Going from Bottle to Breast

Hi J., don't give up! I know it's hard, especially since your baby is probably used to the fast flowing bottle by now. From nursing my 2 kids I know that breastfeeding is a rewarding journey with lots of bumps. It's all about determination. I would try and nurse whenever you can and whenever your baby is most acceptable, usually when they are very hungry or sleepy. I read some of the comments you recieved, and most of them are correct -- you could pump and give the breast milk in a bottle, BUT, and this is a big BUT, don't count on pumping exclusively if you plan to nurse for more than 5 months. Because baby's sucking is so much more powerful than pumps, your milk supply will dwindle after 4 months if you only pump. Try nursing your baby more often and you will get him (or her) back to your breasts. Like I said, it is all about determination. Congratulations on doing so well so far, and best of luck to you.

Hi J.-

My daughter had no interest in the breast but nursing was important to me. I worked with specialists and pumped for months. After 3 1/2 months, she FINALLY latched on!!!! I nursed for 15 months.

Good Luck!

I was back and forth from bottle to breast with my son. He was tongue tied. We were lucky he was always to hungry to care where the milk came from. I was pumping when we were still in the hospital with my husband feeding him my milk in the bottle. Once we corrected the latching problem we just went to the breast, for a couple weeks til I went back to work. Breastfeeding takes alot of patience. First I suggest getting rid of the formula, it is not the five oz of formula he likes it is the bottle. You can pump 5oz in no time. Keep pumping and give him one bottle a day. (then you will be able to go out and get a pedi once in a while.) Don't give up- this is my third child and there is no greater experience then looking into their little eyes while they nurse. If you want to just ditch the bottle, even for breast milk your child will adjust. As long as the baby is gaining weight you need not worry about starvation. With all of my babies when I'm at home I just hang out in my bra- then it is always right there for them, skin on skin is very comforting. Good luck!

Yes, and it shouldn't be very difficult for you. I just relactated after not having breastfed for four weeks, my son is now 2 and a half months old. It took me almost four weeks, but we have been 100% on the breast for the last 5 days. You really have to get rid of the bottle, and just feed him yourself. 5 ounces is nothing, you may have to nurse him a couple of extra times for a few days (my baby is still eating quite often), but that is the best way to get your milk supply back. If my milk doesn't flow fast enough or enough comes out in a sitting, he sometimes pops on and off and won't nurse, but normally a breast change, or just walking him around a little bit will help calm him if he won't eat. Also, a few things to help with your supply, a lot of water, make sure you get enough food in you, and eat oatmeal (supposed to boost your supply). Good luck!

J.,
You can be 100% nursing but it does take extra commitment. The more your baby takes from you the more your supply will come in. If he only feeds a little from you then thats what your supply will be. Thats how i was able to keep my milk supply while graduating my babies to solids and still nurse them at the same time. It might take you having to nurse before formula and for longer if you can, or stimulating your breasts or nipples before nursing to get a good flow. Hope you can be successful, but just remember your baby mostly needs a sstress free mommy, thats more important!!
Good luck & God Bless!
V-i hav 3 girls & 1 boy

put a slower nipple on the bottle so it makes it harder for baby to get the milk out..then he'll prefer breast..also bfing in the tub is good to help both of you relax..maybe nurse someone darker and more relaxing
i think it is possible to bf only still ..here is my list on how to build your supply u might want to check it out

1. rent a hospital grade pump..Medela Classic is what i'm using..it's
$3 a day and totally worth it! OR better yet buy one off ebay and
when you're done you can re-sell it on ebay and get your money back.
i bought one and it works great..the medela classic is supposed to be
the best pump out there.
2. get the Easy Expression bra www.easyexpressionproducts.com it
holds both cups over you bb's and it's better to pump 2 at a time
3. eat oatmeal ....get the healthy kind i add bananas also i would
think pasta would be good b/c it retains water
4. Take "Lactation Supplement" by Gaia Herbs you can find it at the
health food store
5. try to pump at the same time every day...also try power pumping..
10 minutes pumping..then stop for 10 then 10 again and then stop and
so on. even pump if you aren't getting anything.
6. Make sure the white membrane thingies that attach onto the cups
are fairly new ..over used ones affect how much milk you get
7. Drink lots of fluids including Nursing Mom's tea or Mother's Milk
tea or the tea i prefer is www.breastea.com ..also drinks with
electrolytes like Recharge...Smart Water...Gatorade i notice on days
i drink a lot of fluids i have more milk
8. Eat barley..Barley Grass supplements are great. also..they have
barley bread at Trader Joe's if you have a Trader Joe's where you
live..or just buy barley. I buy a delicious barley tea at the
japanese market and i drink a couple of cups a day..it's decaf and
yummy.
i also drink Healthy Mom's drinks by Ensure
9.A warm wash cloth helps too ..apply to breasts before pumping or
try the breast heating pads that you heat up in the microwave.
10. Keep taking your prenatal vitamin..not getting a lot of milk
could mean a vitamin deficiency
even if you pump just a little ..save what you get and start adding
them together and then supplement with the milk that you pump..that's
why it's also good to pump after they've gone to sleep..then you help
build your supply and you also have more bb milk for baby..
11. nurse nurse nurse..triple up on nursing..you're going to have to
dedicate a week to it
the more you pump the more milk you'll begin to make.
12. LOTS OF REST..nap if you can ..milk builds when you rest
13. DHA supplements also are great for lactation..also found at the
health food store*
14. Alfalfa supplements are also great.
i think that's it..
15. Try a whey protein powder drink.. i use "Whey to Go" by
Solgar..you mix it with milk add some berries and a banana. it says
to check with your doc before using if you're bfing..so ask your
doc..i only drink one a day and i add a some Motherlove's "More Milk
Plus" to it.
16. Again you should double pump when you're pumping so make sure you
get the bra to make it easier on you!
17. Goat's Rue herb is also supposed to help boost
honestly drink LOTS of liquids
keep yourself moist ...don't take any birth control pills.
18. there is also this stuff called Motilium aka DOM a lot of mom's
use this ..it's for reflux but it builds up your supply.. you can
read about it on Kellymom.com http://www.kellymom.com/newman/19a-
domperidone1.html
and you can buy it here... http://www.inhousepharmacy.com/general/
motilium.html

Yes you can get your baby to latch back on. Booby Boot Camp I called it. Mommy, baby and the booby. I didn't give her bottles all day and just put her on my breast everytime she was fussy or I knew she was hungry. Yea it was like starving her a bit BUT the lactation nurse suggested it and it only took half a day to do it. You have to be home all day and have be "available". My daughter was about the same age when we had to do this. But word of advice, if she only nurses for a couple of minutes and then refuses to nurse more or falls asleep. Get the breast pump out and drain your breasts, you can always freeze the milk for later use. You do not want to develop clogged ducts or being overfull. Email me if you have any probs or want to chat. :-)

Speak to a lactation specialist or go to a La Leche League meeting.
Your baby is experiencing nipple confusion. It's OK, this can be fixed.

You are doing the best thing for your child - bravo!

It sounds like "nipple confusion" - you can offer the breast constantly (whenever he fusses) and stay away from bottles temporarily, that may unconfuse him. At this point, I think you need to choose either bottle or breast and feed him one or the other.

Do not give up or think it is a lost cause! You are both very new at this! Keep at it, and stop giving him a bottle at all. Bottles are too easy, like food just pouring into his mouth, and if given the choice, of course he will choose it. I have four kids, and I gave up way too easily with the first. I got stressed out that he wasn't getting enough, that he seemed to like the bottle better - all those first-timer concerns. Big mistake! He is 23 now, and to this day I wish I'd stuck with it instead of giving in to bottle feeding. Second and third kids were easy breast feeders, but with the last one we had a heck of a time for the first 8-10 weeks. Thankfully, I stuck with it and after the first few months it was as easy as can be. For your son, it is a matter of work. Drinking from the bottle is MUCH easier! The milk just flows right out. With the breast, he has to do the work! He has to really suck it out. The sucking is important, it is very good for him, but lets face it! We humans are fond of doing things the easy way. There is no need to supplement him with a bottle. The more he nurses the more milk you will produce. Pumping does not produce as much milk as nursing. You cannot judge how much milk he is getting by how much you can pump. If you offer only the breast and you work with the basic problem - his latching technique - trying different positions and just giving him more practice, before you know it these nursing problems will only be a distant memory.

Yes, you can get them on the breast 100%. Go to your local Le Leche League meeting or ask for a lactation nurse at your hospital, there is ALOT they can do to help you, look for it. Don't supplement with formula, your milk is based on supply & demand, the more you nurse & pump, the more milk you'll make. Eat and drink every time you nurse or pump. Keep up the great work!

I think you will be fine. Breast milk tastes better than formula. My son drank both. If worse comes to worse, you can always pump and give your baby breast milk in a bottle. The important thing is that they eat and that whatever you are doing works for both of you.

:-) D.

If it is truly what you want to do, then dont give up. I persevered and so can you. My twins were born 3 months early, so they never even got to try breastfeeding until right before they came home from the NICU-- they were 2 months old at that point. I pumped from the moment they were born and they were fed my milk at first by tubes then by bottle. It took us 2 months to get the hang of it once we were home, but eventually we got it. It was hell, but so worth it in my mind. Basically what the NICU told me was to put them to breast every feeding, then "top" them off with bottled breast--or formula if that is what you have. They fought it in the beginning, couldnt latch etc. etc. etc. but if you want it bad enough you can do it. I nursed one twin for 11 months(he weaned himself) and nursed the other for 13 months--at which point I was totally done. I am still nursing my 18 mo. old and loving it, but our start was cake compared to my twins. Play around with the timing of the feedings too, if she/he is starving will he/she latch better or worse? Perhaps you can be more successful if he/she isnt ravenous which can create frustration, or motivation. Or pump a bit first before you put her on so the milk is right there and easily comes out--no waiting for your let down. It also helps to have the smell and the taste of milk on your nipple to stimulate them. Good luck to you.

If possible, see a lactation consultant for help or useful tips on getting the baby to latch on. I had similar problems and found that my child had a harder time latching onto my breast than the bottle, and that he didn't want to work for his food even if he did latch on. My lactation consultant recommended using The First Years - BreastFlow bottles by Learning Curve and even nipple shields to get him to latch on easier. I'd give him a little bit of the bottle, and then quickly put him on my breast with the nipple shield already in place. It may take a little time, but you'll get there. Good luck.

Dont give up! My son was the same way for the first 4 weeks. He was impatient. He would latch on but wanted his milk now.. He didnt like to wait. So i just kept trying and trying until finally one day he stayed and was happy. I would be holding my son who was crying like crazy and i would have the breast pump in the other hand on the breast to help the milk come out faster then hurry and try to let him latch on and that one day when he did was the best. I only gave my son breast milk. I nursed him til he was one. So dont give up just keep trying youll do it. Good luck!

J.

oh yes yes yes! J., it sounds like you have a lot of determination. and that's the main thing you need in order to get your baby back to breast.

keep in mind that babies and moms learn to breastfeed by breastfeeding. it is not necessarily that he is refusing the breast and crying for the bottle. what he is looking for is the flow of milk. the breast usually needs some stimulation in order to have flow. one thing you can try is the supplemental nurser. medela has a GREAT one. one of the best i've seen to get babies on the breast.

there is a lot you can do on your own as far as reading and research, but one of the most beneficial things you can do is to get in touch with a lactation specialist.

here are a few sites that will be helpful.

drjacknewman.com click on breastfeeding help. there are also videos you can watch.

another site is with information is normalfed.com

workandpump.com
kellymom.com

I certainly think there is a possibility to get to 100% breatsmilk. I had a similar issue with my oldest son. Really using 5 oz of formula isn't horrible at all. When your baby cries for the bottle, he might not want to "work" for the breaskmilk. With a bottle, the ease of flow is so easy. He will come around...and if you have to keep using some formula, it's still great to keep breastfeeding. Best of luck!