Sign-in to Ask A Doctor - 24x7
OR
Sign in with Google
29 Day Old Baby, On Breast Milk, Removed With Breast Pump. Can We Use Feeding Bottle To Top Feed Breast Milk?
Question: Our baby is 29 days old.
my wife gets too strained to feed my baby every once in 2 hours(esp in the night).
We have a medela breast pump to extract breast milk, which we use sometimes(properly sterlized each time and all precautions taken).
My baby does not have lactogen when top fed via a sterlised spoon.
Can we use a properly sterlized feeding bottle(from Philips Avent) to top feed breast milk to my baby
my wife gets too strained to feed my baby every once in 2 hours(esp in the night).
We have a medela breast pump to extract breast milk, which we use sometimes(properly sterlized each time and all precautions taken).
My baby does not have lactogen when top fed via a sterlised spoon.
Can we use a properly sterlized feeding bottle(from Philips Avent) to top feed breast milk to my baby
Hello,
Thanks for posting your query.
Breast feeding the baby is helpful for the mother as well as the baby. The suckling of the baby stimulates milk production in mother, especially during night feeds.
It also helps in maintaining neurohormonal balance in the mother’s body and helps in regaining prepregnancy weight. Night feeds are as important or I would say more important than day feeds in maintaining good lactation in mother as well as strengthening the mother child bond.
Bottle feeding is not only known to cause higher incidence of infections, but also interferes with the suckling movement and oromandibular development of baby and in occasional cases the baby might stop or dislike breastfeeding as it demands more vigorous suck than bottle.
Now considering the above facts, doctors highly recommend exclusive breast feeding, till 6 months of age and discourage bottlefeeding.
But since you have decided to feed expressed breastmilk to your baby, the answer to your query is,
Yes, you can bottlefeed your baby the expressed breastmilk but knowing its pros and cons, the decision would be in your hands.
Motherhood is a demanding experience and especially in first 3-4 months, it may feel exhausting but this too shall pass soon.
In the long run, breastfeeding will definitely minimize many of your unwanted problems be it infections, sleep disorders, etc.
So relax, do what the mother feels best for herself and the baby.
Hope I have answered your query. Please accept my answer in case you have no follow up queries.
Regards,
Thanks for posting your query.
Breast feeding the baby is helpful for the mother as well as the baby. The suckling of the baby stimulates milk production in mother, especially during night feeds.
It also helps in maintaining neurohormonal balance in the mother’s body and helps in regaining prepregnancy weight. Night feeds are as important or I would say more important than day feeds in maintaining good lactation in mother as well as strengthening the mother child bond.
Bottle feeding is not only known to cause higher incidence of infections, but also interferes with the suckling movement and oromandibular development of baby and in occasional cases the baby might stop or dislike breastfeeding as it demands more vigorous suck than bottle.
Now considering the above facts, doctors highly recommend exclusive breast feeding, till 6 months of age and discourage bottlefeeding.
But since you have decided to feed expressed breastmilk to your baby, the answer to your query is,
Yes, you can bottlefeed your baby the expressed breastmilk but knowing its pros and cons, the decision would be in your hands.
Motherhood is a demanding experience and especially in first 3-4 months, it may feel exhausting but this too shall pass soon.
In the long run, breastfeeding will definitely minimize many of your unwanted problems be it infections, sleep disorders, etc.
So relax, do what the mother feels best for herself and the baby.
Hope I have answered your query. Please accept my answer in case you have no follow up queries.
Regards,
Note: For further queries related to your child health, Talk to a Pediatrician. Click here to Book a Consultation.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Jyoti Patil
Answered by
Get personalised answers from verified doctor in minutes across 80+ specialties
