The Breastfed Baby And The Bottle - New Skills

by LisaC

Breastfeeding is a skill, it doesn’t take our babies long to catch on to it either, it’s natural and we are built just for that. The instinct to suck is one develop even before birth. However, there comes a time when nearly every breastfeeding mother will want to introduce her baby to the bottle. Maybe it s because she is returning to work, or maybe she would like to have an evening out, or even do volunteer work or attend church functions. In any case, she must then ask her baby to learn an entire new skill in eating, and please don’t be frustrated with her or the bottle in the process of learning. Sounds a little daunting put that way, doesn’t it?

A mother can be helped by understanding the two different skill sets required to suck from a breast, as opposed to drinking from a bottle.

One of the major differences in this process is tongue placement and flow control. In order to get any significant quantity of breast milk the baby must first latch properly, and suck to initiate and continue the flow of breast milk. His tongue is placed beneath the nipple to create the suction necessary the begin the flow of milk from his mother’s breast.

On the other hand, with a bottle the baby must create suction with his lips and use his tongue to control the flow of milk from the bottle’s nipple. Once suction is established the baby must then work to control the flow of milk which is much faster and can overwhelm a breastfed infant.

To start with a breastfeeding mother will almost surely want to choose a bottle with a smaller nipple opening (that can vary as to baby’s preferences) and slow flow. The infant is not used to such an abundant flow for so little effort nor used to controlling the flow with their tongue.

A mother will also want to lay in a good supply of patience and understanding, after all this is an entirely new skill for her infant. Some infants have no problem learning how to drink from a bottle and others just prefer the breast and are difficult to introduce to a bottle.

A mother also can try and feed the baby first from the breast, taking the edge of his hunger, this can help because they are not starving and are likely to be more tolerant of new things. Breast milk used in a bottle should be as close to body temperature as possible. The baby is used to that milk but even subtle differences can trigger resistance and refusal to drink from a bottle.

A good suggestion for babies who show resistance to a bottle is not to force it upon them and if they refuse the bottle a few times in a feeding, call it done. However, do not offer the breast to them immediately. Try and do something different for a few minutes. This helps counter the risk that an infant might associate his refusal of a bottle with getting breastfed immediately in response.

Positioning an infant in a new way has helped some mothers to teach their infant the bottle skill. Since their favorite feeding position can trigger expectations of receiving the breast for feeding.

When it comes to the bottle nipple, some mothers swear by rubber nipples and others by silicone. The silicone nipples last longer but the rubber nipples may have a more pleasing texture or color for some infants.

Even if your baby is bottle resistant, with time and patience this new skill can be mastered.

Related Blogs

  • Related Blogs on bottle refusal

Related Blogs

  • Related Blogs on bottle refusal

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