breastfeeding and bottles?

Question

I plan on breastfeeding but I was wondering would it be ok if I pumped breastmilk into a bottle instead of breastfeeding? Has anyone done this?

Answer 1

Yes, and it is quite alright, especially if you are still breast feeding and go back to work. It will also let you know if your still producing enough milk for your baby as well. Unfortunately I didn't have enough milk for my daughter though I alternated, first I breast fed then gave her a bottle.
Not only that, it allows daddy to feed the baby as well.

Answer 2

Breastfeeding is the best since your body will make milk to the specifications of your baby better when they actually take it directly. If you really can't stand the idea of breastfeeding, pumping is better than not giving breast milk at all. Get a really good electric pump (search online for consumer reviews to pick the best one for you.)
You will have a better milk supply if you breastfeed vs. bottle feed breast milk. You'll have to pump every 2 hours at first if you do the bottle feed method and it is a lot harder than just breastfeeding because you have to wash your supplies (bottles, pump parts,etc.) all the time. You can choose to breastfeed at home and pump at work if that is more convenient for you. It's up to you what you do. Contact a lactation consultant before your baby comes with what you plan on doing so they can give you the best tips on how to manage.

I wanted to add something...there are these things called nipple shields that are only supposed to be used when your baby has latch on problems but I used them for 9 months with no problems. I found them to make my life a lot easier. I preferred the contact nipple shield because the regular one seemed to get stuck on my baby's nose a lot.
Here's an example of what they look like...
http://www.medela.com/newfiles/nipshield.html

Answer 3

Do you mean to ask if you can exclusively pump, rather than ever actually nursing your child, or if it's okay to offer pumped bottles of breastmilk while also breastfeeding?

Assuming the latter, there are plenty of mothers who offer both breast and bottle with little difficulty (though my youngest refused any sort of artificial nipple -- bottle, nuk, etc. LOL). You just might want to be a bit choosier about the type of bottle you offer, since there are plenty that now have lines specifically geared toward nursing infants (nipples with a more natural shape and flow, meant to mimic the breastfeeding experience and make it easier to transition between the two). Avent's line and The First Years' Breastflow type, for example. You can see both here: http://www.toysrus.com/family/index.jsp?categoryId=2256167

I wouldn't recommend NOT nursing your child if you're able to, especially if you do want to offer breastmilk anyway, but if you simply cannot breastfeed due to work or other time constraints, and still want to give your child the benefits of breastmilk, that is also possible ... and quite commendable! You would basically be bottle-feeding, but taking extra time and effort to pump and store quality milk, rather than formula, for your child. It's quite a commitment, but it has been done. ;)

Good luck, either way.

Answer 4

Pumping is a good solution if you have to be away from your baby for a little while. Most of the time it's better for both you and your baby if you can continue to give them your own milk, rather than introducing formula (formula can increase the risk of allergies to cow's milk or soy). Not all babies will take a bottle easily, however, so it can be challenging to get them to accept it for the occasional feeding. If you want to have that option, you probably need to start gradually introducing the bottle fairly early (but not TOO early; your breastfeeding must be well established). There are benefits to both mother and baby from breastfeeding that you won't get from pumping (including bonding time, some hormonal changes, and possible effects on your milk supply), so you don't want to completely replace breastfeeding with pumped milk if you can help it. But as the occasional replacement it's probably the best option out there.

Personally, I breastfed my daughter for nearly 3 years, though not exclusively. I did both pump and give her formula at various times after I returned to work. In our case, pumping (and low-dose birth control pills) reduced my milk supply, despite my best efforts, and that's when I started supplementing with part breastmilk, part formula. She turned out to have a soy allergy (we found out because she threw up right after, and then during, the feedings), so we settled on a milk-based formula for the supplementation. (She's now almost 11 and quite tall, so the supplementing didn't seem to do her any damage! ;)

Figuring out what works best for you and your baby can be a delicate dance. I wish you the best as you get to know your baby--and yourself!

Answer 5

I had thought about it but it's a lot more work to do, especially when you'll already be exhausted. Besides that when you do it that way you have to worry about proper storage and heating anytime you want to feed, not to mention feeding while going anywhere like a day trip. Personally I found direct from the source to be better. Then feed from the bottle occasionally so you aren't tethered to the baby and you can get away sometimes worked better. If you have to go back to work, you may find that the moments it's just the two of you snuggled up for the breastfeeding sessions that you can do may be some of your most precious memories.

Answer 6

My sister could not latch the baby on correctly so had to pump and then bottle feed the breast milk. She was able to do this for 6 months before having to start working again.

I plan on pumping if I can since I only have one breast producing milk. That way my baby can get some breast milk and formula all through a bottle to not confuse him.

Good luck.

Answer 7

Exclusively pumping is pretty hard work. It's like all the work of BOTH breastfeeding and bottle-feeding rolled up into one. It's a very big commitment and I have a lot of respect for the women who can do it. Not very many moms would CHOOSE this path.....most do it because they are committed to giving their child breastmilk but the child won't latch on correctly so they pump to insure that their child gets their milk.

I'd encourage you to try nursing directly at the breast for the most part and pump for when bottles are needed.

Info on exclusive pumping -
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/pumping/bf-links-excpumping.html

Answer 8

I was only able to breastfeed for 6 weeks but, yes, this is what I had to do most of the time. The key is a good pump, I bought one but it was worthless. I ended up renting a Medela from the hospital (awesome). My milk supply was very low before it depleted and I wasn't sure if my son was getting enough to eat. Also, he didn't latch well to the breast. I kept pumping & pumping, in hopes my supply would go up but it never did.

Answer 9

Ask your doctor. I wondered the same thing. But I do know that you have to stick with either breast or bottles for the first couple of weeks to get the baby used to the "nipples". But breastfeeding and the stimulation of your nipples is better than pumping because it helps your uterus shrink back into size and creates an unbelievable bond between you and your baby :)

Answer 10

It is totally OK to do that. Breast feeding its self has its own rewards but doesn't work for everyone. I breastfed and pumped extra bottles so that way if i had to go out or someone was going to watch her or even if it was late and i wanted to sleep (i let my hubby do the work) i had extra ready to go... you can freeze it for a long time and refrigerate for a few days. its also A LOT cheaper then formulas. You amy have some problems though if you go back and forth from breast to bottle, just to give you a heads up!