Colostrum Powder

Is it true that if you give your baby a bottle first he/she will never take the breast?

My son and I are having latching problems so we started pumping to make sure he got all my colostrum. Now my milk is in but we are still having problems so we are still using the bottle and supplementing formula. He is 5 days old now. People keep telling me that he will probably never nurse now. Anyone have experience with this?

Public Comments

1. No, that's not true at all.
2. All babies are different. He may/may not. I would try to get him to nurse as soon as possible.
3. if the baby is used to the bottle thats what he will take. dont pump any more and bring him to the breast if he doesnt take it he will learn to if he is that hungry.
4. This happened to me too. I pumped and gave him the bottle because he just cried and cried and would not take my breast. I just kept trying and he did take it, but it was before he started crying because he was hungry. Just express a little milk and put it on your nipple so he can taste it and he will latch on eventually. Also make sure you're not engorged because that makes it harder to latch too. If you really can't get him to, then contact the hospital, but it can be done, I promise! p.s. make sure you are using a bottle that supports breastfeeding
5. no when i had my daughter (she is now 2 1/2) i was unable to breastfeed right away (i had complications and they had to give me medicine so i would stop bleeding) i couldnt nurse her for 12 hours after the medicine wore off. so she had to take bottles of formula and then when i was able to nurse it did take a little more work then normal but we finally got the hang of it. so try and hang in there. good luck
6. It can make it more difficult but if you keep working with him, he can still learn to latch on. You have to stop supplementing, though, or you may not produce enough milk to give him adequate nutrition. It's fine to give him a bottle of your milk but the formula will fill him up and he won't "demand" enough from your breasts so your breasts won't produce enough. If you have trouble getting him on the breast, please contact a lactation consultant. 5 days is not too old to learn to do it right - it took my oldest about 3 weeks to latch perfectly every time!
7. Every baby is different - his natural instinct is to nurse - not bottle feed, so he will always nurse. That's what's built into him. When he turns his head inward to you when he's hungry - he's telling you he wants to nurse - not give me a bottle - so - keep trying with the breast - he will get the hang of it. If he's not getting enough from you - fill in with the bottle. He's going to like the bottle for the instant satisfaction, but he'll always go for the breast first!! good luck! you're doing the right thing!! ♥
8. Isn't it nice to be surrounded by negative people? Support like that is why many women fail at breastfeeding. What jerks. A baby uses their tongue differently when drinking from the breast vs. a bottle. You just have to teach him to latch on correctly. If you need help, contact your hospital for a lactation consultant or contact someone associated with La Leche League. A board certified lactation consultant is your best bet. Many nurses call themselves lactation consultants, but they really lack significant training.
9. A good one to go by is Never say Never!! My daughter was premature and was fed in the NICU for several weeks until I could start nursing. I pumped the entire time. You have to keep offering the breast every time that they are hungry, continue trying for several minutes before resorting to the bottle. You could also get in touch with the hospital about talking with a lactation consultant. They can give you some techniques that may help him. Good Luck!
10. thats what happened to me. my son had problems when he was born he was in a lvl 2 nursery and the nurse wouldnt let me breastfeed instead she force fed him bottles against my wishes. he is now almost 1 month old and to this day refuses to breastfeed. we've even seen several lactation consultants and tried nipple shields, nothing will work
11. Not true, it might take a little getting used to, but he will take to it if you persist. Start weaning off the formula now and you should be on the right track in no time, you just need to keep offering him the breast as often as possible.
12. No. Using a nipple shield helps with latching in that situation. You just have to keep trying. You can also try a nursing supplementer (you don't want to starve the baby, that won't work). Don't give formula-- there's no reason to do so because your milk is in, and giving formula only hurts your milk supply. I would keep pumping to keep up your supply and just keep trying to put the baby on the breast. Talk to a lactation consultant. Good luck and congrats!
13. It is possible he will keep resisting the breast. Attempt to give him the breast instead of the bottle.
14. *Sometimes* a baby decides it's just easier to get the milk from a bottle and gives up on the breast. But that doesn't *have to* happen. My daughter was given a few bottles of formula at the hospital when they thought I didn't have enough milk for her, but she did not give up on nursing. Get rid of the bottles and nurse, nurse, nurse. It does get better if you hang in there. Find someone who can help you get on track with breastfeeding. The lactation consultant at your hospital can help you in person. WIC also provides 'peer mentors' who can help in person. As well as the breastfeeding support group through your hospital. Or a consultant through La Leche League. In the beginning we all go through the same problems. Both baby and Mom need time to get the hang of it. The troubles you are having don't mean you can't breastfeed or that you have to supplement. There are people who are interested in helping you iron out your nursing woes. So take the first step in reaching out to them. You will be soooo glad you did.
15. No, but you should at least try and have him/her latch no longer than 6 hours after giving the bottle.