It's not terrible to give her a bottle so young, but if you want to make breastfeeding work, I would take her to the breast as much as possible. It's normal that she's sleepy - they often are when they are so young. It takes a lot of work to keep them awake, but it will get much easier as she gets older!

I agree, sometimes you have to work hard to keep them awake and focused in the first few weeks. Sometimes I would strip my daughter down to her diaper, rub her feet or her cheeks, or change her diaper before feeding her instead of after to wake her up a bit. It's ok to "mess with her" a bit to keep her going. I would try the breast as much as possible, and as long as she's wetting and soiling diapers, she's getting enough. It's not a bad thing to give breast milk via a bottle though, you're still giving her great nutrition and you can get cuddles and closeness other ways. Don't feel guilty at all, we all do what we have to do to get through those first few weeks!! Its all worth it and it gets easier every day, so just remember that!

I did the exact same thing..getting her back on the boob might be hard as my little guy wouldn't latch back on either. I started using the nipple shield and he will latch on to that.

OMG CONGRATS!! I am so happy for you!! I agree that although its not bad to use a bottle try to hold off a bit if you really want to breastfeed try to bring her to the breast as much as you can and get it established more.

She is beautiful!

My little one often falls asleep during breastfeeding. Try blowing air on the baby's face or tickling the feet. Also, sometimes taking off a bit of clothes and letting the cold air get on them helps.

my daughter did the exact same thing the nurse in the hospital told me to mess with her hat or rub her head and back to get her to respond because when they get interrupted from there comfy sleep on your boob they naturally start sucking. it worked for me so good luck.

In the hospital I had to give my son a bottle when he was 3 days old because of his juinduice I just pumped it and went and dropped it of at the nursery and they feed it to him in the bottle he is now 2 months old and he will only breastfeed so I dont think it matters all that much.

Try to stick with it! The bottle's alright but, as I read in one of Amy Spangler's breastfeeding books:

"Your breastmilk is all your baby needs for the first 6 months. Frequent use of water or formula supplements can decrease your milk supply and lead to early weaning. If giving a supplement is necessary for medical reasons, choose a method that is least likely to interfere with your baby's ability to breastfeed later. For example, you can supplement at the breast with a feeding device, or away from the breast using a spoon, eye dropper, or cup. If you decide to use an artifical nipple, choose a nipple that is soft and supple with a wide base and a slow flow"

When I took my breastfeeding class, the teacher recommended a bottle made by Adiri that is a slow flow and it is soft like a breast. I think it has helped us a lot as I am trying to fatten up my little guy as he was also a sleepy sucker and lost too much weight in the beginning. I feed him on each breast and then pump and give him the remainder in the bottle but it doesn't seem to be throwing him off because he has to suck it the same way he latches on the breast. They have it at Babies R Us and it seems to be working for me! Good luck and congratulations on your new baby!