1. Health

Your Baby Week Three

By , About.com Guide

Updated August 30, 2007

About.com Health's Disease and Condition content is reviewed by the Medical Review Board

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Breastfeeding
A mom breastfeeding her baby in a reclining position.

A mom breastfeeding her baby in a reclining position.

Photo © Maxim Tupikov

Supplementing with a Bottle

If you were supplementing your baby with a bottle, but now have a good supply of breastmilk and your baby is latching on well, talk to your pediatrician to see if you can wean your baby from the supplemental bottles.

Remember that you don't necessarily need to give your baby a bottle, but some breastfeeding moms do around three weeks if they suspect that they will need to later on anyway. This is OK as long as you baby is breastfeeding well. If he isn't, a bottle now may still lead to some nipple confusion.

Pacifiers

Many experts believe that using a pacifier may interfere with breastfeeding and they they are associated with early weaning. On the other hand, they are thought to have help reduce a baby's risk of SIDS. So should you let your breastfeeding baby use a pacifier?

Probably, but to avoid any breastfeeding problems, wait until you baby is at least one month old. Then only offer the pacifier at sleep times and don't reinsert it once your baby falls asleep.

Growth Spurts

A growth spurt can often cause confusion for a breastfeeding mother.

Whether it is at three weeks or three months, a growth spurt can throw off a feeding schedule that had been fairly regular. For example, a baby that is breastfeeding every three hours may want to feed every hour and a half or two hours during a growth spurt. The problem is that some mothers misinterpret this increased demand as a sign that they need to start supplementing with baby formula. Instead, if they simply try to keep up with the increased demand, their breast milk supply should increase to meet their baby's demand and they will quickly get back to their usually schedule.

Related Video
Breastfeeding: Sore Nipple Remedies
Breastfeeding Positions

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