Back to Work today-Refusing Bottle :(

bride0806

So today is the dreaded day where I go back to work after be out for 3 months! I've been almost exclusively nursing during this time.  When our son was about a month I started giving him pumped milk in a bottle once a day for a couple weeks and he took it fine.  We got lazy and stopped.  When we attempted to reintroduce it last week in preperation for me going to work, he refused.  Just screamed.  So now the dreaded day is here.  He is refusing it (at least he is with my husband, but I feel bad for him).  Who else dealt with this and what was the outcome?  Do we not let him eat until he takes the bottle?

magdalina.h

have you tried different types of bottles? Do you have the option of going home to feed him? I would say (never being in this situation) that he would eventually take the bottle instead of just starving.

daenikoffre

Have you tried putting milk on the bottle's nipple so he can smell what it is? It might just smell like plastic to him and he's like, "Uhmn.. mommy, I'm hungry! I don't want to play with that weird toy!" 

Amandaluvs2Travel

This happened my first day back. I did leave work early and nurse him.  Then had DH try and give him a bottle that night. The next day we tried again and he took the bottle with a little hesitation. After that it got easier for my DH everyday.

 Now DS is at daycare and he takes a bottle like a champ. He only refused one time after we went on vacation and I nursed him for a week straight, but he took it about half an hour later.

Good luck!

CurlGurl1

I'm so sorry.  I know how stressful this is because we are in the same boat.  We are on our 6th bottle (Playtex drop-ins) and are having some more success.  We have also started having more success now that we consistently giving the bottle, but we still have many regressions.  The biggest issues occur when we try to give her the bottle after her last several feedings have been from the breast.  I'm curious to read what others have tried since I feel like we've tried every trick in the boat, and LO just has a strong preference for the breast... 

Good luck! 

MySallyGirl

My DS basically didn't eat at daycare the whole first week.  It was awful.  But he eventually got better and takes it now.  Mondays he always is the worst and then the rest of the week he takes it now problem now.

ABizzity

Totally normal and we gave DS a bottle every day for 2 months before he started daycare.  He still refused it for a day or two but eventually took it and has been fine ever since.  Hang in there!

Tayrusso

I agree with PP, I'd offer a variety of bottles...

https://growingbabyshelton.blogspot.com/2011/06/introducing-bottle-to-breastfed-baby.html

Jacqui105

Don't worry he'll get the hang of it! Plus with nursing, although it will be hard on you, whatever he doesn't eat during the day he'll get from you at night. My LO took a few weeks to stop fussing when given the bottle. She still doesn't take it well on Mondays and by her last day at DC for the week she's eating good. What was necessary for us was keeping up with at least one bottle a day when she was home with me. Her day with my DH was always her worst, so my DH would just take breaks and then reoffer the bottle every so often. Breastflow bottles and kellymom guidelines for bottle feeding helped too. Also my DH was confusing her tired and hungry cues so that may be an issue depending on how comfortable your LO and DH are with each other? Overall, it just takes time and remember your baby wont starve himself.