When can i start pumping?!

Cara - posted on 07/29/2009

DO NOT WAIT TO INTRODUCE THE BOTTLE! OR SHE WILL NEVER TAKE IT! TRUST ME ON THIS ONE! Ido not believe in "nipple confusion" if she takes it, there wont be any confusion. My daughter is almost 1 and never took a bottle, This has been very hard on me. she still wont take a sippy. she will only drink out of a straw. I started pumping the day my milk came in and storing it in the freezer. What a waste.... I had weeks worth of milk and a baby who wouldnt drink it becasue I waited to give her a bottle.

Tara - posted on 07/29/2009

I would also add to the above comments that I found that if someone was providing a supplementary bottle of breastmilk to my son, I still needed to pump during that time to keep up my milk production. Using caution when using milk from the freezer- if you don't pump, it can lead to decreased milk production and weaning earlier than you might like. I ended up doing all of the feeds except for when I was at work and I pumped, because I'd rather get up to nurse than get up to pump! And to answer the bottle question, I introduced a bottle at 2 weeks- way earlier than I was told- but I had a plugged milk duct and it was too painful for baby to nurse, so I expressed the milk and gave it by bottle. After the duct cleared (a few days) I didn't introduce the bottle again until 7 weeks and had no problems.

Miranda - posted on 07/28/2009

for the same reason you want to i started when my daughter was about a week old. never heard of a waiting period.

Allison - posted on 07/27/2009

I started to pump when my baby was a week old. When my milk came in i had to pump to get rid of some of it because i was so engorged. I froze alot of it. I didn't give my baby a bottle until he was 3 weeks old. I don't think there is any specific time. As long as the baby is latching on correctly and not having a trouble. I would say your safe to give a bottle at any point. The only reason they say to wait is because some babies have nipple confusion. Goodluck!!!!!

Emily - posted on 07/27/2009

I started pumping right away so I could get my milk supply up since I was nursing twins. Mine never went between breast and bottle though. Once I got the on the breast they wouldn't drink from anywhere until I introduced the straw cup. My husband bonded by doing all the burping, changing, bathing. Although he was not feeding them he still has an amazing bond with them. They are just about as close with him than they are with me (unless they are wanting to nurse, lol). They are now 14 mos.

Shannon - posted on 07/27/2009

Right away! Although I know when i started pumping and bottle feeding she preferred the bottle and wouldn't latch on after that so try limiting the bottle feeding as much as possible. :)

Tessa - posted on 07/23/2009

I started before she was born! my midwife told me because i was going back to work so soon then the more i got the better, i wasnt getting much before my milk came in. there is no reason why you cant start early she told me, just dont go overboard and hurt yourself.

Brandie - posted on 07/23/2009

My daughter is now 4 wks old and I have been pumping since I came home from the hospital. I want breastmilk in the freezer so that I can get out and do stuff for myself. =) My mother in law gave her a bottle of breastmilk last weekend and she took it fine - during the day. But when my husband tried it at night (so that I could get more rest), she was so fussy and crying and practically choking from the flow of the nipple (Avent bottles). She is usually very fussy at night from like 730-11pm, so now I know. I am just going to give a bottle (when needed) during the day and then nurse at night and whenever I am with her. It's good to introduce the bottle now so that they don't get too used to the breast and refuse the bottle. Especially if you want a life outside of the house to get out and so stuff like date night or get your hair done.

Rhiannon - posted on 07/23/2009

I was told to start between 3 & 6 weeks as if you wait too long they may not take a bottle, but if you go too early there may be nipple confusion. If your baby has a good latch and there have been no BF problems I would try at 4 weeks. We had major issues so I actually had to supplement at 2weeks but she was a strong eater from the beginning so she was never confused- we were lucky, and now she is mostly BF w/ the occasional pumped bottle. Good Luck!

Nicole - posted on 07/23/2009

Hmm... well I started pumping the day my milk came in at the hospital because I was totally engorged. We saved that milk. Then we introduced the bottle at 21 days. My son took the bottle and breast just fine for 1 week. Then we were lax for a week and tried again and he never would take a bottle again. With my daughter, again started at day 21 and never let up. She gets one bottle a day from daddy (he did it at first and eventually I started too) or me. We've not missed a day. She's 15.5 weeks now. She'll take a bottle of breast milk from pretty much anyone and loves to nurse too.



So I would recommend starting now w/your hubby/daddy and then by the time he's leaving she should be willing to take a bottle from you too. Again, consistency is key, just do one every day and don't stop. I usually pump that feeding that we give as a bottle. So works out nicely really.