Which bottle to use after breastfeeding? 

The best bottle after breast-feeding 

If your little one is already familiar with bottles and has already had the opportunity to drink them, then the transition from breastfeeding to exclusive bottle-feeding shouldn't be too much of a problem. Your baby is already familiar with the taste, smell and texture of the container in which you prepare formula.  

If you haven't given your baby a bottle yet, it's best to opt for a bottle that reproduces as closely as possible the sensations experienced when breastfeeding. Choose a soft, odorless teat, preferably physiological (flat on one side and rounded on the other), so that baby doesn't feel too out of place.   

A feeding bottle reproducing the shape of its mother's breast is also a innovation which you can find in our Elhée product range. The silicone material is soft (like peach skin! ) and gives animmediate feeling ofwell-being when you hold it.  

So that your child is not put off by the idea of no longer having the breast at hand, it is important that each meal is both soothing and fun!

The play is an essential part of your child's learning process. A decorative, malleable or colored bottle can capture your baby'sattention and encourage him to take an interest in the bottle you hand him.  

Is it really necessary to remind you that a good feeding bottle, whether or not it's intended to feed your child after breastfeeding, should be systematically free of materials that are toxic to a child?  

So, by definition, you shouldn't feed your child if the bottle contains pathogenic agents such as bisphenol A, BPA... In short! Plastic micro-particles that are highly harmful and carcinogenic.

Bottle-feeding after breast-feeding: for gentle weaning!  

Weaning your child, either because you want to, because things aren't going as planned, or because your child seems to be losing interest in your breasts, is an important stage in your child's life and yours. It deserves our full attention! 

If you're wondering how to wean your baby, you should know that for things to go as smoothly as possible, it's advisable to proceed gently, by reducing the amount of milk taken from the breast. At first, one or two feeds less per day, then gradually increasing this figure until your baby is completely weaned.  

If baby asks to drink at the same rate as before, try to distract him by playing with him, going for a walk or entrusting him to your partner or dad. Offer him water instead of the breast, to be sure that the reason for his request is not thirst.

If every attempt at diversion proves futile, offer him the breast as a last resort, and see if another feed might be less important for him, depending on the time of day.

You can also offer freshly expressed breast milk (defrosted breast milk may have a different taste, unsuitable at the start of weaning). 

Expressing your milk at and feeding it to your baby in a bottle suitable for post-breastfeeding means that your baby is less likely to be rushed. In this way, baby can continue to benefit from his mother's milk, which is one less trauma to deal with when artificial milk is unwelcome.   

Sometimes, it's not the bottle itself that's the problem! So check that brand of industrial milk is well accepted by your child before blaming the bottle or teat. 

It's very important that the bottle you choose doesn't give off a stronger odour that could alter the fragrance of the breast milk, thus risking the stratagem's failure. 

How do I get off to a good start when I start feeding?

Pediatricians will often advise you to start dietary diversification whenyour baby is six months old . The older your child is, the greater the risk of choking...   

However, it's not uncommon for many of the most alert babies to be squinting at their parent's plate as early as four months, or even earlier! However, you should always scrupulously comply with medical recommendations.  

Once your child is ready, you can choose to prepare small dishesyourself that are always finely blended for the first few months. At first, don't be surprised if baby doesn't finish his meals! One or two spoonfuls will be more than enough to calm his little stomach and his unshakeable curiosity.  

For the first dishes, you don't have to mix different vegetables and herbs. Give unique flavors to help him identify tastes and name the food you feed him.  

• carrot,  
• potato,  
• butternut,  
• pea,  
• glass beans, 
• beet,  
• sweet potato,  
• parsnips, 
• banana, 
• prunes, 
• strawberry,
• pear, 
• fishing, 
• apricot, 
• etc.

Do not add salt or pepper for the first few weeks. You may add a very light drizzle ofvegetable oil (olive, rapeseed, walnut...) in your preparations. Start with low-sugar foods, rather than the other way around! The opposite scenario is likely to disappoint baby, who will have become accustomed to more invigorating flavors. 

If baby doesn't like spoons, don't insist. Perhaps he hasn't yet understood how to open his mouth properly. You can pour a little of your milk into his porridges and purées, so that each spoonful seems closer to what he's used to eating.  

If you're not too keen on cooking, store-bought dishes - preferably organic - are a very good alternative. Don't hesitate to taste them for reassurance.   

Teams of diététiciens work daily in partnership with French market gardeners to satisfy your baby's needs. Most of the major brands, such as : 

• Nestlé,  
• Blédina,  
• HIPP,  
• Babybio,  
• Yooji...

offer quality products with multiple flavours.   

You can also choose to give soups in a bottle in the evening if baby is tired, as a relay to your breastfeeding. Here again, you can cut them with milk, either breast milk or powdered if baby is reluctant to drink.   

In this case, be careful about choice of teat Not all teats are created equal. They must be adapted to the texture of the liquids given to your child, so as not to increase the risk of miscarriage.