is there such a thing as - nipple confusion?

boyohboyohboy wrote: We asked the ped this week, since we have such problems with food allergies and asthma with the two kids we have, is there something we can do proactively to ward off any problems with the next baby due in 4 months?
he said he wanted me to introduce a bottle in the first 5 days. He said he didnt care what I chose to put in it, but that jakes feeding issues were worse because he never had a bottle or pacifier until he was one.
so I am wondering when a tiny baby is learning to latch on, and breast feeding has so many challanges (it did for me anyway) is it hard or confusing for a baby to learn how to suck from a bottle and breast at the same time? and how many times a day do I use the bottle and not make breast feeding worse or make the baby prefer one to the other?

PrairieMom replied: yes, there is such a thing as nipple confusion. Personally I think that introducing the bottle at 5 days old is bad advice if you are wanting to BF exclusively. All the books I have read say not to switch things up at all, and to be as consistent as possible. Personally, in my uneducated opinion, I think the baby will learn to adapt, and be just fine.

all kids are different , Ben could care less what kind of nipple I used, as long as food came out. Ally tho, went through 3 different types before I found one she would use.

Also, remember, that just because you have one child with this problem, doesn't mean that your other children will.

BabyOwen427 replied: I dunno, that seem opposite of everything I've ever heard. I don't know if nipple confusion is real or not cause ds was strictly bf for 6 months. But I've always heard that you want to establish your milk supply and insure that baby knows how to latch on to mom cause it's harder to suck a real nipple than a rubber one. And to wait at least 6 weeks before introducing a bottle. Maybe if you think your supply or nipple confusion is going to be a problem you can get one of those supplement systems that simoutaneously (sp?) feed while nursing.

Here is a pic of one, I think they are using the Medela system in this pic. You have to scroll about half way down to see it.

nursing supplement

Here is the medela page on supplement systems
Medela

I hope this helps you.

Jamison'smama replied: Nipple confusion is certainly a possibility introducing at that age. That does seem strange to me to make that suggestion. I would talk wtih a lactation consultant and get advised before trying it. I know that the confusion doesn't happen with every child but when it does, it can be really hard. For one thing, they have to work harder to eat at the breast so they can begin to prefer the bottle and if that happens, it is hard to get them to switch back. Also, during the first few weeks, you are really establishing your supply. I think I would get a second opinion for that one.

Boo&BugsMom replied:
I agree totally! If you don't plan on using bottles, then don't. After my experience with Aiden I would hold off. 5 days sounds so soon if you do not plan on using bottles for quite awhile or not at all. With Aiden I really didn't have a choice because of my milk flow in my left breast (long story, I think I posted about it somewhere) and then when he got a hold of the bottle he didn't want anything to do with my boobs anymore. For him it wasn't so much "confusion" but he showed his preference very early on! I now wished I would have waited even if I could only nurse from one side successfully.

I also agree about them all being different. Just because you've had these issues with Jake doesn't mean you'll have them again with the next one. Tanner never cared what he drank from and what nipples we used. Aiden is more picky and has to have the round tipped ones.

msoulz replied: Stacy I had to supplement Jake from day 1 and he didn't refuse any meals at first. I will say though, shortly after I went back to work he would only nurse at bedtime and night. My theory on that is because it is easier to get the milk out of the bottle than the breast and he was a hungry guy (hence my inability to keep up with him). So I pumped a lot, even on weekends and my day off. That was a pain. I will never know if he would have continued to nurse more had I not gone back to work, but I do suspect he would have.

We did have issues with Erin taking bottles at first but did finally find a nipple she would use. She was supplemented for the first 5 days or so because she was so jaundiced and then she wasn't offered a bottle until probably 8 weeks old. She wanted latex, Jake used silicone.

As a side note, Jake had a pacifier from 4 months until we forced him to give it up and Erin wouldn't take one at all despite trying many different types. I have no idea if that correlates to nipple issues but it seems to be consistent - she is just a particular person and he was just hungry and/or wanting to suck on whatever.

So based on my very small sample size I conclude it depends on the kid.

lisar replied:
I agree. I think it depends on the child.

MomToJade&Jordan replied: I'm a little confused about your docs advice. What does not having a bottle or paci until the age of one have to do with food allergies and asthma. My first child never took a paci and went straight to a sippy cup at 8 months and we never had a problem. I know that you have had a hard time and I understand you wanting to prevent these health issues in your next child. I thought a way to ensure this was to watch what you were eating while you you were pg. I hope everything works out for you.

Boo&BugsMom replied:
I was wondering the same thing. A child who has never had a bottle or paci isn't doomed to not be able to drink from a cup. I think that's kind of odd of him to say that.

coasterqueen replied:
It's the doctor pulling advice out of his you-know-what because he doesn't have an answer. Sorry, but that is terrible advice given to you Stacy.

Yes, there is a such thing as nipple confusion. Yes, it depends on the individual child, but those who have dealt w/nipple confusion can tell from experience that they wish they would have NEVER found out.

DansMom replied: I don't agree with the doc on this one either. I would breastfeed exclusively, eliminate dairy and nuts from my own diet completely during that time, watch for exzema and further eliminate things (soy, wheat) until I see improvement, and introduce solids very slowly and later than typical (9 months, not six). I know it's kind of a rigorous regimen. If you want to introduce the bottle, do it because it's right for you and your lifestyle---I'm just saying the doc's reasoning doesn't fit the allergies/asthma part of the equation.

ZandersMama replied: yup there IS such a thing. I was allowed to try to nurse Zavier when he was 4 weeks old, so about 30 weeks gestational age. He latched on like a champ. Unfortunately, one of the nurses were so proud of him that she decided to give him a bottle and see how he would do. He never latched on right again, could never get enough out because the bottle is so much easier.

boyohboyohboy replied: I guess that maybe I didnt write as much as I should have in the initial post. I dont think he meant that starting a bottle would help at all with the food allergies or the asthma, thats how I started the conversation with him. he thought that some or most of jakes initial eating issues, food aversions were because he was not offered a bottle or cup until he was one.
I want to exclusely breast feed the next baby. I didnt caleb and he as so much sicker then jake, now jake had his own issues...
I wondered if there was something I could do to avoid the stress and issues both jake and I encountered with doing something proactively to the next baby to help him or her avoid the issues and stress.
I dont really understand how you supplement then, if I am breast feeding on demand, then do I just add a bottle here and there of breast milk? or how does supplementing work?
or is that something you only do with formula?

Boo&BugsMom replied: When we were just supplementing I would pump some of the bottles and I would also supplement with formula. You can do either or. Aiden got about 2 bottles each day to start. It's when I started giving him more bottles than the boob that things went downhill. I can only go by my short experience though. I am sure others would have more and better information abot supplementing than I do.