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Start pumping whenever you feel like it. You can introduce the bottle now if you'd like, but it's generally recommended that you wait til 4 to 6 weeks. But, you know your baby best.

I prefer to pump one side while baby nurses on the other. I get more milk that way. You can start as soon as you want/need too. I wouldn't give a bottle until 4-6 weeks. Bottles are easy to drink from and baby might get lazy and not nurse as well because they have to work to suck at the b___st. Congrats!

i started trying to pump at about 1 week and gave my daughter small amounts in a gbottle as a friend said dont wait otherwise its hard to get the to take a bottle, pumping took practise and was easier when i was in the bath, but what you pump bears no relation to how much milk you have, it can take practice to get any out with pump, my daughter is now 5 weeks and will take bottle or b___st, water too but prefers b___st

Just be careful about pumping. I am a new and occa__sional pumper and am still recovering from a pumping mistake fron last week. We were going to a wedding reception last Saturday and left baby with my parent. I pumped 3-4 times prior to event so my parents could feed him. Well, my body got used to that and started to produce more milk than we actually use. Since I didn't pump this week, I was in agony. If you are going to pump, do it regularly at the same time, or pump one b___st while nursing with the other. Or do it t a scheduled feeding time while someone else is feeding baby a bottle. I could be wrong, so if I am, someone please correct me.

Pumping one side while nursing the other can stimulate overproduction, too.

Pumping at all can stimulate overproduction.

You dont have to pump. It's not a requirement for b___stfeeding.

No, pumping isn't a requirement...but it sure is nice to be able to leave the baby with a babysitter once in a while. Especially if your baby becomes a picky eater, like mine, and refuses anything but mom's milk.

If you're going to do that, remember to take a pump with you so you can relieve engorgement and prevent a blocked duct or inflammation.

I started pumping a lot once I went back to work at 6 weeks. I did it here and there starting at a week just so I'd have the hang of it. If you plan to go back to work, I would start pumping sooner than later. I didn't do this and ended up having to supplement with formula. Do what feels right for you. I have a sister that waited 6 weeks to introduce a bottle and her daughter refused to take it. I knew that this probably would not happen to me but I couldn't take the chance. I needed to go back to work right away. I introduced the bottle when he was a few days old and luckily he took to both. If you are concerned at all to whether your baby will refuse the b___st, I would wait until he is 4-6 weeks as recommended. Good luck.

Thanks all! I rented a hosptial grade electric pump and have started pumping today. I am not swearing off b___stfeeding but I was getting extremely painful nipples and it is such a relief to feel like I have another option now. My little guy has taken the bottle today but of course doesn't entirely know what to do with it just yet! Question: How do you nurse from one side while at the same time pumping the other. I think I would need to grow another hand to do that! I'm going to keeping trying to figure that one out because it does make the most sense to me. Thanks again!!

Apparently it requires quite a bit of skill. . . a skill I don't have. :)