Breastfeeding & Bottle – How do I do both? – Part 1

There are many moms who breastfeed their babies and provide their babies with a bottle regularly or from time to time.  The bottle can contain pumped breast milk or formula.  Whatever you decide to fill the bottle with, here are some tips on how to do breastfeeding & bottle feeding:

• It is generally suggested that you not provide your baby with a bottle until he/she is at least four to six weeks of age, because some babies experience nipple confusion and possible refusal to return to the breast.  This is because most bottles and artificial nipples require the baby to suck differently, and a lot of them do not require the baby to have to work to make the milk come out as the milk just flows out easily on its own.
• If you will be using a bottle to provide your baby with pumped breast milk or formula, the type I used and liked was the Philips Avent Infant Bottle Starter Set, BPA Free.  There have been a few recent complaints from some moms on the reviews that the new BPA-free bottles have leaked, but other moms still rave about them.  What I liked about these bottles was that they have nipples on them that promote the baby’s lips to be flanged out like they appear when latched onto the breast.  This results in less nipple confusion when switching your baby between the breast and the Avent bottles.  As well, they are wide bottles which makes them easy to clean, and you can even pump or store your pumped breast milk directly in the containers that can be turned into bottles (see Philips Avent BPA Free Breast Milk Storage Set)! The make-up and design of these bottles also result in less air being swallowed by your child, reducing the chance for colic or spit-up.  I also like that you can purchase nipples with varying hole sizes that result in different flow rates, and more similarity to the breast in this way.

In Part 2, I will complete this discussion of breastfeeding and bottle.  Until then, I hope you have a wonderful day!