BF dilemma...

[BraveGirl]

DS is 9 weeks now and I battled the pain barrier to establish good breastfeeding.

He has settled into a great pattern, feeding 6 times a day for the past couple of weeks, goind to bed around 7.30pm, then feeding at nights around 1am and again between 5-6am, then 3 hourly in the day (9am, 12, 3.30ish and then before bed).
I have been saving milk leaked from the other breast whilst he has fed in the hope that DH can start to feed occasionally from a bottle, giving me a break.
This week, we have trialled bottles - he takes a couple of ounces from the bottle and then goes back on the breast for the rest of the feed. Tonight we were going to try giving him his whole bedtime feed from the bottle....BUT.....
At his lunchtime and mid afternoon feeds he has been difficult - not taking as much as normal (normally he has approx 25 minutes on each breast) and has been very difficult to feed from the left breast - I tried to fool him with different positions, but with little success.

I'm worried that if we go ahead and try to give him a bottle of expressed milk, it will compound the situation and make matters worse...?
Any advice?
I have tried phoning the breastfeeding helpline, but can never get an answer!!

I wouldn't try anything new on a day when he's cranky - this isn't just BF advice, it goes for anything!

Unless there is some reason that's forcing the pace, I'd wait and try in a few days when he's more settled.

I agree with onimolap

Also who is offering the bottle? If its you he might be going back on the breast after a few onz because he prefers boob & the option is there! When you want to try whole feed on bottle get DH to do & leave the room

Good Luck!

Agree with onimolap - leave this for another day. He's doing ok with his 'practice' bottles :)

There's no urgency - you could leave it for a few days when you are confident he is a better mood.

The NCT breastfeeding line answers messages quickly, if you don't get through 'live' straight way.

DS2 often wants the breast after a huge bottle feed if I happen to be around, is comfort as well as food.

If he is in a mood then I would just put the bottles aside for a few days and wait until he is in a good mood again.

It's DH offering the bottle - we didn't want to confuse him too much!

He's been hisnormal happy self, when not feeding - no signs of hunger or distress. Nappies also as normal.

Just spoken to BF counsellor who advised to try again.

If we don't, what do we do with the milk (I expressed most of it last night (when he had a half bottle feed) topped up with 2oz of frozen milk defrosted in the day in the fridge?

Thanks for all the advice so far!

The milk will be fine - see www.breastfeedingnetwork.org.uk for storage info.

You know, I would wonder if his antsiness at the breast - you say he is happy the rest of the time - is related to the use of bottles this week. Babies have limited ways of telling us something isn't quite right in their world, and of course they have no real powers of logic or reason, but there is something up about feeding, from what you say.

Honestly, given there is no rush, there's something to be said for going slowly. There's no reason to go more quickly just 'cos you have the expressed milk sitting waiting! There's plenty more where that came from :)