Introducing Expressed Breast Milk to your Baby

• It usually takes awhile for most babies to accept a bottle, even when it’s filled with their favorite, familiar food (your breast milk); therefore, plan ahead. Start introducing a bottle to your baby at least three to four weeks before your baby will need to take one.
  
  The best age to introduce a bottle to your baby is between three and six weeks of life. Before three weeks, your baby may struggle with breastfeeding after taking a bottle because of what is commonly called “nipple preference” or in some communities, “nipple confusion.” After six weeks of life, if a bottle is not used routinely, your baby may reject the bottle completely.
  
  Your baby is more likely to accept a bottle of breast milk if it’s provided by someone other than you. This is because your baby associates you with nursing. If possible, for the first few times let someone else offer your baby a bottle of breast milk. It may take several sessions of offering your baby a bottle before he/she takes it willingly. Don’t give up. If your baby won’t take one, try again the next day, and the next, and the next. And once your baby does take a bottle, give him/her a bottle of breast milk a couple times a day (you can use this time to pump while someone else is feeding your baby.) As we have mentioned before, pumping will “tell” your body to produce more milk.

• How Much Breast Milk to Offer Your Baby When Bottle Feeding

  The guidelines we are providing are just that – guidelines. Your baby may drink more or less than we are suggesting. Just as we have encouraged you to trust your body, you can trust your baby’s body as well. If your baby is gaining an appropriate amount of weight, there is no need to question his/her appetite.
  
  To determine how much breast milk to offer your baby at each feeding, multiply your baby’s weight by 2.5. The number you calculate is the number of ounces you should offer your baby in a 24 hour period.
  
  For example, if your baby weighs 11 pounds, multiply 11 by 2.5: 11 x 2.5 = 27.5 ounces in a 24 hour period
  
  If your baby usually nurses every three hours (8 times) in a 24 hour period, you would offer approximately 3 ½ ounces (27.5 ounces divided by 8 feedings) at each feeding. If your baby usually nurses every four hours (6 times) in a 24 hour period, you would offer approximately 4 ½ ounces (27.5 ounces divided by 6 feedings) per feeding. Again, these amounts are guidelines.

• Warming Breast Milk

  Breast milk has a unique make-up which changes not only from day-to-day, but also during a feeding. There is no formula on the market today that has all the beneficial qualities of breast milk. Therefore, it is important to handle breast milk correctly so as not to change and negatively affect its composition.
  
  Never microwave breast milk. Microwaving it creates uneven pockets of heat. More important, the microwaves can destroy healthy bacteria and nutrients in breast milk.
  
  To warm breast milk, place the unopened bottle or storage bag in a bowl or glass of warm water. Gently swirl the bottle or package, being careful not to shake it. Shaking breast milk may shatter the molecular structure of the milk and may cause it to lose some of its beneficial qualities.

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Breast pumps are available for purchase through local nursing/baby stores, pharmacies, hospital gift shops, some lactation consultants, as well as on-line.