Moms choose to bottle feed formula for any number of reasons. Sometimes, it's about supplementing a low supply, sometimes their babies experience latching problems, sometimes breastfeeding is downright painful. However, bottle feeding also has a lot to do with convenience. If you’re at home with your baby, breastfeeding is your first option. But if you have to step out, or go to work, breastfeeding can be plain inconvenient or even impossible. However, whether you are feeding your baby formula or pumped breastmilk, introducing bottle feeding too early or too late can cause problems for both you and your baby.
What is Nipple Confusion?
Nipple Confusion is a term that is widely used to describe a situation where babies don’t latch onto the breast after early introduction of the bottle. While a lot of nurses and other medical professionals stand behind this phrasing, a more accurate term is “imprinting”. Your baby is not “confused”.
Whether you are a breastfeeding mom who also bottle-feeds pumped breastmilk, or if you are a breastfeeding mom who must supplement your supply with formula, it is important for you to understand the concept of imprinting. Busy moms appreciate the variety of ways they can feed their babies. However, when and how the baby imprints can threaten to rob you of that flexibility.
The nipple imprinting process
When a baby is born, he or she doesn’t read the manual on how to breastfeed. As a result, it often takes time for the baby to learn how to latch and maneuver the suck, swallow, breathe pattern necessary to nurse properly. As the baby learns (and quickly becomes increasingly smart about the process), he or she becomes accustomed to the shape, flow rate, and effort needed of the nipple provided. If the bottle is introduced during this learning process, the baby quickly understands that there are multiple options for nourishment….and that one of them (the bottle) takes less effort to produce more nourishment quicker. The baby fully understands that there are two different nipples and becomes imprinted on the preferred, easier nipple. (There is never any actual “confusion”.)
Conversely, if a baby latches to the breast early on and stays breast-only, it may be difficult for the baby to get used to the different texture of the bottle’s nipple, should the parent decide to switch later on.
How to traverse the imprinting process
If you decide you would like to both breast and bottle feed, you don’t want to wait too long to introduce the bottle if you are planning to bottle feed at some point. But you also don’t want the baby to imprint on the bottle too soon. It is probably best to stick with breast for the first 4-6 weeks before introducing the bottle.
“My baby has already imprinted on the bottle. Now what”
If your baby has already imprinted on the bottle and you want to breastfeed (or vice versa), there is still hope. It will take a lot of patience from both you and the baby. Continuing to offer the nipple you’d like the baby to get used to is key. Remaining calm is a difficult thing to do in a frustrating situation like a wailing, hungry baby. But it is imperative that you be as relaxed as possible. Don’t pressure yourself or your baby to switch over within any specific time frame. It will take some time (and, honestly, some babies won’t switch once they’ve imprinted on one nipple no matter what), but it is possible to breast and bottle feed concurrently.
What if the baby refuses the bottle
If the baby refuses the bottle, you should try offering it in an environment that is relaxed. Also don’t pressure your baby if she becomes fussy. You can also let someone else try to offer the bottle since babies who might refuse a bottle from a mother, might be more willing to accept it from another relative or caregiver. Make sure to pump if the baby doesn’t latch onto the breast so that the continued demand will create continued supply.
Paced bottle feeding
You can also try using paced bottle feeding which will help reduce your baby’s eating speed by limiting the flow of milk. This will mimic the flow rate of breast feeding. Paced bottle feeding helps diminish the chances of your baby developing a flow preference. This way, they won’t find the slower rate of breastfeeding frustrating and will switch between breast- and bottle feeding more seamlessly. Apart from paced bottle feeding, it also helps to burp your baby frequently and switch sides as you would with breastfeeding.
Nipple imprinting need not be frustrating
As a parent, just trying to feed his or her baby, nipple imprinting can be frustrating and sometimes confusing. However, it is good to know that it is avoidable and even if your baby does imprint on one nipple, it is not the end and there are a number of strategies you can employ to overcome it.
THE SPOTLIGHT
We’d like to highlight just a few popular nipple guards that you could try as you navigate bottle feeding your baby. While we are not medical experts, we are offering these based on recommendations from moms that have used them and from Amazon’s ratings.
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