BF baby and nursery.

[alux]

Dd went to nursery today for the 1st time. From 8am-1pm. She used to get a bottle a day from 3wks to 8 wks but we stopped because of possibly starting to favour the bottle. Has been exclusively bf from 8wks till now, 19wks with only the about 2oz of ebm on saturday am when I went to the gym.

At nursery today she only took 2oz over 2 feeds. I did go in at ll am and gave her a full feed. I go back to work FT on Monday. Can you see hope that she will be taking more from bottle by then? She hasn't had a bottle in a month due to going on hols (easier to bf ) and too lazy to express since we got back.

I know you know what I want to hear but pls tell me of your own experience instead.

On a happier note, started to use my rented dual pump today and it worked a treat, I think 5oz in 20mins.

I went back full time when dd was 5 months and I expressed the milk she needed and after 6 months supplemented with formula. When she was 10 months she had cows milk when I was at work. If I was to go back I'd probably give formula only whilst at work and carry on bf when at home.

I found the only bottle she took btw was playtex.

Hi Alux, I had to do two days work a couple of weeks ago in the midle of mat leave. I was really worried about ds taking a bottle of EBM - when we tried him on a bottle at about 6 weeks he wouldn't take it at all.

We tried him with a couple of bottles in the week before - he was 12 weeks then, and he was absolutely fine when I was at work.

We found the MAM bottles worked - haven't tried Playtex, but he didn't like Avent or Boots own.

So, in a very roundabout sort of way, I think there is hope that your dd will take more from the bottle by next week.

Alux, my ds hated bottles for a while, and point-blank refused them. Eventually got him to take MAM teats on Avent bottles, they're a perfect fit and the teat is nice and flat, He did have to be starved onto it though! After I refused to bf him eventually he took the bottles after 4 hours!However he never took as much as I would like: I could express 6-7oz and he would only ever take 3-4oz. Now he's on solids he'll only take 1oz but I'm not too worried as he eats loads! The girls in the nursery say he's taking a little more each time but for the last feed they mix the EBM with Liga. Good pumping by the way!

I bought the MAM bottles as I saw it recommended here on MN. have never seen playtex ones, herc. where did you buy them, just incase it does not work out with the MAMs?

chipmonkey, brave of you to starve baby onto the bottle. I had to wait 15 mins once to feed her as we were on the motorway as she howled in the carseat. I was in tears the whole way.

Alux, you should have seen me! crying Mammy, crying baby, not very brave-looking at all!

Playtex are increasingly hard to get hold of but I have seen them here Its the drop-in nurser with the latex boob-shaped nipple that people find good. Only thing is that its a disposable system which is not really your thingm is it?

I used a cup with with a spout type top for dd1 at 16 wks when she went to a creche from 8.30 unitl 12.00. The spout was just three small holes - not one of the non-spill cups. She was fine with this.

They are hard to get hold of but luckily my local independant chemist sells them. I've only ever seen them in independant chemists.

Hi Alux. My dd took a while to get used to bottles and we stopped for a while because she went through a major distractable phase and we went back to exclusive b/f to make sure she wasn't going to refuse the breast.

But, I went back to work FT when she was 5.5 months and by then she had decided she would accept bottles in the day & still b/fs at night now (she 8 months).

We found she got bored with bottles if she couldn't get the milk fast enough though. We went quite quickly from no.2 teats/medium flow to no.4/fast flow. She uses standard Avent bottles now with no.4 teats - v.fast so she downs 6oz before she gets time to get bored and reject the bottle.

Good luck xxx

thanks everyone for sharing. Will make sure I get some faster flow teats and also the cup. Didn't know she was old enough for one yet, milward. can you remember the type so that I go looking for the right thing? (I am sure DH thinks I am insane but is quietly humouring me.) I think we will find a way to get enough milk into her at nursery.

My HV recommended cups when it looked like dd wasn't going to accept bottles. We bought a Tommee Tippee one from the supermarket. It has a spout that is hinged so when you bend it in it doesn't spill but it has no valve so it doesn't encourage the 'wrong' sucking action.

As far as the fast flow teats go - I think it's worth trying but watch how you go the 1st time you use them cos they really are fast compared to the newborn ones. As I say, dd likes them but even she finds them a bit much when she's sleepy.

alux - I got mine in 1997 from mothercare. The mothercare near me has closed so I don't know if they still sell them. It is a set of a cup & food container which is in the shape of a cup with no handle. The cup has a handle on one side and a red spout top which is removeable. The container has a green lid. I used both as cups as the spout top fits both. The spout has no anti leak device so is easier for a young baby to feed from.
I've used this for three kids so far & is one of the only feeding items to be in great condition after solid use. I bf on demand so the time at creche could have been difficult for dd but she had no probs having liquid from her cup. The staff were impressed it worked so well. Hope you find a system that works for you. Best wishes

I had a good look at boots & sainsbury's yesterday and all the cups had valves. I notice after a while that the valves can be removed for cleaning. I got one which said was appropriate for 3+mo. No handles, screwtop lid, graduations on the side.

She did better, taking 3oz at one go at the nursery from an ultivent bottle & teat. It seems like that the first 2 occasions they may have been giving her the ebm from cold - she prefers room temp and that by then she was v. hungry so was not open to a new experience.

I will persevere with the ultivent as it seems to be working. I intend to give the cup without the valve a go but not unless the bottle doesn't work or only after she has mastered it if it works out.

a pumping question for chipmonkey and anyone else with more experience than me: do you go back to exclusively bf on the weekends? I hope I can. Does it make sense to create an extra feed during the week by pumping and then dropping it on the weekends so that it is there for when baby is with you all day? dd is getting about 5 oz of formula at the nursery in addition to what I can pump the day before at work. Last week it was roughly 9oz. each day.

we had a good week at nursery. she has taken the MAM bottles and teats with some persuasion from the women at the nursery. I felt horrible leaving it for them to try but figured she may take it better from them than me. She went from 2 oz on the first day to 4 oz on the second day then 11 oz by wednesday.

Tonight I tried to get dh to give her a couple ounces in a bottle and she refused it from him and me.

Alux, I think I replied to this on another thread but I do bf exclusively on days off. He seems to get enough but occasionally wakes for a night feed, possibly for comfort though!