I need some advice about helping my breastfed 4 month old taking a bottle. (Hi to everyone, haven't posted in a while, my little girl was born the day after Christmas, and I've been on the run with child #4 ever since!!)
Long story short, my baby won't take a bottle. I didn't have this problem with my other kids, they would always switch from breast to bottle without any difficulty. Miss Kate here thinks that she only can take the breast, and my concern is that I will be starting a new job in about 4 weeks. I will have 3 full days of classroom orientation, and then be working 12 hours shifts 3 out of 4 weekends a month. We have tried introducing the bottle (with formula or breastmilk) many times and she just gets hysterical. She's not as bad now as she was earlier, she at least gnaws on the nipple now rather than right out rejecting it, but my concern is that she'll dehydrate if I go back to work because she won't take enough milk. Also, she seems to only be comforted by me.....doesn't seem to like her daddy too much :chuckle. ( I think I'm just having new mom jitters about leaving her).
Everyone tells me that when she gets hungry enough, she will take the bottle and not to worry about it....that she won't let herself starve. Is this true? Any advice on how I can get her to accept the bottle? I've tried every type of bottle and nipple.....and I need to go back to work for monetary reasons, I cannot afford to take any more time off. I guess I just need reassurance that she won't dehydrate or anything like that, and if anyone has some advice I'd appreciate it so much!
Thanks everyone for their stories and advice.....I will be keeping a syringe in the house just in case she won't take the bottle for my husband. My neighbor and I are close and she will be helping my husband with my kids....she got Kate to take an ounce of breastmilk once when I was out food shopping. As for my husband brining her in to work....my new job will be about 30-40 minutes away, so he can do that maybe sometimes, but I cant see him dragging 4 kids into work....but then again he may have to. So far he has not been able to get her to take a bottle at all.
I'm right there with you Steph.....I hate the fact that I have to work (so does my husband) and I've put it off as long as I could, but there are bills to pay. I'll be bawling when I leave her (all of them really, but esp my baby). I know, I'm a wimp and I just need to toughen up a bit, but if she would just take a bottle it would calm my fears down a lot!
I'm going to try giving her a bottle again tomorrow, and I'll let you guys know how it goes. thanks again.....I'm off to pick out some lottery numbers!
You are NOT a wimp, you are a mom.
A big hug sent your way - I remember exactly how you are feeling.
Specializes in Gerontological Nursing, Acute Rehab.
I had to go searching for this thread...but I'm happy to report that I went to my first day of work today (and my first day away from my baby) and it didn't go too badly. She did take a bottle for my DH even though she resented it a little. She cried quite a bit but I think that was more that she wasn't used to Daddy and he wasn't used to her routine more than the fact that she had to take a bottle. So I feel much better about leaving her, even though I still HATE the fact that I have to.
THANK YOU to all that took the time to respond to my questions....and little Katherine Aisling thanks you, too!
I had to go searching for this thread...but I'm happy to report that I went to my first day of work today (and my first day away from my baby) and it didn't go too badly. She did take a bottle for my DH even though she resented it a little. She cried quite a bit but I think that was more that she wasn't used to Daddy and he wasn't used to her routine more than the fact that she had to take a bottle. So I feel much better about leaving her, even though I still HATE the fact that I have to.
THANK YOU to all that took the time to respond to my questions....and little Katherine Aisling thanks you, too!
Jennifer
I'm so glad for both you and your daughter that things went well. Oh and your dear husband too. :)
I can hardly believe my son will be 4 in July . . . . I got a chance to be a mom to an infant again while I was in my 40's and I'm very grateful.
When I see a newborn, I can't help but feel a twinge that I won't breastfeed again . . .
Glad that everything worked out for you! If we have probs with babes taking bottles, we usually have success with the Haberman bottle by Medela. Here's a link. HERE
I was going to say that if you haven't tried already, you could try the starter Avent sippy cups - then you could skip the whole bottle phase if she'd take that. Here's a link to the ones I'm talking about:
Specializes in Gerontological Nursing, Acute Rehab.
To Jen the RN and Mitchsmom---
Thank you so much for those websites! I will have my husband read thru them too to help him out. Although by day 3 she didnt give him any more problems, I'm worried that now that I'm back home with her for several days that he'll have to start all over again when I have to go thru more orientation, (my new job has SO much classroom orientation and other classes!)
Same thing happened here with my last 2 children. So I don't have any real good advice but wanted to let you know you're not alone. Breast babies just prefer their mommy and breast milk over a bottle and formula. That has been the general concensus with my breastfeeding friends as well. I was fortunate enough to stay home with them at the time and nursed until I absolutely could not do it anymore. I weaned cold turkey with ds#2 at age 11 months and dd at age 16 months. I honestly don't think that your baby will dehydrate while you're at work though, and you would be amazed at the things they will do for other people when you're out of sight. Good Luck!
Spidey's mom, ADN, BSN, RN
11,305 Posts
You are NOT a wimp, you are a mom.
A big hug sent your way - I remember exactly how you are feeling.
steph