Is one bottle once a week a bad idea?

I plan to exclusively BF my baby, due in January. However, after 6-8 weeks (or whenever I feel like its going well and we're ready) I would like to give him/her a bottle once a week, to keep the baby familiar with bottles and give DH a chance to feed him/her. I really want to go to a year and I think not having the burden of being the ONLY feeding option will go a long way for my stress levels. I'll be pumping milk for the bottle we give. Will one bottle once a week mess too much with my supply, or give baby a flow preference? Are there any things I need to watch out for? I really want to find a happy medium here. Thanks for the advice!

[MommyO2-6631]

This. My son was only bottle fed for the first eight weeks of life. After we got back to the breast he refused bottles 100%. This will not get him used to it. And frankly pumping so the bottle could be give would be more frustrating to me than just nursing. First you have to pump. Then afterwards wash and sterilize the bottle and pump parts. No fun.

Quoting gdiamante:

It's not bad. Just not needed. You can go straight to a cup and reserve it strictly for when you are not there. In any event, alternate feedings are for when you are NOT there. Babies will often refuse bottles given by mom. We've also frequently seen moms introduce a bottle "to get baby used to it" and then after weeks of taking one, baby refuses from all comers.

So? I wouldn't bother. It's extra work. Leave it for the caregiver.

[tabi_cat1023]

One bottle once a wee? no not a big deal

[lulu_tattoos]

We started offering an occasional bottle when ds was 6 weeks. He hated all the "right" bottles (playtex nurser naturalatch, breastflow, and tommee tippee) and would only take one from me at first. He's six months now and slightly more open minded, he will take a bottle from others if he's really hungry but still only likes the cheap Walmart bottles.

The advice I got was great but didn't work for us. He likes a faster flow when it comes to bottles and would rather be fed by me because I'm the one who is "supposed" to feed him. We haven't had any issues with bottle preference, he still loves the boob more than any bottle and will rarely ever go to sleep without me there to nurse him.

I say take the expert advice and try it the "right" way first, then if that's not working for you keep an open mind and tweak it until you've found a way that everyone can be happy.

[Liz132]

 If you want to do that don't give bottles until breastfeeding is well established and don't give the bottles to her/him yourself have your husband or another family member give it. After six months you will be able to give your baby some solids so that is another option for feeding when you are going to be away from baby for a short period of time. Mine never would take bottles so for the first six months I wasn't away from them more than 3 hours at a time.

[alikismommy]

No this is fine just pump before baby is hungry and that way when it is you will be ready I did this.

[notjstanothrmom]

What age could you start a cup? I have an almost 2 week old and would like the option of an alternative feeding method in the event of an emergency.

Quoting gdiamante:

It's not bad. Just not needed. You can go straight to a cup and reserve it strictly for when you are not there. In any event, alternate feedings are for when you are NOT there. Babies will often refuse bottles given by mom. We've also frequently seen moms introduce a bottle "to get baby used to it" and then after weeks of taking one, baby refuses from all comers.

So? I wouldn't bother. It's extra work. Leave it for the caregiver.

[aehanrahan]

That is perfectly fine! She may not take it, especially if it is only an hour and you nurse right before, but it would be good for him to have the option Here is some information for you.

http://kellymom.com/bf/pumpingmoms/feeding-tools/bottle-feeding/

http://kellymom.com/bf/pumpingmoms/pumping/milkcalc/

http://nurshable.com/2011/12/29/the-one-ounce-per-hour-rule-of-bottle-feeding/

Quoting Koux:

The idea is to have my husband give her a bottle during church, while I'm teaching my Sunday School class (which is only an hour long). That way he can try and if she absolutely won't take it, I can feed her when I'm done. So technically I'll be in the same building, but different rooms.

With my previous baby we tried only giving bottles "occasionally" when we went out, and it didn't work. She took them well the first few times, then we didn't do it for a few weeks and she never liked them again. We're hoping that by doing it regularly it will help keep that skill up. I know there's still a chance baby will refuse bottles anyway, but it's worth a try, right?

Thanks for all the tips! :) I'll keep all this in mind!

[K8wizzo]

You can either do an open cup like a shot glass or a sippy cup with the valve removed from birth. Medela makes cups for supplementing but they're basically just plastic shot glasses.

Quoting notjstanothrmom:

What age could you start a cup? I have an almost 2 week old and would like the option of an alternative feeding method in the event of an emergency.

Quoting gdiamante:

It's not bad. Just not needed. You can go straight to a cup and reserve it strictly for when you are not there. In any event, alternate feedings are for when you are NOT there. Babies will often refuse bottles given by mom. We've also frequently seen moms introduce a bottle "to get baby used to it" and then after weeks of taking one, baby refuses from all comers.

So? I wouldn't bother. It's extra work. Leave it for the caregiver.

[tigerlily75]

One bottle a week isn't a big deal. your lucky if thats all you need to give. my dd took bottles no problem even from me if she was hungry enough, but she always preferred nursing.  You might not even need to use a bottle if you nurse right before church. you have to do what works for your family.