Help I gave my baby a bottle and now they won't latch!

There's a lot of discussion about nipple confusion, but I think the real issue is more about flow confusion.

Babies need to put in effort to trigger a letdown from the breast, after which milk flows easily, allowing them to continue feeding.

Bottles come with various flow rates. For mothers who also breastfeed, it's recommended to use 00 or 0, known as slow flow or premie nipples. With slow flow nipples, when a bottle is fully inverted, there is no free dripping. This means the baby must work to start the flow, similar to breastfeeding.

When feeding a baby who uses both breast and bottle, the bottle should be positioned parallel to the floor to slow down the milk removal. We aim for the baby to take at least 15 minutes to finish a bottle feed. This is beneficial as it gives the brain time to register the feeling of fullness.

It is perfectly to both breast and bottle feed whether you choose to use expressed breast milk or formula. If you want to create a situation where you decrease the instance of nipple confusion, my best suggestion is to slow the flow from the bottle.

Oter issues that cause infants to become confused and "refuse" the breast include a forceful letdown. Best suggestion meet with an IBCLC to problem solve.