I bf DD when I am at home but she is given bottle when I work. DD is now 9 months old and refuses to take the bottle. (She took bottle at 3-7 months). In fact she won't even take my pumped bmilk via spoon or sippy cup or any other way. She won't take formula milk either. She is being hydrated at this point during the day with juice or water.
When I come home she marathon nurses and nurses throughout the night (wakes up 3-4 times). This is causing havoc to my sleep and work performance. Any suggestions? To make things worst I will be traveling next weekend and away from her (my first time since she was born) for 3 days. I am so worried about being away from her. I am also worried that I won't have time to pump on travel and my milk supply will dwindle so that I can no longer bf.
greek4
12-07-2008, 06:08 PM
This break might be exactly what she needs to take those bottles. Could you stop letting her have juice and water during the day so that she is truely empty and hungry. Then she might take those bottles and learn to like them. It's hard to have a LO not take the bottle but they eventually catch on.
Hopefully your supply won't suffer too much in those three days. Just try to pump when you can then when you get home, you can build what ever supply you lost back up.
brumcat
01-01-2009, 10:17 AM
Good luck mama! I'm in the military and dreading the day they tell me I have to leave her. My DD does take bottles but "under duress" and expresses her dislike of them! I have had some long days away from my electric pump, I used my manual pump even for 10 mins and dumping the milk, just to keep the supply. Keep us posted!
dollbabysmom
01-01-2009, 02:49 PM
Since your baby is already 9 months, you could try to transition to a cup of expressed milk and skip the bottle all together. My 10 mo would never take a bottle. We got a wee little wood cup from nova naturals. It is not a sippy cup, and the baby can hold it by himself. It has worked like a charm. Good luck to you!
frogandtoad
01-01-2009, 03:15 PM
Try the cups that don't have the "spill proof" valve - or just take the valve out. I think if you can pump during the weekend you're away, your supply should be okay. My LOs usually do fine when I'm not around - it's when I'm nearby that they squeak and holler. They almost never put up fits for others.
dancnfool
01-01-2009, 05:03 PM
With my first - I worked and traveled. I was able to be on job sites all day and pump during lunch and easily keep up my supply for 2-5 days of being away with pumping. Also one time I forgot to pack the pump and despite being miserable for 4 days trying the hand express I still had supply when I got home.
