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Does anyone exclusively BF and only use bottles on occasion? I have ?'s about this.

adamsbabbleadamsbabble member
in Cincinnati Babies

The calculator on kellymom says she will need 3 oz. per feeding but we have given her a bottle maybe 3 times now and she will not take more than 1 oz. from it.  She flat out refuses.  If your baby takes EBM in a bottle, how much do/did you give at around 1-2 months of age?  And if you typically just nurse and only use bottles on occasion, how often do you pump in order to have enough EBM available for the occasional bottle?  I'm thinking the reason she wouldn't take more than 1 oz. from the bottle is because I'm always around anyway.  Kellymom sort of explained this as reverse-cycling, where a baby will take just enough from a bottle to "take the edge off" but wait for mom to return to get the rest of his/her calories.  If that is the case I don't know how we'll get around it to where I can leave her when I need to and know that she has enough EBM.  So far I just haven't left her but that's not always going to be possible.  A friend suggested replacing a nursing session with a bottle on a regular basis, but I'd rather not.  For one thing, I hate pumping and it's not exactly an easy or convenient thing to do while taking care of 2 under 2.  For anther thing, I just don't see the point in going through all of that trouble to give her a bottle when I can just nurse her the majority of the time.  But then that still leaves me with the issue of when/how often I should pump and how I will get her to take more from a bottle.

Ava Caroline 8.27.07 I Charlotte Grace 5.18.09 I Lila Katherine 1.20.11

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Re: Does anyone exclusively BF and only use bottles on occasion? I have ?'s about this.

  • cat81305cat81305 member
    DS usually took 2ozs in the beginning and was happy.  He never took over 5ozs in a bottle the entire 12 months.  We did give him a bottle every now and then in the beginning but we did not make it a habit at the same time every day.  Then I went to work part time so he got a bottle or two every couple of days.  We never had a problem with him not taking from the bottle even if I was around.  Sorry I am not much help.  Good luck!
    Our kids are 19mths apart and we LOVE it!!

    Married to my BFF on 8.13.05 (after dating 5 years)!

    DS born 2.14.08. DD born 9.30.09.

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  • KristenBtobeKristenBtobe member

    I wouldn't worry too much if she's just taking one oz at a time. Maggie probably did about the same at that age, at her highest point around 9-10 months she was taking 5 oz in a bottle at a time. Maybe she'll take smaller bottles closer together when you're away?

    Perhaps try another type of bottle?

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  • RXjennaRXjenna

    (nakb)

    brynn takes about 3 oz.  she gets one bottle a day (at bedtime).  we've been doing this since she was just a few days old so dh could help out.  i also pump and give her a bottle on occasion when we're out in public, just b/c i'm not good at the whole NIP thing :)  i think maybe i'd try a different bottle?

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  • adamsbabbleadamsbabble member

    well, i went to old navy tonight for a couple hours and did a couple other errands, and dh said she took 3 ounces of milk from a bottle, but only one ounce at a time.  she did what she normally does and refused the bottle after the first ounce, then after awhile when she realized she wasn't getting nursed she'd get fussy again and then take another ounce when dh offered the bottle again.  i also thought about trying new bottles, but from what dh says (he's the only one who has given her a bottle) it sounds to me like she is having no problem latching on and actually taking the bottle, she just wants to be nursed instead (she's a very clingy baby anyway, so it would make sense that she wants to nurse instead of having a bottle).  i guess we'll just have to work on getting her used to a bottle by giving her one more often than we have been... which means more pumping and less nursing, which stinks :(  oh well, at least it's not as bad as last time.  thanks for your insights ladies!!

    Ava Caroline 8.27.07 I Charlotte Grace 5.18.09 I Lila Katherine 1.20.11

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  • Meg41208Meg41208

    DD still only takes just over 3oz in a bottle 3x a day (sometimes 2x, and sometimes she doesn't drink hardly any of the milk) when she's at daycare.  She makes up for it when I'm with her though.

    I wouldn't worry about it too much if you aren't separated from her for very long or very often.

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  • ivygaloreivygalore
    you are exactly right!  she will not take the bottle when you're there and she knows the breasts will be coming soon.  this happened for us and dd was about 2.5 months old.  i had to leave the house for about 6 hrs on Sat and on Sun in order for her to get used to the bottle again.  when i was there and stayed in a different part of the house, it was hard to just hear her cry and i would give in.  she was a little older than your dd and she would put up a tough fight 'til the end.  after the 2nd day of leaving, she was taking the bottle like a champ (and still nursing too).  the challenge was for me to give her a bottle ... i rarely gave her a bottle just b/c i actually preferred the bf'ing b/c i thought it helped increase my supply more than the pump. 
    Mom to three beautiful blessings: Sweetgirl, 1/07 and twins Big girl & Booka on 11/11 (their mama nicknames)
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