Even moms who are exclusively breastfeeding will occasionally have times when they may need to supplement with a bottle.
Taking a bottle, even if it is a bottle of breast milk, can be a problem though if your baby has never taken a bottle up to this point. They may have an aversion to a bottle's nipple or such a strong preference for nursing that they may refuse to take a bottle.
So what do you do if you are going to be away for more than a few hours during the day or night? And how about if you have to go away for an extended period of time, like a long weekend and won't be home at all to nurse your baby?
Fortunately, you can do some things that may help all but the most stubborn babies to take a bottle, including:
- feeding your baby in a different position than she usually uses to nurse. You might even try to feed your baby a bottle while you are walking around with her.
- having someone besides her mother feed her a bottle, since she may be resistant to take a bottle from her mother.
- trying different bottles and nipples.
- not waiting until you baby is overly hungry before offering a bottle.
- feeding pumped breast milk if your baby won't take baby formula from a bottle.
Most importantly, be patient and be prepared to experiment a little with different techniques and methods to see what works best for your baby.
