How to make the transition from breastfeeding to bottle-feeding
The transition from breastfeeding to bottle-feeding is a milestone that every mother looks forward to in happening. Sure, being able to breastfeed your child is a rewarding experience more than anything else. But, as a mother, you'd also like them to drink milk on their own.
However, the transition from breastfeeding to bottle-feeding cannot happen overnight. It would take at least a couple of weeks or two before your baby gets it right. So, here are some few tips on how you can make the transition easier for you and your child.
◙ Introduce to your child bottle-feeding by giving him a bottle after his regular feeding
You can do this right after one of his regular feedings - may it be in the morning or at night. Your baby will take some time to get used to the fact that the texture of the nipple is different from what he's used to. Hence, it's important to introduce it to him slowly and gradually. You don't have to put in a full mixture of milk powder. Start with just a small amount of breast milk. Note that the goal here is not for your child to finish all the liquid, but for them to get acquainted with bottle-feeding.
◙ Try changing the nipple
After your baby had gotten used to the new texture of the nipple, you can try to assess if it fits him or not. Some nipples have larger openings. This might be the reason why some babies gag when they're drinking from the bottle. It can, however, be solved by using a slow-flow nipple to prevent milk from flooding their mouths.
◙ Distance yourself from your baby
This might be a tricky thing to do, but it's actually one of the most logical ways. Your baby, even though their vision isn't clear yet, can recognize you even from afar. They can do this by familiarizing themselves with their scent. Have you ever wondered how a baby could recognize who his household members with their eyes closed? Babies have an impeccable sense of smell. That's why if you're going to be the one to bottle-feed them, they might think that you're just nearby and your breast is just somewhere in the room! Hence, you can let somebody else bottle-feed your child, so he can associate the bottle as his source of milk when you're not around. And if you're a working mom who's about to end her maternity leave, this could be a way for you to train your child to get used to being fed by someone else.
◙ Serve your child some warm milk
The milk from a mother's breast is usually warm. Cold milk may be the reason why your child doesn't like to be bottle-fed. You can try to experiment which temperature of milk your child is most comfortable with. Sure, it may take a while to get the right temperature for him to latch on completely, but it will be just as rewarding as breastfeeding him.
◙ Put breast milk on the nipple
If your baby latches on to the nipple but doesn't stay to drink throughout, the problem may be because they can't taste their milk as soon as they suck. Since this could happen in some bottle nipples, the best solution you can do is to put some breast milk into the bottle nipples. This is so when your child latches on to it; they could immediately taste their milk without having to suck yet. The familiarity of the taste could trigger them to start sucking.
There are a lot of other things you can do to introduce your child to bottle-feeding. However, the ones listed above are sure fire ways for them to get latching on to those bottles as early as possible. You can also try to switch up some of the tools like the bottle and nipple to check that these aren't the hindrances to your baby's bottle-feeding journey.
Written by Jessa Marie Barbosa
However, the transition from breastfeeding to bottle-feeding cannot happen overnight. It would take at least a couple of weeks or two before your baby gets it right. So, here are some few tips on how you can make the transition easier for you and your child.
◙ Introduce to your child bottle-feeding by giving him a bottle after his regular feedingYou can do this right after one of his regular feedings - may it be in the morning or at night. Your baby will take some time to get used to the fact that the texture of the nipple is different from what he's used to. Hence, it's important to introduce it to him slowly and gradually. You don't have to put in a full mixture of milk powder. Start with just a small amount of breast milk. Note that the goal here is not for your child to finish all the liquid, but for them to get acquainted with bottle-feeding.
◙ Try changing the nipple
After your baby had gotten used to the new texture of the nipple, you can try to assess if it fits him or not. Some nipples have larger openings. This might be the reason why some babies gag when they're drinking from the bottle. It can, however, be solved by using a slow-flow nipple to prevent milk from flooding their mouths.
◙ Distance yourself from your baby
This might be a tricky thing to do, but it's actually one of the most logical ways. Your baby, even though their vision isn't clear yet, can recognize you even from afar. They can do this by familiarizing themselves with their scent. Have you ever wondered how a baby could recognize who his household members with their eyes closed? Babies have an impeccable sense of smell. That's why if you're going to be the one to bottle-feed them, they might think that you're just nearby and your breast is just somewhere in the room! Hence, you can let somebody else bottle-feed your child, so he can associate the bottle as his source of milk when you're not around. And if you're a working mom who's about to end her maternity leave, this could be a way for you to train your child to get used to being fed by someone else.
◙ Serve your child some warm milk
The milk from a mother's breast is usually warm. Cold milk may be the reason why your child doesn't like to be bottle-fed. You can try to experiment which temperature of milk your child is most comfortable with. Sure, it may take a while to get the right temperature for him to latch on completely, but it will be just as rewarding as breastfeeding him.
◙ Put breast milk on the nipple
If your baby latches on to the nipple but doesn't stay to drink throughout, the problem may be because they can't taste their milk as soon as they suck. Since this could happen in some bottle nipples, the best solution you can do is to put some breast milk into the bottle nipples. This is so when your child latches on to it; they could immediately taste their milk without having to suck yet. The familiarity of the taste could trigger them to start sucking.
There are a lot of other things you can do to introduce your child to bottle-feeding. However, the ones listed above are sure fire ways for them to get latching on to those bottles as early as possible. You can also try to switch up some of the tools like the bottle and nipple to check that these aren't the hindrances to your baby's bottle-feeding journey.
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