Amy writes:

"A mom  who returns to work at 6 weeks will probably have a baby who is 
more willing  to accept a bottle than a mom returning to work at 4 months who 
follows the  same advice.   Mothers deserve to know the potential risk in 
waiting  (and ways to overcome refusal if she chooses to wait), and then it is 
the  mom's decision of when to introduce"
~~~
I would take this a step farther and say mothers also deserve to know the  
potential risks and consequences in giving a bottle earlier than needed. A 
baby  at 6 weeks might be more willing to accept a bottle, but may also be 
more  vulnerable to breast refusal as well. If a mom is going back to work at 
4-6  months, it's sad to think that baby will be getting many unnecessary 
bottles (  and the potential affect on the palate), mom spending time pumping 
when she  could be nursing, just enjoying settling in to her love of her 
baby and  confidence in her body without the need for machinery and feeding 
devices coming  between them. There was a study that showed that statistically 
babies seem just  as likely to accept easily, or accept with strategies, or 
go through  some bottle refusal ) at different ages, ( 1 month, 2 months, 
and 3-6  months) in Breastfeeding Answers Made Simple. ( Admittedly this is a 
1991  study, but I haven't seen a more recent one.)This fear of mothers that 
baby will  never take a bottle is possibly more problematic/ US centric 
since we have  such lousy Maternity Protection and many moms have to go back to 
work  ridiculously early, just as they are feeling good and confident.  
Also my  knowledge might be out of date since I thought I read that 3-4 months 
was when  sucking moves from reflexive to voluntary. I do remember reading 
that somewhere  and it made a lot of sense, since I have seen babies who took 
bottles early  on start refusing them at this age( when they seemed to be 
able to do something  about the fact that they never felt safe or in control 
in the first place, with  fast flow, big bottles that didn't feel right....) 
Is there a good study  that shows this I can read? I admit I really envy 
people who work where moms  don't have to stress out about "getting" their 
baby to take a bottle so early,  or ever...

Peace,
Judy
 
Judy LeVan  Fram, PT, IBCLC, LLLL
Brooklyn, NY,  USA
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