Bottle refusal

Hi,


I am returning to work in a couple of weeks.I want to continue breast-feeding our 3 month old baby during the night and first thing in the morning, until she is about 6 months - albeit a combo of formula / breast milk. During the day the plan is that our helper will feed her either expressed milk or formula.

*I only have about 5000mls in storage but think that should be enough for the first week.


The problem is baby is refusing the bottle - pushes away, cries and fusses, this is regardless of whether it's formula or breast milk. We (the night nurse, amah & husband) have been trying to slip in the odd bottle feed since she was 4 days old, so it's not that it's a new thing. Admittedly, 80% of the time if she kicks up enough of a performance I have given in and breastfed her.


It worries me that she is refusing the bottle - not to mention, how can I concentrate at work if I know that my poor babe is potentially going to go on a hunger strike during the day.


How can we get her to accept either the breast or bottle?

Given I am returning to work, is it feasible to continue to breastfeed for the next 3 months (supplemented by formula) or would switching her entirely to formula and denying her the breast now be a better option?


Any advice (particularly from working mums) would be appreciated.


Thanks very much.

I am in another room at the moment and the helper is trying to feed bub. You should hear the performance!


I might try some different teats - we're using Advent and Dr. Brown. Someone mentioned boiling them so they go really soft?


How long did you pump for after returning to work? While at work, if I express every 3 hours per normal feeding will that maintain my milk supply so she can continue to have breast milk till 6 months or so?

Also what did you use to store the milk and bring it home from the office? Haven't checked in Bumps to Babes yet hence the last question.

Sister in law had inverted nipples - and she gave her babies (all three) expressed breastmilk for 11 months. She also worked full time - in a pretty stressful job (a higher up at Yahoo!) and did it all. She didn't just do a straight breastfeed though - the babies just were on bottles, but for her, breastmilk was the best and she couldn't give it up.


The easiest thing to store - if you're going to freeze and pump from work, are breastmilk bags. They are sterile and you can just dump your milk right into them, into the fridge at work, and then into the freezer at home.


A friend told me that nipple confusion and refusal to feed - is just really all in the parents' heads. Most babies can switch back and forth really easily - I worked from home from 1 month, and so my baby had expressed milk from a bottle about 1 or 2 times a day, and the other 4 or 5 feeds were from me. No big deal for her. She just took what came to her.


If it came down to it - I'd say express exclusively and just give her expressed breastmilk over going to formula too soon. AS long as your supply is good, there isn't any reason to switch to formula, especially since you've already been successful at breastfeeding.


your supply and ability to pump is better earlier on - as you pass the 7 and 8 month mark, you'll notice a drop. (this seems pretty universal - a few of us polled a bunch of expressing moms.) You can build up your supply NOW, and get more expressed milk in your freezer now - and just use the earlier dates first.


As for the refusal of the bottle issue -trial and error. Some babies do better when they smell mom - even if they can't have her - so a piece of clothing that you've worn and sweat in wrapped around the person who is feeding you sometimes helps. Other babies need to be fed just before they are too hungry, otherwise they are too frustrated to take to the bottle.


Also - I found routine helped. (I am a self-confessed Gina Ford Lover.) If my babies got their bottle on their regular routine time - they were good with it.


Lots of luck! It's hard going back to work - so feeling good that baby is feeding well will be key.

That's very helpful HKCC.


We'll do a few tricks over the next week and see how we go. *Incidently just settled bubba after 4 hours of drama over trying to give her the bottle.


I would love her to stay on breast milk until she is 6-8 months and so happy to try anything.


Any idea how much I should be pumping per day to build up a steady flow? E.G after each feed day and night or just the morning feeds?

I heard I should empty each breast in order for the milk to be plentiful - but what if I do this and bubba becomes hungry before the approx. 2 hour replenishment time?

well - I pumped 2X a day. I did it before baby woke up in the morning - one full breast. And then in the evening, before roll over feed, I would empty another breast. Then for both scenarios, I would start baby on the just pumped breast - because your breast still gives more (they say 2-3 ozs more) after you're done pumping. Your baby is just more efficient at getting milk than a pump.


I was NEVER able to pump AFTER I fed - because my baby would get most of my milk out of each breast. So I chose to do it BEFORE - and I was always confident my baby would have enough and she did.

HKCC - I didn't know that there was more milk in the breast after pumping. I assumed when the milk stopped flowing that was it for a couple of hours. I'll try your suggestion on an early morning and evening pump tomrrow.


Waffle HK - good idea on the double pump. I will purhase one of those. I'll check on the Gina Ford suggestion.

Re: feeding every 3 hours. The problem is that bub seems disinterested or sleepy after the first breast. How do I get her to have a full feed and therefore satisfied for 3-4 hours.

I have tried a Gina Ford type schedule but bub just got frustrated so we're back feeding on demand at the moment.

Sorry, Waffle HK did you breastfeed throughout your second pregnancy? I didn't know you could do this - actually I didn't even think you could pregnant whilst breastfeeding.

Ok - try somethings you suggested last night / this morning,

Bub fed from both breasts at 10pm, 1:30am, 4:30am, 7:00am & 10:00am. She slept well in between and my managed to express 200mls which I have placed in the freezer. *I am keeping a feeding / play / sleep log.

Amah is boiling the teats as we're trying to soften them, so we'll try feeding her breast milk via the bottle later.

We're also going to a test run on bottle feeding on breast milk for the entire day (8am - 7pm) next week. I will then breast feed her normally during the night.

I'll buy a double pump as well and I need a travel kit to take to work.

How does this sound? Anything amiss or that we're missing?

Gabriella (I love your name - it was my first choice for my daughter but hubby wouldn't agree.)


I have a very succinct sleep play feeding chart - one page covers one week and it's simple markings. If you like, PM and I'll get it to you.

Do massage the breast before you pump. I used to get 1/3 more milk that way. Look at websites that describe the Marmet Technique and check out the massage that is used to help letdown. (I get to meet Chele Marmet next week at the LLL Conference in Chicago!)

Breast compression is also really good to help increase the amount of milk. Dr Jack Newman has good info online about how to do that.


Your helper can also give milk in a cup, with a syringe, a sippy cup or even a spoon. And if you thinka bout how some babies will go all night without a feed, there IS a possibility that your baby will want to go all day without a feed too...but will surely make up for it when you get home from work. Be prepared...


As soon as an egg is produced, you can surely get pregnant. And you have an egg BEFORE your first period, so use proper precautions!


Good luck!