6 tips for breastfeeding moms who plan to use bottles

Whether you pump exclusively, supplement with formula or are simply preparing to bottle-feed your baby with expressed breastmilk while working outside of the home, Baby Feeding Bottles can be a nursing mom’s best friend.It isn’t always easy, though, to switch your baby over from breast to the bottle and then back again. To help you get off on the right foot in your bottle-feeding journey, here are seven tips this breastfeeding mom would have known going into this whole baby bottle business:
1) If you plan on returning to work, begin bottle feeding at least two weeks before your start date. Starting earlier can help you and baby work out any difficulties well ahead of time. In hindsight, this was my major faux pas with our first baby; we waited until the week before my maternity leave was over to try to introduce the bottle. My son was not a happy camper.
2) Be prepared with a variety of nipples that simulate the breast. Designs Natural Baby Bottle can make it easier for baby to switch back and forth from breast to bottle.  If your baby takes a pacifier, using a nipple with a similar design can help, too.
3) Have someone else feed baby.This way, your baby won’t smell you and get confused about why mom is not breastfeeding. With my babies, I made sure to either leave the house completely, or to at least escape to an upstairs bedroom while my husband attempted bottle feeding.
4) Offer the bottle when baby is not extremely hungry. If your little one is already worked up and expecting the breast, he’s less likely to be receptive to a bottle.
5) Instruct caregivers to cuddle baby close during feedings. Bottle feeding can feel as nurturing as breastfeeding if family and friends cuddle baby close during these moments.
6) If your baby refuses expressed milk in any form, the bottle might not be to blame. Check to see if your frozen breastmilk might contain excess lipase — an enzyme that breaks down the fat in the breastmilk, giving it a soapy, foul taste. If the milk does have too much lipase, scalding it before storing it in the freezer will prevent the bad taste while still retaining the nutritional value of the milk.
Don’t lose hope. It’s normal for breastfed babies to be reluctant at first with this new way of feeding. Stay calm. Enlist the help of a lactation consultant if you and your baby are having an especially difficult time transitioning from breast to baby bottles .