Is pumped milk as good as milk straight from the breast?
An occassional bottle of pumped milk should not cause any problems for your baby or your supply. A baby who is exclusively fed on pumped milk DOES miss out on a few of the benefits of breastfeeding, (nursing, for example, stregnthens the jaw and reduces the risk of crooked teeth) and mom often finds that her supply drops because pumping isn’t as effective as the baby in stimulating supply. Just to clarify though — if you are out and about WITH your baby, it’s easier to just breastfeed. Your breasts will get engorged and leaky if you are sitting there bottlefeeding rather than nursing. If, however, you are out and baby is home with a sitter — yes, the sitter can give a bottle of pumped milk.
