Mom Advice

Question

Dear Savvy Mommy,
How do I get my son to use the bottle and still nurse two months after exclusive nursing?
— Sandra, Sanford, Florida

Answer

Katie Fogarty, mom of two, co-founder of Real Deal Productions LLC and co-producer of the award-winning DVD guide The REAL DEAL on Breastfeeding™ graciously answers this question -

When exclusively nursing my second, I went cross-country to a friend's wedding for four days, after handing my four-month old son and the brand-spanking new bottle to my husband. I can't recall if I wished him luck, but I do remember worrying about how everyone was faring back home during my marathon pumping sessions in the hotel bathroom. How did the story end? Everyone survived and I continued successfully nursing for many months. Hoping a cross-country plane is not the only (or recommended!) way to introduce a bottle.

To begin, introduce the bottle about two weeks before you return to work or before you want some extended time away. No need to practice everyday, but try to have baby take the bottle a few times a week. Consider having dad or another trusted caregiver offer the bottle when mom is out of the room.

Also, don't wait until baby is ravenous. Could you master a new skill when starving, upset or right after waking up? Find a peaceful time and watch baby for hunger cues and offer the bottle before hunger builds.

Experiment with different techniques. Does baby want to be held upright when feeding or to lay in the arms in a position similar to nursing? Some babies prefer to take the bottle when walking. Strap on that baby carrier and feed baby as he faces frontward. (This is a good trick for mom to try when she wants to offer the bottle at a later date.) Also, be aware that adding bottle feedings will eventually affect your milk supply, unless you are pumping at the same time. Skipping an occasional feeding, once your milk supply is well established, is unlikely to have an adverse affect but if you are away from baby for extended periods of time, be sure to continue to express your milk with either an electric or handheld pump.

Finally, practice patience. Any new skill takes time to develop. If you are exclusively breastfeeding now, you are no doubt in a nursing groove, but getting in the swing of things probably took time. Understand that it might take time for baby to take the bottle easily or happily. Don't let others discourage you by saying "you should have started earlier" or "you can't bottle feed and nurse." It's never "too late" for baby to acquire a new skill and that's a valuable lesson for any parent to learn!

If you have a question, you would like to see answered here, send an email and a leading mom expert in the appropriate field will respond to it in the Ask Savvy Mommy section. Remember to include your first name, city and state.