I have a two month old baby at home, and he has become fed up with breastfeeding. He falls asleep fusses, and just does not like it that way. I have a lot of milk and pump it and freeze it or give it to him in a bottle. Has anyone only fed their baby breast milk in bottles? I know that some nutrients are lost during the freezing process….. but overall is it ok?
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10 responses so far ↓
1 parental unit // Jun 25, 2008
its fine, but I would still try to keep him on the breast. Maybe give him a little expressed milk first to calm him, then let him finish the feeding on the breast. Exclusive pumping will eventually lead to less milk supply than your baby needs, and you will end up with a formula baby. I understand the frustration, my son has always been a fussy eater, but it gets better with time. Good luck
2 andersc2 // Jun 25, 2008
Yes, it is okay. Until my son was 5 months, we hated breastfeeding and I often pumped it and fed it to him. If you do it regularly, you wouldn't need to freeze it and you could use the frozen milk for when he's weaned as extra nutrition down the road, as it will store for up to 6 months in the deep freeze.
Oh… and exclusively pumping WILL NOT lead to a lowered milk supply. I had no problem with this.
3 hamsterbabies // Jun 25, 2008
There is TONS of info on this on the internet.
There are some women who exclusively pump because the baby simply cannot breastfeed.
Yes, it is okay to bottle feed. It is still better than formula. I am not aware of any nutrients lost when freezing milk. That is why we freeze it, because it won't lose the nutrients and will stay fresh.
My baby would never latch on properly, so I bottle fed breastmilk from 2 weeks to 6 weeks old.
4 onlyme212529 // Jun 25, 2008
I did that when I had to go back to work with my first daughter(until my milk dried up) and she was just fine with it. It is perfectly fine to feed him breastmilk from a bottle just make sure you run it under warm water or let it sit in hot water (the bottle with the frozen milk) until it warms it up,don't microwavew it because then all the nutrients burn up. It does not take away a lot of the nutrients when you freeze it,that is mainly when you microwave the breastmilk,that it takes all the nutrients away.
Also just wanted to point out that pumping will not lower your milk supply if you are pumping as much as baby is feeding…AND there is NOTHING wrong with formula fed babies!
5 MPTeach // Jun 25, 2008
Many breastfeeing women will tell you that the first 2 months aren't easy sometimes, but that it gets easier with time. Have you tried consulting a lactation consultant? It could be that because you're nervous about it that your baby can tell and is getting fussy. A lactation consultant can make you feel more comfortable and help you with any problems you're having. I wouldn't give up yet. There's nothing wrong with breast milk in a bottle, but from the breast is best.
6 soulwishfire_13 // Jun 25, 2008
It is totally ok to give him expressed milk in a bottle. It is the same thing as from the breast… just takes a little more time to prepare. Either from the breast or through a bottle, mommy's milk is always the best choice! I have had moments when it seemed my daughter was fed up with hte breast as well but I kept at it! Hope this helps you some!
7 countrygirl0805 // Jun 25, 2008
Something that helped me tremendously was a nipple shield. I bought mine at Target. If you are not familiar with them, look into them. They are thin pieces of silicone (I think) that go onto your nipple. They look similar to a bottle nipple, and help with latch on problems, overactive letdown, among other things. Your baby may think it is a bottle nipple and accept it. Eventually, you will most likely be able to get rid of them and breastfeed exclusively. It will be a lot less work than pumping all the time, and at about $5.99, it's worth a shot! My son had problems breastfeeding for about a month, and these worked wonders. I was pumping, as well as offering the breast (he would scream and cry because he wanted the ease of a bottle) Now, I nurse him exclusively, and we are both very happy! Good luck
8 daniella r // Jun 25, 2008
absolutely
Bottles are easier for babies as there is less effort exerted extracting milk.
Even if minute nutrients are lost, its still better than formula (not that anything is wrong if you chose that option also)
Just bare in mind, that he may suffer nipple confusion if you decide to put him back on the breast (though I think they pretty much work out how to suck off the breast again over time)
9 Rayza // Jun 25, 2008
It's still better than formula. (BTW I'm not anti-formula- I'm pro-breastmilk) It does lose some components- but it still posesses nutrients and antibodies that formula can never provide.
I Pumped and fed my baby breastmilk in a bottle for 8 months. She would not nurse at the breast. Having been there- I would never suggest to anyone to actually do it if they can nurse because it is so much work to keep up supply- to drag the pump with you, to wash parts- etc. I hope that my next baby is a champion nurser because though i would Exclusively Pump again if I had to- I REALLY don't want to re-live that again. You'll have to pump every four hours (maybe go 6 overnight) for no less than 20 minutes each time to get and keep a supply. This is crucial. You may have a supply now- but it won't always be the case. so if that is what you intend to do- set your mind to it- set a goal and don't look back
You can put milk in the fridge for up to 7 days (though I never went more than 5) It's good in breastmilk freezer bags in a fridge freezer for up to 3 months and in a deep freezer for up to 6 months (some say 6 and 12 respectively- but I would never go more than the 3 and 6) when you heat the milk, do it in warm water, do not microwave it. And to mix the fat back in- DO NOT shake the milk- swirl it until it is mixed in.
Here are some links
This board is full of women who pump- whether it's occasionally or exclusively. The site is free and the community is very supportive and informative.
http://boards.babycenter.com/n/pfx/forum.aspx?listMode=-1&nav=messages&webtag=bcus1202053
This is a link to breast milk storage.
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/pumping/milkstorage.html
10 Starsfan14 // Jun 25, 2008
I exclusively pumped for my daughter for 12 months (the reason for it is a long story). It worked for us. I was able to keep up supply for the whole year. It is a lot of work, because you have to pump the milk, then feed the baby and then clean all the bottles, pumping stuff etc. It is as time consuming as breastfeeding and bottle feeding combined.
However, your baby will receive almost exactly the same benefits as a mother that breastfeeds. When I was doing it, I tried to pump a little extra and freeze it. But I always tried to give her fresh milk at least once a day or more. If you exclusively pump your milk supply will go up and down so be prepared for it. My supply would go from 5 oz per pumping to 20 oz per pumping sometimes.
Breastfeeding is best if you can (mostly because it is generally easier) , but it is not all people can breastfeed. Exclusively pumping is a great second choice.