You want to include a bottle but worried about nipple confusion. Trust me your baby is not silly - they know the difference between a nipple and a bottle teat.
The reason they start to prefer the bottle is more about the flow. The flow out of teat tends to be faster and at a constant rate compared to the breast where the flow changes throughout the feed.
The best way to think about it the bottle is EASY - it is like sitting on the couch watching netflix whilst eatting yourself silly, whereas breastfeeding is more like going for a run - if you had the choice what would you rather?
Paced bottle feeding allows your baby to control the flow of the milk like they can on the breast, allowing them to pause and take a rest. Yes, this type of feeding will take longer than your typical bottle feed but it helps babies who would otherwise take the breast be able to manage a bottle feed. This means bottle feeds of roughly 100ml should take at least 15 minutes - not 5.
Allowing for a slower flow of milk and the ability to take breaks can also stop your baby from overfeeding and becoming uncomfortable, gassy and unsettled. Another benefit of paced bottle feeding is it is more likely your baby will be able to move between breast and bottle more readily and not prefer the bottle over the breast as the milk is delivered at a similar rate.
How do you paced bottle feed?
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Select a bottle and use the slowest flow teat.
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Position the baby in a semi-upright position on your lap supporting the head and neck.
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When the baby shows hunger cues, tickle the baby's lip to allow them to open their mouth
wide, similar to when they breastfeed.
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Insert the teat into the baby's mouth, ensuring the baby has a deep latch.
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Hold the bottle parallel to the floor.
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Let the baby begin sucking on the teat without milk, then tip the bottle until the teat is half
full of milk.
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Let the baby suck for about 3-5 continuous swallows roughly around 20-30 seconds.
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After 3-5 continuous swallows, tip the bottle down, removing milk from the teat giving the baby a little break, without removing the teat
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After a few seconds, when the baby begins to suck again, tip the bottle up to allow milk to flow into the teat.
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Continue this paced style of feeding until the baby shows fullness signs ie. no longer sucking after the break, turning away or pushing away from the nipple.
If you are struggling to introduce a bottle or alternative ways to feed your baby let's chat. I can support you through intorducing a bottle, bottle refusal or alternative to a bottle if required.