breast and bottle feeding?

help! since i have always just nursed, this is going to be new to me. can you successfully do both? i will be going back to work as soon as i am physically able so we will have to supplement a couple of feedings with a bottle. how soon can we start the bottle? any advice is appreciated.

IMO it really depends on the kid. But yes you can successfully do both. I didn't know better with Billy and I started him on bottles at 4 weeks, and I used formula, since I pumped almost nothing with him. Mary Beth took a bottle at about 6 weeks, but fought it as much as she could. He ended up nursing until he was 6 mos. She nursed until a year. I had no problems with him at all, but she did not like to bottle feed at all, but drank from a cup very early.

I think you will have to follow your gut and see how it goes. Good Luck.

I think the general rule for introducing a bottle is no later than 4 weeks, or they might refuse it. Andrew was around 2 or 3 weeks old the first time we gave him a bottle and he did fine the few times we had to do bottles. Allie was older... I can't remember exactly how old though. She didn't like them from the start, and after the first couple times just flat out refused them.

i plan to pump so it will all be breastmilk, just in a bottle a couple of feedings. i tried the bottle with all the kids at a few months and they all refused it . going back to work is not optional if i want to keep my job so i really need something that will work.

did you find more success with certain types of bottles/nipples at 4wks?
thanks for the advice!

I BF and bottle fed both of mine. Al was my most successful one, Its been over 3 years tho, so I don't remember specifics. I DO remember that it took 3 different nipple types before I found one that she would take.
I think I would BF her, then pump off the top. I'm not sure tho.

Successfully did it w/Kylie for almost 2 years (pumping). Megan was a bit more stubborn not taking the bottle, just nibbled a bit during day while I was gone and did most of her feeding when i was home. You can do it!!!

The only kinds I remember trying were Avent and Playtex. We had the Playtex VentAire bottles and I really liked them. I wanted to try different nipples with Allie when she wouldn't take the bottle, but we didn't leave her enough to make spending a bunch of money trying to find the right one worth it.

Breastfeeding also benefits the mother greatly. It helps delay the return of fertility and to space subsequent pregnancies. It reduces the risk of postnatal depression, and helps to develop an emotional relationship and bonding with her child.

It might be difficult to shift from breast feeding to bottle feeding since your baby might have nipple confusion. I suggest continue giving her breast milk. Express your breast milk and use the bottle to give the feeding. At least she will still have something familiar. More so, breast milk is still the best. Stay away from formula as much as you can.

Well i too believe that mother milk is overall beneficial for the baby as well for the mother too. Bottled milk troubles babies health badly, as bottled milk introduction should take place after baby turns a year old or atleast 9 month old. As this will not only help you not to conceive a baby right after the birth of the new one but will also help you to get rid of breast cancer issues in later part of life..