby was admitted into intensive care and the doctors required that I pump and bottle feed him so they can measure out exactly how much he was drinking. Long story short, I was nursing then supplementing with the bottle because the bottle was easier for him. But once he was declared healthy at about 2 months, I took him off the bottle and he learned to nurse exclusively after about a week or so. (I could not stand nursing and pumping and washing and leaking...) I don't believe in confusion. I just believe babies are smart and want what's easier or more comforting.

3 years 15 weeks

Because I was having trouble keeping up with demand with our 1st 2 babies, I switched them to bottles at 4 and 5 months repectively, however my 3rd had no troubles and my production was great and she refused a bottle-has never had one! She's 14 months now and is onto a sippy cup. It was a nice step to skip but I agree with mstrauss that there are to many generalizations and that every child is different!

mstrauss 3 years 15 weeks

And what about those children that love the nipple so much, they refuse to take a bottle? I know kids in every situation. While nipple confusion can exist, it isn't that way for every child. I think there are too many generalizations made about children and feeding. Some like the boob, some like the bottle, some like both, some like their milk warm, etc. I believe all sorts of confusions exist. We actually started our son on bottles right away because I knew I wanted to do both, and it's good I did since I didn't produce enough milk and switched to bottles right away. I pumped whatever milk I could, but I gave it to him in a bottle.

starbucks 3 years 15 weeks

bfortmom, I'm glad you and your kid had such an easy time, but that doesn't mean 'nipple confusion' doesn't exist! I started pumpin twice a week when she was about 2 months old so I could go class. She took the bottle right away. She prefers the real deal though. She won't really fall asleep unless I nurse her. I guess she just need the intimacy to feel safe enough to really let go from the day. Since the milk flows really easily from the bottle I believe baby's that aren't on the stronger side might prefer it. Getting milk from the breast is hard work for babies! I think if I had given her the bottle the first few days she wouldn't have made the effort to nurse!

3 years 15 weeks

Due to jaundice, my baby came home from the hospital needing a formula supplement to breastfeeding. That only lasted about 5 days but he had no problem learning to nurse and taking the bottle at the same time. Due to my lack of milk production we went again to a permanent formula supplement around 7 weeks. He still had no problem with the bottle, not even different TYPES of bottles and nipples. Also, he will take a bottle then go back immediately to nursing if he's still hungry. It was literally seamless, he just knew what to do to get fed. Hence, I don't believe in nipple confusion.

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