Welcome!

Hi! My name is Linda and I am very new to this blog stuff! So bare with me as I start this up! My hope is that I will be able to create a site where commonly asked questions and answers can be found to the many challenges that occur while breastfeeding. I answer so many of the same questions on a daily basis, that it will be nice to be able to log some of the answers down and have a resource for moms!

So, first, let me introduce myself. I am forty-something, :-) , and have been married to the same wonderful man for over 25 years. Together we raised two wonderful daughters! One is a teacher and the other is a nursing student. I truly believe that the close relationship that I have with the girls is in part due to the bond that breastfeeding was for us. I cherish the memories of those early years!!!

This would probably be a good place for me to say that what worked for me and my family absolutely may not work for you! My goal is to simply make you more comfortable so that you can achieve whatever your personal goals may be! Some of you may opt to only breastfeed for 6 weeks. Others may want to pump and bottle feed only. My job as a nurse and lactation consultant is to provide you with the most current information out there so that you can make educated decisions and come up with your own goals.

Thursday, July 22, 2010

What should I do if I am going back to work at 2 months?

Any mom who would like her baby to be able to take a bottle, whether returning to work or not, should introduce her baby to the bottle between 2-4 weeks of age. All baby’s will accept a bottle at this age with very little effort. The longer you wait, the more difficult it will be to get your baby to accept a bottle. There are two important things to remember with regards to bottles. The first is that you need to keep a bottle in your baby’s routine. Most baby’s will show preference for the breast and refuse the bottle around 2 months of age if given at irregular intervals. It is recommended that a bottle be given at least every other day to keep your baby interested in it. You do NOT need to get your baby used to 3-4 bottles a day before returning to work. The second is that YOU want to be the one who sets the PACE of the bottle feeding! Given the opportunity, all babies will guzzle down the milk. When they drink this fast, they often take down a lot of air and will either throw it all back up, or pass a lot of air, or worse yet, get a tummy ache! It is recommended that you use a “vented” bottle system. (some popular examples are: Playtex ventair, dr brown, and avent) With these “vented” bottles, you don’t need to keep the nipple full of milk. So keeping your baby more upright for feedings and the bottle more horizontal will help to slow down the pace of the feeding. You can further slow down the pace by tilting the bottle in such a way that there is no milk in the nipple. If this is done about every 3 swallows, the baby will be forced to drink more slowly. If she “sucks air” when you do this, then you may need to fully remove the nipple from her mouth after about every 3 swallows. Just keep the nipple touching her lip so that she knows it is just a break. She will tell you when she is ready for more by “rooting” for the nipple. As the feeding progresses, she will slow down naturally and you will no longer have to remove it from her mouth.

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