Breast to Bottle

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The Transition from Breast to Bottle

Moving baby from breastfeeding, to feeding from a bottle, is more often than not a process of trying to find the best way to help your baby make the transition. Some baby's will take to the bottle right away. Indeed, younger baby's who are introduced to the bottle at an early age seem to adapt more easily. Mothers that are able and choose to breastfeed their baby for 6 months and beyond, before they decide the time is right to introduce bottles, can find it is not such a straight-forward switch. Exclusively breastfed babies like the comfort and familiarity of breastfeeding. The smell and feel of your skin, and the way baby feeds, are unique to breastfeeding. The feel, smell, and suckling motions required when feeding from bottles are different, so it can take some time and several attempts to help baby accept the bottle into their feeding routine.

There is no magical solution, but there are a number of suggestions that can be incorporated into your transition efforts. Above all, you know your baby best. Do what you feel is right for your situation.

Suggestions to help with transition:

• Wide-neck bottles seem to be favoured by mother's who have breastfed exclusively. The shape of wide-neck teats is closer to the shape of the breast, and the oral actions required from baby to feed are similar to breast feeding.
  
  
• Use your breast milk first. Baby may take to the bottle better if it is your milk they are getting from it as they expect to drink your milk when feeding. This also ensures baby is still getting all of your wonderful nutrients, even though you are decreasing your breast feeding.
  
  
• Be consistent in your approach. Pick a time of day, such as before their morning sleep, when you will try offering them the bottle. Offer it at this same time each day. They may reject the bottle at first, but after a few days may come to see the bottle as part of their routine and come to expect it. 
  
  
• Wrap or swaddle your baby before feeding. This will help baby to feel secure, while keeping their hands from pushing at the bottle.
  
  
• Alternatively, have skin-to-skin contact with baby on your tummy. Some babies will find this comforting to have the feel and smell of your skin which they are accustomed to with breast feeding.
  
  
• When you have placed the teat in baby's mouth, depress the teat slightly so a small portion of milk spills out. This will help baby identify that milk comes out of the teat, just as it does from your nipple.
  
  
• Start slowly at first. Offer the bottle for a few minutes on the first day, gradually offering it for longer periods on the following days.
  
  
• Try getting someone else, such as your baby's father or grandparent, to feed baby instead. As they are so unfamiliar with this, they may not associate it with breast feeding.

If these suggestions do not seem to be working after a week, perhaps change it up a little. Some parents find a slightly different approach works best for their baby.

• Try a narrowneck bottle instead. Some babies will take to these as they have a different feel to the shape of the breast altogether and so do not associate the two.
  
  
• Use a latex teat. Most bottles come with silicone teats which is a hardwearing and tougher feeling plastic. Latex is a natural rubber and much softer, more like soft breast tissue. This may feel more comfortable in baby's mouth after breast feeding.
  
  
• Use cool boiled water first instead of milk. When baby will have a drink of water from the bottle, they may take to milk from it when you introduce it.
  
  
• Offer the bottle after feeds. Although you would usually offer the bottle when baby is hungry, sometimes it is less distressing to make the introduction of the bottle more casual. When baby is fed and happy following breast feeding, they may be more accepting of having a little top-up from the bottle.

Introducing the bottle is a big change for baby, and for mum. It can make you feel guilty to see your baby resisting the bottle. This is a normal feeling. Just remember that most babies will go through the same process when introducing bottles into their routine after exclusive breast feeding. Be calm and comforting to your baby when going through this change, to help ease them into it. With a bit of patience they will become accustomed to this new way of feeding, and come to love their bottle feeds too.