How to Combine Breastfeeding with Bottlefeeding
Combining breastfeeding and bottlefeeding is a great compromise for mothers who want to continue breastfeeding, but need to be able to do other things during the day; things that will require them to be away from their baby during some feeding sessions. Combining these two types of feeding is also a first step towards weaning from breastfeeding because your baby will slowly become accustomed to less breastfeeding sessions and more bottlefeeding sessions.
Many mothers want to combine these two types of feeding because it assures them that their babies are getting the benefits of breast milk, while giving them the liberty to do other things. Also, many mothers know the importance of breastfeeding in terms of bonding with the baby and establishing feelings of security, so they don't want to give it up completely just yet.
Doctors recommend that you wait until your breastfeeding routine is well established, around six to eight weeks after birth. This is done for two reasons. The first is that it can take a while for your body to become accustomed to producing milk. Second, because breastfeeding can sometimes be difficult for a baby to learn, and they have to exert quite a bit of effort when sucking.
Bottlefeeding, on the other hand, is much easier. If you introduce the bottle to early (earlier than six to eight weeks), your baby may prefer the bottle over your breast (often known as nipple confusion) because of how much easier it is, and they may give up breastfeeding altogether which will defeat the purpose of combination feeding. Waiting six to eight weeks assures you that your baby and your body is used to breastfeeding, and both will respond to breastfeeding when it is done.
To begin combination feeding, mothers are advised to do what they do when weaning: slowly remove one breastfeeding session a week. It should take your body about seven days to adjust to producing less milk, and cutting just one a week will help in making sure your breasts do not become engorged. Just go slow on your body. After a few weeks pass, you will notice that your body will stop producing milk during the times that you chose to drop a feeding session.
Because of your body's response, be very sure about which feeding session you choose to cut. It can be difficult to switch back to feeding more often, so study your regular feeding schedule, and remove the breastfeeding session that will be most beneficial to you. Replace this with a bottlefeeding session. You can even ask your partner to be the one to do the bottlefeedings. This gets them more involved in your baby's life, and it also strengthens the bond between them and your baby.
Bottlefeeding may pose some challenges in the beginning, especially when a baby is used to a mother's nipple more that a teat. To help your baby along, try warming the milk to body temperature. Babies often prefer body temperature milk. Also, experiment with different teats. Usually, babies that prefer their mother's nipple respond better to orthodontic teats.
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