Going back to work - still breastfeeding (Help needed!)
So im going back to work on the 9th september. Thought everything would be ok - work shifts so hubby would be bringing her in to work for last feed around 7pm when on a late shift. He has now stated that he feels this is a bit of a faff and doesnt think it will work out Morning shifts are ok as she has a long gap between feeds and I can stretch her out a bit longer with good entertainment from a fab fab fab Nanna!!!
Sooooo the problem is - she wont take a bottle (9 months old so not worth bothering anyway I suppose) and she isnt a fan of beakers etc and likes to drink out of glasses, mugs and anything else she shouldnt oooops! She will have a small amount (and I mean small) out of a Doidy cup. She isnt a big drinker and relies on me really for her fluid intake which will be a problem if hubby wont bring her to work. Contemplated formula but will have the same issue as expressed breast milk if she wont drink it from anywhere except the boobies!!!
Anyone else had this problem??? Work are being good about expressing etc so no problems there - its just getting her to take the good stuff from anything apart from a boob!!!
Help me please!!!!!
xxxx
Sooooo the problem is - she wont take a bottle (9 months old so not worth bothering anyway I suppose) and she isnt a fan of beakers etc and likes to drink out of glasses, mugs and anything else she shouldnt oooops! She will have a small amount (and I mean small) out of a Doidy cup. She isnt a big drinker and relies on me really for her fluid intake which will be a problem if hubby wont bring her to work. Contemplated formula but will have the same issue as expressed breast milk if she wont drink it from anywhere except the boobies!!!
Anyone else had this problem??? Work are being good about expressing etc so no problems there - its just getting her to take the good stuff from anything apart from a boob!!!
Help me please!!!!!
xxxx
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Replies
I did try a bunch of other bottles and sippy cups but had no joy. However, in the last few days we have had a breakthrough and he has been taking a few oz when I offer it to him. I actually don't think the type of bottle makes any difference (although the size of teat might). It's just that I kept persevering and offered him formula before each BF through the day (as my plan is to FF while he is in daycare but continue to BF in morning and at night).
We were using the TT CTN bottles which I have always found to be good and quite breast like!
So I would suggest that during the day just offer the bottle before each BF. Your LO will probably just use it as a teething toy for a while but in the course of chewing it will probably squirt some milk into her mouth. I stopped as soon as she really pushed the bottle away as I didn't want it to become a battle. Gradually she will start playing with it for longer and longer, then maybe suck on it every now and then and then eventually start drinking. You waste a lot of milk doing this so only put a couple of oz in each time - esp if you're using the liquid gold EBM!
So try not to stress about it and be prepared for the process to take quite a long time. We've been trying for a good month and only just now is he starting to take a couple of oz from a bottle (I then top him up with a BF) but I'm hoping that within the next couple of weeks he will be fully FF during the day so that we can establish that routine before he starts daycare, otherwise it's going to be an avalanche of change all at once!
I am a bit gutted about having to stop BF, even just during the day, as I wanted to keep going until he was 1 but unfortunately I have to go back 3 months earlier than planned for financial reasons and there's no way I could express enough to keep up However we can all take oslace int he fact that we have given our LOs a great start and they will still get the good stuff at night.
Good luck, hope it doesn't take as long for you as it is for us!!
C
If you can encourage even one feed of EBM to be taken out of a beaker and also increase the amount of dairy you offer your LO in a day then you will be more than satisfying the needs of your LO.
cows milk has 15mg of calcium whereas formulas has 53 per 100 ml so cow milk = about 75mg or calcium needed per day whereas formula would be about 250mg
yougarts etc tend to be like for like portion size with cows milk but if going by calcium in cows milk they would need to eat about 20 to come even close??
any takers??!! lol
If she will drink out of glasses/beakers then why bother with a bottle? ?
Just give the EBM in a mug or something she 'isnt allowed' and make sure she is fully supervised when she is drinking it - it might be a bit messy the first couple of times but she will soon get used to it
xx
I also return to work at the start of Sept and he will be 8 1/2 months then. My HV has said he only needs 3 feeds a day now (which seems right as I was doing 4 but he hardly fed for the 2 day ones!) so suggested feeding morning, when I get home from work (4.30-5pm ish) and before bed. I have tried just feeding at these times the past few days and he has been fine with it. However I might have a baby who is just not that into milk as he will miss feeds if we are out as he won't feed as he is so nosey!
Also on a kit day (when he was 6 months) I got my mum to give him milk in the doidy cup and then use the left over (as he only took a couple of oz) in baby rice so I knew he'd had enough milk.
Xxxx
For anyones interest I used an avent bottle with an asda own brand variflow teat which cost a ??1 and is exactly the same shape as the avent teats but a lot cheaper! Thanks for all your help x