Introducing the bottle

Friday was an exciting day for us! Exciting for me because my mom came over and stayed from noon to five thirty while I was able to run some errands! I really really really appreciated being able to get out! I went to HEB to get groceries for the weekend, came home and pumped, then went to Common Scents and RSVP to order baby announcements. Hannah and especially Phoebe and Daisy loved having Grandmommy babysit. (Grandmommy had been sick for nearly 2 weeks and wasn't able to come stay with Hannah!)

In my breastfeeding books, I read about introducing a bottle. I had been really anxious to this so that Stuart could help feed her, I could enjoy a glass of wine, and so I could be gone a little bit longer. The books all say to introduce the bottle between 4 and 6 weeks. If you introduce it before 4 weeks she could have nipple confusion and not take the breast, if you introduce it past 6 weeks she may not take the bottle. I also read that you should have someone other than yourself introduce the bottle and you may have to try different types of nipples until you get it right.

I have been pumping little bits and freezing it but this time I pumped and put the milk in the refrigerator. Autumn had given me lots of bottles, so I just used one of those. My mom gave her the bottle on Friday afternoon and she took it like a champ! Since then, she has taken a couple of them... I was able to enjoy a glass of wine over the weekend, Stuart has fed his first baby, her cousin Ellie was able to feed her, and we were able to give her a bottle while we were out. It was really important that she be able to take a bottle since I have to start clinicals in mid-February and my mom is going to be keeping her. I am so lucky to have such a great baby! She spits up a lot, (on me!) but I think we will keep her!