Unexpected Part Time Work Offer

[hummingbird]

I have been unexpectedly offered part time work, two days a week, any days I want for the next 5 months, starting next week. Money is exceptionally good, DH is able to look after 4 mo DD one day and the other day I may be able to have the in-laws look after DD, or I can work from home, so the offer is really too good to refuse.

Problem is, DD has only been exclusively breast fed thus far. An attempt last week to bottle feed EBM did not work, but it was only one try.

I am just waiting for her to wake up for her next feed and DH will be trying to give her an EBM feed himself again. I am going to wait in our bedroom. I have tried a different teat this time (Pur Orthodontic).....I feel SSSOOOOO nervous and guilty and I hanen't even tried the first proper EBM feed!

Any tips, advice or words of encouragement would be appreciated!!

[LilShenanigans]

I haven't personally tried EBM, but with everything else introduced, kids take a little effort for it to become normal - at least it is in my DDs case!!

Keep at it, she'll get the hang of it when she realises "I'm hungry, need food... food is coming from ... Ahh yeah, there it is!!" lol

[babylover111]

Goodluck!
Good idea allowing your DH to try and introduce the bottle because sometimes they find it a bit hard to take the first bottle off mum, as you can imagine it would be confusing!

[kerrin]

My 4 month old daughter is starting child care this Wednesday (for two days a week) - she will be having expressed breast milk also. So far, I haven't had heaps of trouble getting her to have EBM previously, but it has just been the odd bottle here and there. Not sure how she will cope with 3 bottles during the day and back onto the breast at night!

I am more concerned about trying to express 3 times a day to keep up with what she will need for her bottles. Sometimes when expressing, I just can't get the 'letdown' to happen and after pumping away for half an hour only have about 60ml. I've tried relaxing, looking at photos of DD, etc. This may become easier to do if I can do it at my own pace rather than fitting it between feeding DD, burping her, entertaining her, etc.

Will keep you up to date with how I go.

[hummingbird]

Well DH tried tonight feed using avent medium flow teats and no luck. DD just cries and cries.

I ended up having a go. I walked around the room holding her and put the teat on the side of her mouth. I was able to get the teat in and she seemed to slowly chew it occasionally. I imagine milk would have been dripping out of it as I had the bottle tilted to the neck was full of milk and she didn't seem to mind. That was until I ever so slowly worked the bottle to the front of her mouth and she would realise what it was and start crying again.

Has anyone had this problem? How long did it take for your bubs to take to the bottle? Any teats that seemed to work better for your bubba?

[xkwzit]

You want a teat as similar to the breast as possible...usually means no orthodontic teats with the angled bit. On an LC recommendation, I have used those that are as long as the last two joints of your little finger with a round end.

If you can work from home, maybe do this for a while until she gets used to the bottles, or you could try a cup or spoon.

Cheers

[hummingbird]

thanks xkwzit - so your saying don't use the orthodontic teats? Can you name the brand of the ones you use?

[xkwzit]

Hiya Hummingbird

Yes the LC said that orthodontic teats were a no-no to try to minimise nipple confusion. I had to express all of DD1's feeds for her first 5 weeks, but still wanted to get back to BF, so it was important to do all I could to facilitate that.

I've used a few different kinds (only because some of them drew better than others). The girls didn't mind them (but I had them in training for a while :D ). Happy baby and Pigeon both make a teat like this, the Avent one is OK (but you have to use their wide necked bottles).

Cheers

[Natsmummy]

It really just a case of persistence. It took us a week or two before our DS really fed properly from a bottle (he is mostly BF) - at first he cried and wouldn't take it, and then he started taking it but didn't suck properly and pushed the teat around his mouth with his tounge. Eventually it all started going right though. We are using the Avent teats. A girl from my mothers group had trouble getting her bubs to take the bottle and after trying Avent and all the other fancy orthodontic teats she tried the old fashioned ones you buy for $1 in the supermarket and that worked for her, so that might be another avenue for you to explore.

[hummingbird]

Hi Natsmum - I tried again during the night feed and she has started doing exactly as you described. Moving the teat round her mouth - she's actually smiling at me while she's doing it, like it's some kind of game! I will persist with the avent teats and see how I go over the next couple of days. Did youtry with the bottle at every feed, or just one feed at the same time each day? Where there any problems with your DS taking both bottle and breast?

[Mumma]

Hi there!

I had the same sort of issue - DS would just not take a bottle. Then we tried the pigeon bottles (they are very similar to a boob!) and they worked from the first time! It was such a relief.

Good luck :thumbsup:

[Natsmummy]

Hi Natsmum - I tried again during the night feed and she has started doing exactly as you described. Moving the teat round her mouth - she's actually smiling at me while she's doing it, like it's some kind of game! I will persist with the avent teats and see how I go over the next couple of days. Did youtry with the bottle at every feed, or just one feed at the same time each day? Where there any problems with your DS taking both bottle and breast?

We just tried with the bottle every night. From what I understand from many other posts I've seen on bubhub we are very lucky that bottle feeding has never affected his desire to breastfeed. After much persistence he now downs a bottle of formula with gusto on most occassions, but he still always loves the breast more.

Obviously you want to keep breastfeeding and there is no reason why you can't try doing both. And if worst comes to worst and bottle feeding causes your bubs to reject the breast at least you have fed for longer than the first 12 weeks so don't beat yourself up too much.

:)

[lovingmumof 2now]

I havent really read any of the other replies. So if I am repeating I appologise.

But my best friend went through the same thing when her son was 5 mnths. Her little boy would not take a bottle at all. Either breast milk or formula. I heard from someone to try them on a spoon at first as it is not a replacement for sucking just a new thing for them to do with their mouth, and it worked, yes her mum had a bit of a hard time for the first few days, but after that he started taking the ebm out of a bottle and eventually he went to formula. I am not sure what your intentions are there but just letting you know that try everything even if it sounds weird. And please don't stress about leaving your beautiful baby, every different experience for them is a good thing!!

Good luck and keep us posted.

I have just accepted a three day a week job and I have an 8 mnth old and am sad but also excited that I will have extra money to buy her new clothes.

[Mum trying to balance]

I also had trouble getting both my girls (now 4 and 2) to take the bottle.

I did experiment with a few different teats and Happy baby seemed to be the best in the end but differerent children have different responses.

Two tips that helped - with my eldest I warmed the teat up in a cup of warm water before putting the bottle in her mouth, after a nice warm breast I found that she did not like the cold plastic and it worked when the teat was warm

With my second I spoon fed her some of the expressed milk first so that she got used to the taste before putting the bottle in her mouth.

I also found that as both girls were good breast feeders that they liked the fast flow teats better (even though at their age it said to use the slow flow). I just think the milk was not coming fast enough.

It did work for me but there were quite a few tears first but before you know it you will have the drama of trying to wean them off the bottle.

Good luck

[hummingbird]

So you'll never believe it......weeks later of no bottle attempts I noticed Sienna has taken moe of an interest in watching me eat and drink. She also loves sucking the face washer in the bath. So I figured I would give the bottle another go, just with some cooled boiled water and low and behold she's sucking away like nothing I've ever seen. She's actaully holding onto the bottle herself......

Just goes to show in my case teats make no difference, it was simply waiting for her to be ready.