I agree with Jennifer and Rachel that supplementing with a bottle has
psychological overlays for the parents that are significant, even if the
baby doesn't become confused by the bottle nipple. If the baby is hungry and
can't or won't take the breast, I think cup-feeding is usually preferable to
bottlefeeding. I'm good at feeding even tiny premature babies with a cup -
it's actually very easy - and once I give parents a demonstration, they
usually pick it up quite quickly. I think that the "lapping" action the baby
uses encourages him to bring his tongue forward and to actively work to
obtain milk and may help prepare him to feed at the breast.

Most people think that feeding babies means breast or bottle. I find parents
are often encouraged to know that when breastfeeding is not going well, they
can offer extra milk in other ways - cup, spoon, SNS, etc. It keeps them
feeling as though they are still breastfeeding, while introducing a bottle,
even if you are intending it to be temporary, feels as though they are
moving towards bottlefeeding.

Teresa Pitman
Guelph, Ontario

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