When my daughter was born I resisted giving her bottles of my pumped milk. Everything I read told me that she could get nipple confusion and refuse my breasts. I didn't give her a pacifier either.
At four weeks I started pumping one bottle of milk for her daddy to give her early in the morning. It was really nice as I was able to sleep through that early a.m. feeding. I felt almost human again. We also started giving her a pacifier before her afternoon nap. She would lay down awake, suck on her paci for a few minutes, and go to sleep.
Fast forward to eight weeks old. My daughter refuses to drink out of a bottle. She won't let daddy feed her. She won't let brother feed her. She won't let grandma feed her. Oh I know what you're going to tell me. You are going to tell me that I need to leave the room, maybe even leave the house while they give her the bottle. Um no. The only thing I haven't tried is leaving the State!
I started thinking that they need to make a bottle that has a "realistic type" nipple on it. Someone else already thought of it, but it's not in production yet. I'm hoping that she will again take a bottle one day or even running to the store without her will be a challenge.
By the way, she refuses the pacifier as well.
UPDATE:
My daughter is three months old now and still nursing like a champ. I have been getting a lot more sleep and am not suffering from exhaustion anymore. I haven't tried to give her a bottle in a few weeks. I'm not even pumping milk anymore. I figure she is nursing well, we are both doing great, why mess with what works. If for some reason I have to be away from her for an extended period of time, I will try some of these excellent suggestions you left for me on this post.
UPDATE:
My daughter is three months old now and still nursing like a champ. I have been getting a lot more sleep and am not suffering from exhaustion anymore. I haven't tried to give her a bottle in a few weeks. I'm not even pumping milk anymore. I figure she is nursing well, we are both doing great, why mess with what works. If for some reason I have to be away from her for an extended period of time, I will try some of these excellent suggestions you left for me on this post.
Dree
Image courtesy of koratmember / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
That sounds sad... So how are you managing now? I have always been breastfeeding my girl, so never come across such a situation. I feel sorry that I can't give you any mommy tips.
ReplyDeleteDidn't your doc give any solution? Did you try giving her formula with baby spoons?
Sending my love to her..:)
Visiting from VB M2R and following you!
ReplyDeleteShe is still nursing. I really just want her to take a bottle once in awhile so daddy can feed her and mommy can have a break. She is getting ready for a growth spurt and has been nursing quite a lot since yesterday.
ReplyDeleteA friend of mine's daughter struggled quite a bit with nipple confusion. They finally gave up on a bottle and started feeding her with a spoon. She still got plenty of milk and took it much easier than a bottle. Hope you can work something out. It is so nice to have a boobie-break, lol!
ReplyDeleteMy daughter never had a problem switching back and forth between nursing and the bottle. However, she would not take breast milk from the bottle. I tried it at every temperature---she did not want it. However, she would drink formula at any temperature--warm, room temp, directly from the fridge (which meant there was no problem switching to milk!). I nursed her primarily but she did take 1-2 formula bottles per day. I am wondering if she is super picky about how she gets her breast milk.
ReplyDeleteI hear you. My 8 kids would bite a bottle..I went back to work and my husband had to put a crying baby high in the air, over his head and put the bottle in her mouth so she wouldn't see him..the only time it worked...he actually had to bring the babies to my job....don't know how we did it...
ReplyDeleteGosh I remember that frustrating time!! Especially with my first baby. I'm sure you thought of this already, but is the nipple you are using the right type of flow? I remember with my son when he did not want to take a bottle my cousin told me to change the nipple flow (there are holes in the nipples, the more holes the easier it is for babies, the newborn ones tend to have just one or two and they are very small). I'm so sorry you have to go through this, hopefully it will pass quickly!!
ReplyDeleteWow! I feel for you! I have multiple friends who had this challenge with their babies transitioning..or not transitioning!! The good news? The frustration was extreme, but temporary and passed and they eventually adjusted to either a cup or just being very unhappy while their mom was away. Thankfully all of our life's discomforts are temporary...just never feels like it when you are in the middle of them.
ReplyDeleteEveryone has a different breastfeeding story it seems, but each is always extremely challenging! Every baby is different too. I hope you can make it through, and at least you have support from all of the other breastfeeding moms out there:) Hang in there!!
ReplyDeleteCourtney
oh I am so glad I don't have to go through that anymore! I hope you get it figured out!
ReplyDeleteI feel ya!
ReplyDeleteMy now 9 month old refused bottles or pacifier until 7 months when he finally took soother one day. I'd offer it a few times a month since about 6 weeks and he would act like it was the worst thing in the world and how DARE I put silicone into his mouth. I tried all kinds of bottles and pacifiers with no luck. One day at 7 months he was crying and I put him on the breast and he let go and cried but he kept trying to latch on. So I figured he wanted to suck but not get milk so I tried the pacifier and low and behold, he sucked it like he'd known how all along. I have been offering the bottle again lately but he doesn't seem to know what to do with it.
There are some newborn nursery nurse's tricks that generally work after much persistence. However, a rubber nipple no matter the shape will not ever taste or smell like the real thing. Use your index finger to gently pump the babe's lower jaw up and down. At the same time use another avaiable finger to squirt milk into the baby's mouth. Part of the issue for babe is how he/she is held.
ReplyDeleteThis worked for my now 10 month old granddaughter at 2 months when she was getting ready for day care. She breast fed until 9 months even with a bottle at 'school'. BUT, it didn't work on the now 12 year old sister. Very stubborn. For her I had to thicken mom's milk with cereal and spoon it in while mom was at school. She went to a cup.How did it affect her emotionally? Well, she is in the 'gifted' calsses with A's.
Thanks for stopping by my blog and leaving such a nice comment! I am following you too!
ReplyDeleteWhat types of bottles have you tried? Have you tried any alternative feeding methods, such as a dropper or feeding syringe? Those may not hold enough for her to take at once since she is a bit older now.
These bottles look awesome, but they are not available to buy yet. It says they may be available soon. http://www.bittylab.com/index.html
This one looks interesting too. http://www.amazon.com/Adiri-Natural-Nurser-Ultimate-Bottle/dp/B0018BY2FY
I think a big part of it is to make sure you mimic the actual process of breastfeeding. It can help to stroke the baby's cheek with the bottle nipple first, and then let her root for the nipple and latch on herself, versus just putting the bottle in her mouth. Also, have Dad or another caregiver snuggle her in the same way you do while nursing, which may help.
I have mainly stuck to breastfeeding and have not used bottles, especially with my youngest. I have never been able to pump much, so I just nurse on demand. Hang in there, it does get easier once they can go longer between feedings. I know she isn't your first, so I am sure you already know that. I know sometimes you just want a little break to relax too. You are doing such an awesome thing for your little one, and hopefully she lets mama have a little break once in a while. Is that her picture with the pink hair bow? That baby is so precious!
Jessica
www.arebutterfliesticklish.blogspot.com
I decided to just stick with breastfeeding. We nurse on demand here too. I don't even pump anymore. If I ever have to be without my daughter, my husband will have to unfreeze some milk and give it to her with a spoon.
ReplyDeleteI may try some of these ideas that everyone left later on if I decide to try again with a bottle.
I breastfed my two and still pumped milk for them to keep in the freezer, in case I was on medication that wouldn't allow me to breastfeed. I didn't use a bottle for quite a while though because I was paranoid about nipple confusion. My son got more bottled milk than my daughter because I pumped more for him when he was a baby than I did when she was a baby. My daughter got bottles a little earlier so that my son could be more involved and help feed her but she never took to the bottle like he did.
ReplyDeleteWe are on our ninth month of nursing and I work full time. I think the end is coming as I am running low on milk. It makes me so sad...
ReplyDeleteI'm so sorry April. I can't even imagine how you feel. Did you lose your supply gradually or did it happen when you went to work? I worry this might happen to me.
ReplyDeleteGlad this has worked out for you!
ReplyDelete