Introducing a Bottle To Baby Noa
You always hear so many different things about introducing a bottle to your baby; some say if you start too early it will cause nipple confusion while others don’t have a choice to introduce it because they have to return to work. When I had Harper 5 years ago, I recall introducing a bottle quite early and she had no issues breastfeeding or taking a bottle of breast milk from my husband. So this time around with Noa, I also wanted to introduce a bottle early.
When Noa was born, I started pumping daily and storing the breast milk in the freezer. Within the first three weeks, my husband gave Noa her first bottle of breast milk. I have to say that it didn’t go over well. That week I remember we attempted three different bottle brands. You always hear stories about babies refusing to take a bottle and at this point, I could say Noa was one of those babies. It wasn’t until we tried the MAM Anti-Colic Bottles that we got her to drink breast milk from a bottle. Woohoo!
Bottoms Up!
There are some common reasons why a baby may not take a bottle. It could be your baby doesn’t like the nipple of the bottle or that he/she simply doesn’t want it because they rather have you and your boob. It could also be a complete mystery as to why your baby doesn’t want a bottle, but the best thing you can do is try if you’re open to doing so.
I found it worked best when my husband gave Noa the bottle and not myself. This also gave him the opportunity for some beautiful bonding between him and baby. I would also make sure I would pump at this time to keep up my milk supply.
I also believe that it does come down to the bottle you choose. There are a lot of baby bottles on the market, so don’t be afraid to try a few to discover which one your baby likes most. For us, the SkinSoft silicone surface of the MAM teat made for a familiar feeling for Noa. In fact, it’s found to be accepted by 94% of babies.
The other benefit I should mention about MAM Anti-Colic Bottles is that they offer a vented base, which promotes less colic and regurgitation. My mother told me I was a colicky baby and that I never took a bottle. Truthfully, I worried about ever having to experience this myself with my children, so using this bottle gave me some extra reassurance.
Bottle Feeding Tips That I Found Helpful
1. Watch Positioning.
We learned that feeding Noa upright was so much better; my husband could better support the base of her head so that she could control the flow of the milk. He would also give her a break and always made sure to tip the bottle back down, so that all the milk would leave the nipple.
2. Burp.
One thing we found that helped was to burp Noa often when taking the bottle. A lot of babies swallow a lot of air with bottles, so burp away!
3. Switch it Up.
As simple as this sounds, my husband found that moving Noa from one arm to the other helped her take the full bottle.
Easy Peasy!
One thing I have to say is that with breastfeeding there is no real mess to clean up. Something about bottles I didn’t look forward to was the cleaning and sterilizing aspect. One notable benefit of the MAM bottles is that they have a unique self-sterilizing function (in just 3 minutes). Such a win! What’s more, these bottles offer wide openings, which means cleaning is less tedious … making it easy peasy for mommy!
Keep Trying!
It’s easy to give up … you’re tired and the last thing you want to do is fight with your new baby over taking a bottle when you can easily nurse. But if it’s important for you to have your baby take a bottle or if your partner needs to give a bottle since you have to be away from home, then don’t throw in the towel just yet. Consider investing in a quality bottle like the MAM Anti-Colic Bottle that is intended for newborns and continue to give it a go every day. Good luck, mamas. You got this!
Photography by: Leon Chai