Breast and Bottle Feeding

There are a number of options to choose from when it comes to feeding your baby. Breastfeeding is the most natural feeding experience; however, many moms choose to use formula or pump breast milk or all of the above for a variety of reasons. Many moms choose to use pumping or formula in combination with breastfeeding. Switching between breast and bottle feeding can be beneficial for the family. The ideal combination of breast and bottle feeding is where the mom uses a motorized breast pump or hand /manual breast pump to express breast milk into a milk storage container or directly into a baby bottle.  This breast milk is then either frozen or given directly to the baby in a baby bottle.  

The benefits of combining breast and bottle feeding are that other people may be able to feed your baby, allowing Dads and partners to feel involved and nurture their relationship with the baby.  Combination feeding can also be a great way to get grandparents or caregivers involved.  Also, it allows moms to return to work and/or activities she enjoyed before delivery.  Breastfeeding moms are able to start building a supply of breast milk while still breastfeeding to prepare for upcoming changes such as returning to work. Moms are ensured their babies are getting all the benefits of their breastmilk even when they are not together.  Breastmilk can be frozen for up to six months so most moms develop a pumping schedule to produce enough milk to feed their baby multiple times a day while transitioning between breast and bottle feeding, as well as to have a generous supply in case their milk amounts change or moms are away from baby for an extended period of time.  

Combining breast and bottle feeding also helps with supplemental feeding.  Whether weaning from breastfeeding or if mom has a low breast milk supply, moms are able to continue to breastfeed and use formula as a supplement.  Moms may continue to work on increasing their supply while breast and bottle feeding with formula or provide what milk they are able to supply and mix it with formula in the baby bottle.

The main thing to remember before making this transition to combining breast and bottle feeding is moms need to wait until their milk supply is established and their babies have started to gain weight.  At that point, you should be able to combine breast and bottle feeding without much difficulty.  The hard part comes when trying to choose a bottle, nipples, breast pump, milk storage systems, pacifiers, travel cooler and all the other accessories that make transitioning between breast and bottle feeding happen.

Bottle feeding can be a tricky transition as some babies refuse a bottle or refuse the breast once they have had a bottle. These are known as nipple confusion and bottle preference, respectively.  Many babies try several different bottles before finding one they can latch to and successfully feed from when breast and bottle feeding. There are also a variety of nipples on the market offering different shapes, sizes, and flow rates. Picking the right bottle for your baby is important and many things should be taken into consideration. Nipples also make a difference. You want to pick a flow that is consistent with how much your baby eats or if possible a nipple flow that the baby controls so the baby has to latch on and work for the milk in the same way they would while breastfeeding.  That will help avoid nipple confusion and ease the transitioning between breast and bottle feeding.

mimijumi offers an innovative breast-like bottle design for all babies. A mimijumi baby bottle feels and functions like the breast, giving babies a natural feeding experience and avoiding the nipple confusion that often results from bottle feeding.  This gives mothers the choice to breast feed, bottle feed, or go back and forth between the two. The number of mothers switching between breast and bottle feeding has continued to increase creating a greater demand for a high-quality baby bottle that allows babies to easily adjust to transitioning between feeding from the breast and the bottle. mimijumi allows mothers to skip the frustration and expense of trying other bottles that most babies will reject.  See why moms choose mimijumi to transition between breast and bottle feeding and transition with ease as 97% of babies love mimijumi.  End nipple confusion and purchase mimijumi bottle today risk free!