What's the best way to introduce my baby to a bottle?Most lactation experts suggest you wait until your baby is 3 to 4 weeks old and breastfeeding is well established before introducing a bottle. If you're returning to work, start bottle-feeding at least two weeks before your start date so you can work out any glitches ahead of time. (You can get more information on such topics as sterilizing bottles and how often to bottle-feed in Bottle-feeding basics.)
Because sucking milk from a bottle requires different mouth and tongue movements than breastfeeding, it may take your baby a little time to get used to the change. Try these tips for a smooth transition:
• Offer her a bottle a little earlier than her regular feeding time so she'll be hungry and interested, but not so hungry that she'll be frustrated by the cold nipple.
• Let someone else feed her the first bottle.Your baby will be less confused if you don't give her the bottle yourself, since she may wonder why she's not getting your breast. Instead, ask someone who might feed her in your absence — your mother, your partner, a childcare provider, or another mother — to make the first introduction.
• Try to be out of the house for this event; babies can smell their mother from a distance of at least 20 feet, and she may know that you (and your breasts) are around even if you're in another room.
Tory Winnick introduced her son Philip to the bottle when he was 3 weeks old. "I pumped and put my breast milk in a bottle so my husband, Mike, could experience feeding the baby," she remembers. "We had to try a few different nipples until we found one that most closely simulated the breast. It really made Mike feel great that he could feed the baby, too."
Bottle-feeding can be just as nurturing physically as breastfeeding if you cuddle the baby close. Some babies like to be held in a nursing position while drinking from a bottle; others find that position disconcerting. Ask whoever is offering your baby the bottle to experiment while maintaining eye contact with her, and give her a chance to get used to this new experience.
Some babies don't eat very much when mom isn't home, and if they are away from her all day may begin waking more frequently at night. Don't be surprised if this happens; treasure these quiet and intimate times and use them to reconnect with your baby.
What do I do if my baby resists taking the bottle?
If your baby isn't having any of it, try these techniques:
• Use a bottle nipple similar to her pacifier. If she sucks on a latex pacifier, use a latex bottle nipple rather than a silicone one, and vice versa. Heat the nipple with warm water to make it more appealing.
• Put some breast milk on the nipple. When your baby tastes it she may start sucking to get more.
• Let your baby play with the nipple so she can familiarize herself with it. If she just chews on it, let her. She may actually start sucking it soon.
• Try holding her in a different position: Put her in an infant or car seat so she is semi-upright, and then feed her the bottle while facing her. Once she is used to taking a bottle, you can hold her as you usually would for feedings. One enterprising father put on his wife's bathrobe and tucked the bottle under his arm while holding the baby in a breastfeeding position. That won't work for you, but it might work for Dad!
Make sure you have lots of time to put your feet up and relax during this process. If she starts crying and pushes the bottle away, back off, comfort her, and then try again. The last thing you want is a bottle battle. If you've tried three times and she's refused three times, then call it a meal. Don't breastfeed her immediately. Wait five or 10 minutes, and do something else before you put her to the breast so she won't associate her refusal to bottle-feed with immediate gratification.
Many babies who have been getting bottles all along will suddenly decide at about 3 months that they don't want a bottle anymore, that they simply prefer breastfeeding. And why not? It's warm, cozy, sweet-smelling, and done with their favorite person — Mom. So early success isn't necessarily an ironclad guarantee that your baby will take the bottle when you really want her to.
What if I want to skip the bottle and start my baby out on a cup?
In some countries, babies who can't nurse are taught to drink from a cup from the get-go — even the tiniest infants can learn to do it. There are some advantages to this method: There's no chance of nipple confusion, you won't be tempted to prop your baby up with a bottle (sucking on a bottle at nap time or bedtime can lead to tooth decay), and you'll never have to break a bottle habit. Of course, helping your baby drink from a cup is time-consuming; unless you use a cup with a spill-proof top (commonly known as sippy cups) or a built-in straw, you'll have to help her drink and be prepared for the inevitable mess. Daycare providers may not be comfortable with this arrangement.
Many of the same principles of introducing your baby to a bottle hold true for the cup. Have your child get used to a cup at an early age (but not until breastfeeding has been well established), and introduce it gradually — one feeding a day. If you are going back to work, start a few weeks before you actually head off to the office; your child needs time to get used to this new feeding method.
My baby absolutely refuses to take a bottle. What should I do?
Some people will tell you that if you just wait her out, she'll eventually be hungry enough to take a bottle. That's not necessarily true, and starving a baby into submission isn't a good idea. Don't make mealtime into a battleground — now, when she's 2 years old, or ever.
If all attempts to bottle-feed her fail, go the cup route. Hold her upright in one arm and bring the cup to her mouth, tilting it gently until a wee bit of milk, formula, or juice (depending on the age of your child) goes in. She'll begin to lap and then to drink it. You can also use a hollow-handled medicine spoon to do the same thing.
Young babies often favor the bottle because it satisfies their sucking needs; older babies and toddlers like the novelty of drinking out of a cup. Once she can drink from a cup fairly proficiently, you have an alternative for when you are at work — either cup or bottle — and her caregiver can try both.
In situations like this, it's not uncommon for a mother to blame herself, saying, "If only I had given her a bottle a day from the beginning, this wouldn't be happening." But this just isn't true. Some babies never take a bottle.
What if I decide to wean my baby from the breast?
If you've decided to wean your baby, or to cut back nursing to before and after work, you deserve congratulations and support for having given your baby weeks or months of breast milk. Just be sure that your baby gets the same one-on-one, physically nurturing and affectionate time with you and a bottle that she did with you and the breast. For more information on easing this transition, see our article on how to wean your baby.
source from http://www.babycenter.com
No comments:
Post a Comment