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Reverse Cycling

tanabeanstanabeans member
in Attachment Parenting
Hello ladies, I haven't been around this board long but I was curious if any of your LO reverse cycled? I return to work pt on Tuesday and my 12 week old had been refusing the bottle. She will let us put it in her mouth but doesn't latch. I have been told if she doesn't take it out of desperation she may reverse cycle. Some shared experiences would be greatly appreciated
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Re: Reverse Cycling

  • musicalmama5musicalmama5 member
    We had a bit of this during the 4 month wakeful. Do you bedshare? It's the only thing that got me through it. 

    Here's some good info about reverse cycling: https://kellymom.com/bf/normal/reverse-cycling/
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  • Emerald27Emerald27 member
    I worked ft from when DS was 3-8 months, and he did just what your LO does. He gummed at the bottle and chewed on it a bit, but never latched. He didn't take the bottle at all while I worked, so he reverse cycled.

    All in all, he took about an ounce while I was away for 9 hours. We coslept, and he cluster fed in the evenings and then nursed often during the night. I never had trouble sleeping, though, because it was easy for me to sleep with him latched and I so valued the time to reconnect. Of course, it's not that easy for some mamas.

    I have a few different suggestions:

    The first is to try some different bottle brands (always using the lowest flow possible!) to see if LO prefers one. My DS did best with TommieTippie.

    Second, see if baby likes the caregiver to be more like mommy or not. Sleep with a blanket that the caregiver can then drape over her shoulder while bottle feeding LO so that it smells like you. Also, have the caregiver practice "paced bottle feeding" which closely mimics nursing:

    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=UH4T70OSzGs&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DUH4T70OSzGs

    Third, there are many ways beyond bottle feeding to give breastmilk to a baby while mom is away. LO's caregiver can try helping LO carefully sip from an open cup, you can syringe or spoon feed LO the breastmilk, and even try a sippy cup (around 4 months). If all else fails, there's also finger feeding using an SNS.

    Reverse cycling isn't bad for baby, but it can be rough on mama and make her very tired. Just think, if you're away from LO for 5-6 hours while working and he/she doesn't drink any milk while you're gone, but nurses well while you're home, that's about the same as any baby who STTN 5-6 hours at that age and nurses frequently during the day.

    If LO reverse cycles and it's tough on you, make sure you're resting as much as you can with LO on the boob ;) while you're home, drinking enough water, and consuming enough calories. That will help you keep your energy levels up.

    If reverse cycling is taking it's toll on LO's caregiver because of fussiness, you can recommend taking walks, going outside, rocking, offering breastmilk in different ways like in the form of a frozen slushy on a spoon, and other snugly methods of distraction.
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  • tanabeanstanabeans member
    @Musicalmama5 We do, she sleeps her first stretch in bed with me then the second in a cosleeper. I was thinking of transitioning to a crib but ill wait to see what happens after I work. I wake up very bent out of shape after the first stretch!

    @Emerald27 I've tried several types and actually had best luck, meaning no screaming, with a breastflow with the inner nipple removed. I actually have oal and fast flow which she has grown accustomed to.

    I commute so i will be gone 9 hours 3 days a week so i am worried about her going this long between feedings. our longest stretch at night is 6 hrs. during the day she eats on demand but every hour. Will it throw off her metabolism?

    I think I may print out your post for my mom and mil to read when they watch dd, we have some spoons, syringes and cups ready just in case.

    thanks a lot for the suggestions and hopefully she decides the bottle is easiest!
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  • Emerald27Emerald27 member
    edited November 2013
    I might caution against the fast flow nipple. It's so different from the "milking" action of breastfeeding that it can potentially lead to premature weaning. The common recommendation is to do some research about bottle feeding the breastfed baby, and to try to keep her feeding sessions while you're away as much like nursing as possible. Here are some resources to get you started, in addition to the video on "paced bottle feeding", if you're interested:

    https://www.llli.org/docs/0000000000000001WAB/WAB_Tear_sheet_Toolkit/22_bfabreastfedbaby.pdf

    https://kellymom.com/bf/pumpingmoms/feeding-tools/bottle-feeding/

    https://www.llli.org/nb/nbnovdec02p218.html

    https://theleakyboob.com/2012/03/bottle-feeding-breastfed-babies/
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  • tanabeanstanabeans member
    Great, ill share this info with her grandmothers.
    Thanks again for the info!
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