Karis' First Bottle

Karis took her first bottle this past Sunday at five weeks old. :) She drank all 4 oz of the pumped breast milk like a pro, and it's possible that she burped far less with the bottle than she would have otherwise. (strange!?!)

We like to begin integrating a bottle with our kids somewhere between 4-6 weeks because

• they're less likely to experience nipple confusion (as compared with offering a bottle too early)
• they're less likely to refuse the bottle (as compared with offering a bottle too late)
• it's around the time frame when I'm beginning to want a little more flexibility than nursing every 3 hours allows

As far as breast pumps go, I have the Medela double pump and love it! It's easy to use, comfortable, convenient, and portable. I highly recommend that new moms register for a good pump when they select their baby registry items. (Though I've now been informed that some (maybe all??) insurance plans are required to pay for breast feeding supplies, which is worth looking into if you're a new mama or know one who is hoping to breast feed her baby.  Check this link for more info.)

And the bottle of choice around our household is the Tommee Tippee bottle, recommended to me by a friend.  It has a super wide nipple/base, and it has worked for both Little Man and Sweet Girl, so it passes my approval.  :)  You can find them at Toys R Us and Amazon (and probably a few more places than that, though those are my two trusted sources).