Just gone back to work, and 8 month old refusing bottle ...

[Sarimillie]

I'm getting worried about this; dd (8 months) has always had a few bottles of formula or EBM per week and has been pretty good about drinking them. This was my second day back at work, tho, and she has refused to take any milk at all today and yesterday. She is at home, with a carer she has only known a few weeks but with whom she is comfortable.

She is feeding a lot in the evening, waking me up to feed (having slept through for months and months...) and feeding again in the morning.

Is there anything we can try?

[Sarimillie]

She is drinking water and eating well - I just feel that babies should also get regular milk feeds. Is this the case - or would morning/night feeds be sufficient? I'd be very grateful for any advice/support; bit worried.

[tellnoone]

I've heard from people on here that some babies don't take milk during the day when mum is not there but make up for it at night. I think it's called reverse cycling and there's more info on www.kellymom.com

I don't think it's anything to worry about as it sounds like she is making up for it at night. hth

[Sarimillie]

Anyone?

[Sarimillie]

Thank you tellnoone - cross posts! Am off to have a look at that link - thank you!

[Sarimillie]

A relief that it looks like she'll be OK on the feeds she's getting, tho I am struggling a bit on the amount of sleep I've had the last few nights. I think I do need to find a way to get her to drink something in the day or I may not hang onto this job! She likes cow's milk in weetabix etc, but it's too early to have cow's milk to drink, isn't it?
We have SMA milk in the house; are there any good alternatives which maybe taste a bit more like breastmilk?
Will also try alternative teats, tho we searched for a long time before she decided that she liked the NUK teats best (now, of course, nothing is nice!)

[weasle]

hi there. my lo is almost 8mo. i have been back at work for 4 weeks now, 3days/week.

i am bf on demand when i am with him. that is every couple of hours i think. when i am at work he has a morning bf, then a bit of ebm (4-5oz/day) in a tommee tippee cup, not a bottle (my choice rather than his though) throughout the day, lots to eat and a bit of water and occasionally formula. i feed him when i return from work (6.30ish) at bedtime and at least twice a night. he has never slept through though...

it took a few days for us both to settle into the new routine. it is still early on for you, i'm sure it will improve. i think if she is having bf morning and evening and eating and having water in the day she will be ok.

get the carer to try a beaker/cup rather than a bottle? - then you can skip that stage totally.

good luck with it all, it will get easier!

[Sarimillie]

StarlightMcKenzie and weasle - thank you: so good to hear your experiences. I'm also working 3 days per week, which should help. And you're right - it's early days!

[Sarimillie]

I will ask her to concentrate on feeding with the cup, I think, and giving lots of dairy otherwise too as well as water. I agree - the cow's milk to drink taboo is a bit odd since it's OK on cereal. I wonder if a bit of cow's milk in the day, if she prefers it to formula, would be such a bad thing?

[MonkeyLover]

The same thing happened with my dd when I went back to work. She was 7 mo. I asked the nursery staff to offer ebm or formula regularly (every 2hrs I think). Since she was refusing both formula and the hard-won ebm, after 2-3 weeks I stopped expressing and would giver her a massive feed as soon as I got home in the evening (I'd move like billy-o to get home before I exploded). This followed by another feed a couple of hours later was enough to fill her little tum till breakfast time so she slept through.

[Sarimillie]

MonkeyLover - wow, if I can get her to sleep through again that would be great!

[mrstoady]

Same thing happened with my 3 month old. It was only ever going to be a 6 week period at nursery but she went from 8am to 5pm without any milk at all despite being used to both breast and bottle. Tried different formula and bottles. Guilt was horrendous. Thank goodness was only a temporary period but completely understand how you feel. Hasn't semed to affect her in retrospect and your child is eating other foods so will settle down and make up for milk evenings and mornings. Mine didn't have anything!

[tellnoone]

My DD is 10mo and I have been back to work for a month. She BFs when I get home, before bed, usually once during the night, and in the morning. I express every lunchtime (double pump) and get about 2-3oz per boob, so 2 bottles are there for her everyday BUT if she wants more milk than this she gets cows milk. I don't worry about it, as it's only a small amount, not everyday and she has plenty of breastmilk.

[mrstoady]

I think there isn't enough iron in cows milk, thats why they recommend formula. Try more iron rich foods and use cows milk.

[mrstoady]

I think there isn't enough iron in cows milk, thats why they recommend formula. Try more iron rich foods and use cows milk.

[clarita]

hiya

my youngest didn't drink milk from a bottle much by 8 months (he was in part-time childcare from about that age) - just a tiny bit after his midday nap. i fed him 7am and 6pm and that sufficed - but i gave him lots and lots of milk products and milky food (cheese, yoghurts, cereal with milk etc). He's grown up just fine and eats a varied diet - and now drinks milk from a beaker.

[googledoogle]

wnet back to work when ds1 was 16 weeks old. woudnt touch a single thing whilst I was away at work (approx 9 hours) made up for it when i got home!! Yeah we did all the up thru the nite too but co-sleeping is a great thing!! didnt wean til he was 8 months and carried on on the breast til he was 4!!!!

[Mummyfor3]

Can a young baby really go that long with nothing ??
I am returning to work in 2 weeks when DS will be 22 weeks. He is currently EBF and I was planning on introducing solids only at 26 weeks and giving CM FF for him. Good to hear that he is likely to survive if he refuses bottles...

[googledoogle]

Oh yeah, they'll survive. I did all this silly worrying but it was so logical when I thought about it. 9 hours or so aint a problem. He did all the turn about feeding stuff. I just pretended that he was sleeping when I was at work! Just imagine if your baby slept all night(oh wouldnt that be bliss!!) then they'd go at least 9 hours without a feed. My wee guy just made up for it when the milk tankers were available!

[lisad123]

I have recently gone back, been back 4 weeks. My DD1 has 2 BF a day (last thing at night and first in morning). I nip home at lunch to give her a quick feed if i can. TBH she isnt fussed if I dont. She drinks loads of water during the day.
I only work 3 days a week, but hope its of some help.

[googledoogle]

is your baby looking for solids just now?? if so why not start and then you'll feel happier when you're away from him. I didnt wean til he was 8 months-his choice-just wasnt ready-so all he had was exclusive breast milk- from the breast. I expressed at work for comfort more than anything else, and was quite sad at all the frozen ebm that was thrown out!