I started pumping after the first week. It took a while to get something substantial, but eventually it built up. I started pumping because my friend couldn't get her LO to take a bottle later on. I wanted my LO to get used to a bottle. Anyhow, by about 4 weeks I was feeding him one bottle of expressed milk per day. I varied the time. I would pump while my DH fed the bottle to my DS, or right after I fed him the bottle myself to keep up my supply. I found it never interfered with my supply. There was no nipple confusion.
Now, the expressed feed is the DF almost every night. This is my DH's special time with DS. He does the diaper and puts him to bed after. I always pump during that time. It works out really well, as I can pump a lot more when DS is in my sight!
Pumping and bottles aren't for everyone, but that's what worked for us. I like watching the two of them together.
The bonus is...
Since I pump every night, I've always got a bottle of expressed milk for the next day just in case I need my parents or DH to watch him alone. Just the other day I was visiting my students and didn't want to BF in front of them. (I know it's natural and beautiful, but there's just something uncomfortable about my grade 4/5's seeing my breasts. They're quite large and it's hard to be discreet. But that's a topic for another thread...lol). Anyhow, I was able to take my bottle to school, and I did the DF myself that night.
If pumping/bottles aren't for you, there's always cuddling. I know that the few times that I feed my DS in my bed if he wakes up earlier than normal, my DH just loves to spoon in behind the two of us and be a part of it.
awwwww
Sonja (Good luck with whatever your choice is)
