Ask Our Expert - Starting to Breastfeed When Infant's Three Months Old

May 16, 2008

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Specializing in pregnancy and birth.


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Ask Dr. Greenfield Starting to Breastfeed When Infant's Three Months Old

QUESTION


Dear Dr. Greenfield, My son is three months old and is bottle-fed. I would like to know if it is too late to start to breastfeed him. Will you please let me know? Thank you. — Alex in California

ANSWER	November 13, 2001


Dear Alex, There are two barriers preventing you from getting breastfeeding started at this late date. One is that the baby will be used to taking the bottle and may not be able to make the switch. The other is that, generally speaking, milk dries up within a month. That said, since some adoptive mothers have managed to at least partially breastfeed, I wouldn't say it's impossible. If you are serious about trying this, you will need help. Ask your pediatrician or the nurses from your postpartum unit for a recommendation for a lactation consultant, and get all the information you can so that you can make a reasoned decision about whether you want to try to accomplish this feat. Good luck! — by Marjorie Greenfield, M.D.

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