Even if you plan on exclusively breastfeeding it can be advantageous for your baby to get acquainted with a bottle.
Although it can be hard to think about leaving your sweet snuggly baby, it truly can be exceptionally beneficial for your mental health to get out of the house. Whether that be going out alone, or with your significant other.
Another reason to pump and get the baby in the habit of using a bottle is that there could (hopefully not!!) be a reason beyond your control why you would suddenly have to quit breastfeeding. An example would be in the event that you needed to take a prescription that was not suggested for breastfeeding mothers.
I’ve collected my best tips and products so you have them all in one place.
Initial Pumping Questions
When to introduce?
My lactation consultant and most other specialists recommend waiting until breastfeeding is well-established. It takes about 4 weeks, give or take, for most mothers and babies to really get into a comfortable groove.
It is also recommended to wait this long before you introduce a pacifier.
Who should give the first bottles?
Not you! Your spouse or partner should give the first few bottles and you should leave the house or at the very least the room. My husband struggled with this a bit. He had never fed a baby before and I swear my daughter could feel his fear and insecurity. Once given the chance my mom had pretty much no issues, sometimes it takes a mom’s touch… mainly experience and confidence.
How often to give bottles?
This largely depends on if you are returning to work or not, and if you are how many days and hours you’ll be away. If you’re planning to primarily breastfeed I would say 1-4 a week.
What bottles are best?
Often times our baby will decide what they prefer, and it may not be what was recommended by others. I used these because they were the “it” bottles to have and they advertise reducing colic – who doesn’t want that? I can say we never had issues with colic but they were obnoxious to clean and the bottles did not function without the inserts, next time I’ll try to avoid them.
I would not recommend buying a lot of bottles. A lot of stores have a free registry or welcome bags that include full-sized bottle samples. Try those, and if they don’t work try one bottle at a time of a different brand since most stores will not allow you to return bottles.
What nipple size for the bottles?
As a general rule of thumb, breastfed babies should be using the lowest flow of nipple. Mostly you’ll find them labeled “newborn” or “level 1”.
One reason is that it could prevent your baby from preferring the bottle over the breast – since it can be much easier for them. Another reason to start small is that if the nipple size is too large it can be overwhelming for your baby which could cause them to cough, have milk drain from the outsides of their mouth, or gag. It could also cause general stomach discomfort.
Though most breastfed babies happily continue with a level 1 nipple some may need to increase to a higher flow. A few things to look out for would be your baby’s cheeks sucking in like they’re working extra hard to get that milk out, they may fuss out of frustration, could stop drinking with plenty left in the bottle, and then be hungry not long after.
If you have any concerns reach out to your pediatrician or a lactation consultant.
How many ounces to give?
2-4 should be plenty, you can adjust based on how much your baby is eating. At this time you are just trying to get them used to a bottle.
Pumping and Storage Tips
Which pump to purchase
This may depend largely on what your insurance will cover. You can call your insurance company and ask them what limitations they have.
There are websites that assist you in purchasing the pump you prefer using your insurance, you may have to pay the difference of what your insurance does not cover though.
Otherwise, it seems that Medela and Spectra are leaders in the stationary pumps that require an outlet.
I had the Medela Pump in Style covered by my insurance. I just went with what the hospital offered instead of planning ahead and doing my own research.
The only real complaint I had with the Medela was that I felt I had to lean forward for the milk to flow properly into the bottle.
I did not go out of my way to research more. Do better than me!
The three top-rated wireless pumps that I considered were the Elvie, Willow, and Freemie.
I chose the Elvie pump and HATED it.
Before you choose a pump
I highly recommend you check two places.
- Parenting forums. I used the What to Expect (WTE) app and it had forums for all kinds of things. Pumping, breastfeeding, potty training, the month and year your baby was born, etc. These are simply discussion boards from parents asking questions and parents giving their honest suggestions. They have nothing to gain, unlike a lot of product reviewers.
- Facebook groups. I found out these existed on a WTE forum. These are genuine conversations discussing real issues with the products.
If I had read through these two platforms first I would have NEVER paid almost $600.00 out of pocket for the Elvie.
Flange Size
One of the best ways to find out which flange size you will need, or at least where to start, is by actually measuring your nipple.
I was totally clueless and guessing until I stumbled across this website that sends a chart to your e-mail. You cut out the circles and put your nipple in to measure. WAY easier than trying to use a ruler, yup I actually tried that too!
Depending on which pump you use, that company may have something on their website to measure as well.
Pumping bra
If you chose a wired pump you can purchase pumping bras that will make your life so much easier. If you want to save a couple of bucks you can at least try making one yourself out of a sports bra. I’ve seen tutorials online!
I bought one since I didn’t have any sports bras that I wanted to sacrifice and the pumping bra didn’t cost any more than a sports bra.
I bought this strapless one in a size medium based on the sizing chart and reviews, I should have bought a large…other than it being a little tight it worked just fine. Next time I think I’ll buy one with straps like this one.
The freezer stash...
This one is also tricky depending on how long you will need to be away from your baby. I had 2 gallon-size freezer bags of frozen breast milk when I went back to work. When I returned to work I was only pumping 4 times per week and breastfeeding the rest.
Well, I barely had leftovers when I quit working because I was not getting as good of an output from the pump as I did from my baby at the breast. It’s unlikely you’ll need a freezer full of breastmilk but, I would recommend 3-5 gallon bags to be safe.
Pouring Tip
When you’re hormonal on minimal sleep spilling breastmilk on your counter can feel like the whole day is ruined. An easy way to prevent this is to use your pump flange (the cone part that you press against your breast) as a funnel. Or just buy a funnel, I’ve bought a set of them at the dollar tree before.
Freezing tip
I recommend laying your breastmilk bag flat in your freezer. Preferably on something flat like in a plastic food container or even on a piece of cardboard.
It will be much easier to keep them organized and will take up less space.
You can purchase fancy breastmilk bag storage systems but I think a gallon size bag works just fine. I’ve also seen moms get crafty with the cardboard box of a 12 pack of pop.
Pumping is Challenging
In my humble opinion, pumping is a huge challenge. It takes a lot of dedication and is honestly more work than feeding directly at the breast or giving bottles.
You have to wash your pump parts on top of bottles.
Even though it is a time-consuming hassle it is also an amazing gift to provide to your baby. No matter how much breastmilk you are able to provide for your child it is a win!
You should be proud whether you provide breastmilk only within your baby’s first days or for two years.
