Introducing Bottle to Breastfed Baby at 4 Weeks
Feeding your babe expressed milk: Your questions answered
When can you lot outset feeding your infant expressed breast milk? What's the best mode to do information technology? And should you be concerned about 'nipple confusion'? We answer your questions about expressed milk feeding
When should I start giving my baby expressed milk?
If your babe is healthy and breastfeeding is going well, there'due south no need to rush into giving her expressed milk. For the first four weeks, you're working together to initiate and build your breast milk supply while she learns to breastfeed efficiently. While there is limited information,ane it is thought that unnecessarily introducing bottles during this crucial outset calendar month could interfere with these processes.
Only if your newborn struggles to latch or suck for any reason, then start expressing milk every bit soon as possible after the nativity. Read our articles on overcoming problems in the first calendar week and feeding breast milk to your premature baby or baby with special needs for more communication, as well as getting support from your healthcare professionals.
How can I feed expressed milk to my babe?
In that location is a range of expertly designed feeding solutions that can assist you requite expressed milk to your baby, depending on your and her needs.
For example, Medela'south innovative Calma teat will only allow milk to flow when babies create a vacuum by sucking. This ways they tin can feed from a bottle using the aforementioned technique, tongue motility and jaw movement they would at the breast.two,three Adult with breastfeeding experts from the Academy of Western Australia, Calma allows your baby to suck, swallow, intermission and breathe just as she does when breastfeeding.iv By maintaining babies' natural sucking behaviour, Calma is designed to make it easy to switch from breast to bottle-feeding and dorsum again.
Medela too makes conventional bottle teats in two menstruation versions. And all our teats can be attached directly to the bottles yous limited milk into, minimising the risk of spillages.
If your newborn needs expressed milk, merely yous don't desire to offer her a bottle until she's become used to breastfeeding, you could use a baby loving cup designed for curt-term feeding. This allows your baby to sip or lap your expressed milk – exist careful to avert spills! It's advisable to accept a healthcare professional on mitt the first fourth dimension you apply the baby cup, to make sure yous're both getting the hang of it.
For babies who need expressed milk supplements in addition to regular breastfeeding, a supplemental nursing organisation (SNS) can be helpful. This has a sparse, flexible feeding tube that tin can be stock-still aslope your nipple to give your baby expressed milk while y'all're breastfeeding her. This allows your baby to stay at your breast longer, which further stimulates your breasts to assistance maintain your milk supply, and also helps meliorate her breastfeeding skills. It tin can exist useful for mums with low milk supply or with adopted or surrogate babies.
If your baby can't create the suction needed to breastfeed – maybe because of a disability, congenital status or weakness – you could attempt a feeder designed for babies with special needs. These let infants who can't suck to feed using gentle compression instead.
What's the best mode to introduce a canteen?
If breastfeeding is going well and you've decided information technology'southward the right time to give your baby a bottle of expressed milk, follow these tips:
Take your time
Don't wait until your big night out or first twenty-four hour period back at work to innovate your babe to the bottle. Start trying with a minor amount of expressed milk, in a relaxed and unhurried manner, a couple of weeks beforehand. Gradually build upwards to giving a full feed of expressed breast milk from a bottle.
Pick your moment
Ideally your breastfed baby should be alert, but not too hungry, the starting time time she has a bottle of expressed milk, so that she is as relaxed as possible.
Consul feeding duties
Your babe may be dislocated or frustrated when you offering a canteen, as she'southward used to your breast. It might be easier if someone else gives the offset bottle, and you stay out of the room and so your baby can't meet or smell you.
Not also hot, not too cold
Your babe may be more likely to take the expressed milk if it's around trunk temperature, 37 °C (98.vi °F).
Dip and sip
Endeavor dipping the canteen teat into some expressed milk before offering information technology, and then it tastes and smells of your chest milk. Then gently stimulate your baby's top lip with the teat to encourage her to open her mouth.
Positioning for bottle-feeding
Feed your infant on need and cuddle her in a semi-upright position. Never bottle-feed her while she's lying flat or prop her up with the bottle, in case of choking. Get at her pace, with equally many pauses every bit she needs – yous can even endeavour switching sides during the feed.
Be patient
Don't worry if she doesn't take to the bottle straight away – it may take several tries. If she pushes the bottle abroad or becomes upset, comfort her and wait a few minutes earlier trying again. If she nevertheless won't potable from the canteen, wait a few more minutes and then breastfeed her as normal. Endeavour again with the bottle at a different fourth dimension of day.
How much expressed milk should I give my baby?
Every infant is different. Research shows that in babies aged one to six months, one baby may accept as petty every bit 50 ml during a feed while some other may take as much as 230 ml. Outset by preparing a canteen with around 60 ml, and meet if your baby needs more or less. You'll soon learn how much she typically takes – but don't always pressure her to finish the bottle.
How tin I ensure bottle-feeding is condom for my infant?
Ever clean and sanitise your breast pump set and bottles according to the instructions, and wash your hands before pumping, handling milk or feeding your baby. Follow our guidelines for storing and thawing your expressed milk safely.
If warming your breast milk, place the milk canteen or bag into a basin of warm water or a warmer, or run it under a warm tap (max 37 °C or 98.6 °F). Never warm breast milk in the microwave or on the stove elevation.
Will my infant cope with switching from chest to bottle?
Mums sometimes worry that if they introduce a bottle too shortly, their baby will get accustomed to the bogus teat and struggle to render to breastfeeding. Others are concerned about the reverse problem – if they don't get their baby used to a bottle early she may never accept one subsequently. Both of these problems are commonly referred to as 'nipple confusion'.
Experts disagree on whether nipple defoliation is really an issue.ane Certainly sucking from a conventional canteen teat that doesn't crave a vacuum to be created is less effort for a infant than sucking from mum's nipple, every bit the milk flows more freely and gravity lends a manus. And some babies do seem to have a preference for breast or bottle, and never take to the other. But many babies switch happily betwixt the two.
If yous're still struggling to feed your babe expressed chest milk, speak to a lactation consultant or breastfeeding specialist.
Source: https://www.medela.com/breastfeeding/mums-journey/feeding-expressed-milk