I have a problem with telling moms to wait at least 4-6 weeks to
begin using bottles.  Many moms are going back to work at 6
weeks or even sooner, so this is just not practical for them.  Also, I
have had several moms who did wait up to 2 months to begin
bottes, in order to avoid nipple confusion, who then had a dickens
of a time getting the baby to take a bottle at all.

If a baby is nursing well and mom has a good milk supply, I think
that 2-3 weeks is long enough.  Mom should be advised of the
problems if baby is off the breast for too many feeds and that baby
only needs to be bottled about twice a week in order to maintain
the skill.  And mother should be told that the best way to ensure
that she will be able to continue nursing the baby with a good
supply once she goes back to work is to nurse like crazy for the
first couple of weeks with no pacifiers or supplements in order to
get the pump well primed, so to speak.
Warmly,
Sharon Knorr, BSMT, LLLL, IBCLC
Newark, NY (near Rochester) USA
mailto:[log in to unmask]

             ***********************************************
The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(TM)
mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html