Today, I’m writing about a topic I feel very passionate about – a mom’s choice to bottle feed. We can all agree that breastmilk is best, but many times for mothers, exclusive breastfeeding is not an option, especially long-term. And that is OK!
Some babies are born prematurely and need extra calories, and some have medical problem or allergies, like my own son, who had a severe milk protein allergy and was formula fed. Some moms might be planning on returning to work, or they had twins or triplets, or they just simply need a break. As a doctor and mother of two, I promise you – it is OK to just simply need a break.
Feeding your baby breastmilk or formula in a bottle does NOT make you a bad mom. Give yourself permission to take a break! Have dad or grandma give an occasional bottle or get your baby ready for when you return to work. Even with my daughter, who I was able to breastfeed, I had my husband give her a bottle in the middle of the night so I could sleep. Yes, so I could sleep, because moms need their sleep! Seriously mom, there should be NO guilt! I so desperately wanted someone to give me permission to use a bottle, I am giving you permission!
The next step is picking the right bottle and introducing it at the right time, which are both important. I like Baby Brezza Natural Bottles because they have wide, breast-like nipples so your baby can easily transition from breast to bottle and not get confused. And best of all, they only has two parts – including a nipple that’s attached to the plastic ring – why did it take so long for this?! This is one fewer part than virtually every other bottle so they are the easiest to clean and assemble. This saves you valuable time cleaning bottles – up to 10 hours a year!
Plus, you can say goodbye to dirty bottle brushes! With Baby Brezza’s ultra-wide mouth, it is so wide your hand can fit inside. So you can clean the bottles – and hard-to-reach corners – with a cloth that can be easily cleaned in the wash.
Introducing the bottle right after breastfeeding is established (usually in the first couple of weeks) is really important too. Don’t wait until the day before you go back to work, or have to leave the baby with grandma to go to that special event. You could end up with a baby that refuses to take the bottle and then you’re in a real crisis! Starting earlier gives your baby time to get used to going back and forth from breast to bottle and gives you more flexibility for others to feed the baby too!
I mean it. Bottle feeding. It’s OK. NO guilt!