Returning to work and fearful my LO will prefer the bottle

[aaperez]

Hi,
Just looking to see if anyone else had problems with their LO preferring the bottle after returning to work? I have been working part time (1 day a week) for about a month but this week I start back full time and I am so afraid of nipple confusion or my baby not wanting to nurse at night. Breastfeeding has been very well established and she has taken a bottle since birth (at first as part of regular feeding but after BF was established - just on occasion when I had to be away from her). So far she has done fine with going back and forth and I have bought a bottle that is supposed to mimic breastfeeding and have asked my caretaker to use paced bottle feeding however I am still a little worried.

Does self weaning have to do with bottle feeding or when solids are introduced? My LO is 4 months and I don't plan to introduce solids until AT LEAST 6 months.

Thanks for any advice in advance!
Amyann

[mibarra]

I think as long as you maintain a good nursing relationship at home, you'll be fine. DD2 took to the bottle no problem, but always preferred the breast. I think 'self-weaning' like you're worried about is a gradual process whereby parents, for whatever reason, begin relying more and more on the bottle, and BFing less and less, until they aren't BFing at all.

[aaperez]

Thanks for the response!! I definitely plan to "protect" my BF relationship as well as my milk supply.... a great piece of advice from a lactation consultant.

[Van1300]

I am going back to work in a month full time, but like you I have to work a few days here and there (like tomorrow). I have given my 1 month old a bottle 3x as practice and he also uses a binkie, no confusion yet.

My DD was bottle fed during the day and I EBFed at night for 1 year. It went very well! I do know that I could not give the bottle to DS as she got older, she always wanted it straight from the source!

[crunchymom2b]

Some babies reverse cycle; they'll eat little during the day and then nurse like crazy once with you at night. As my LC told me, there's a small percentage of babies that will only take a bottle, a small percentage that will only take breast,and then there's the majority who have no problem going back and forth. Using the correct bottle and paced feeding will def. help with that. If you're super worried you can always try a different feeding method (sippy, straw cup, other feeding device). But I think they'll be just fie as long as you keep your supply up!

[gingerpeachee]

I had a lot of trouble. I'm not going to freak you out with my experience, but some things that sometimes help keep the preference in your favor are bottles that mimic breastfeeding with a SLOW FLOW nipple, even when the baby is big. Keep your supply up. You can do it!

[c&w's mama]

I've done it 2x and it never occurred to me that either would prefer the bottle! And in our case, neither did. They just had bottles because of daycare. So it can happen, but I don't think you should worry. Like you said, nurture your BF relationship! My son drinks from an open cup at home but still BFs- its our time

and I WISH I could say that daycare fed him slowly, but I know they didn't- they overfed both children instead. And I talked myself blue in the face over it. They're still fine.

[aaperez]

Thanks for the feedback and encouragement.... Just finished my first week and so far it's been ok.

[Nerissa]

Glad the first week went well.

I am on my third child. I haven't had any issues with them prefering the bottle.

I use wide nipple bottles and always the slow flow.

[songbird516]

[QUOTE=crunchymom2b;16008826]Some babies reverse cycle; they'll eat little during the day and then nurse like crazy once with you at night. QUOTE]

My first did this. She stopped taking the bottle at all around 4 months and just nursed more in the evenings and at night. I even stopped pumping at work because she just wouldn't drink what I was pumping.

Oh, and keep the bottle nipple flow slow. I think that helps also.