Educational Resources 

Getting off to a good start

In Breastfeeding Success for Working Mothers, Dr. Marilyn Grams calls the early weeks with a new baby a “baby-moon,” an analogy to a honeymoon. It takes time for mother and baby to get to know one another. Each baby is different, whether this is your first or sixth. During this time, it is best to spend as much time as possible with the baby and establish a good milk supply. Keep things like housework and outside pressures to a minimum. Get plenty of rest and drink to satisfy your thirst. There is no need to begin pumping the breasts or feeding the baby with a bottle right away.

It is best to wait for at least three weeks before introducing a bottle or about a week before going back to work. Some babies will refuse to take a bottle from their mother but will usually accept a “different” kind of feeding from someone else. Alternatives to bottles than can be tried are cup feeding, spoon feeding, syringes or eye droppers depending on the age of the baby.

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