ok ... tether end reached

[crouchendparent]

I'm just hoping some one may have some advice about getting my dd to take a bottle. she's almost 6 months and i go back to work in a couple of weeks. I'm really desperate now as she just won't take bottle - or sippy/doidy cup - and i don't know what on earth to do. i've read about the cold turkey method but that seems to mean i would have to give up bf altogether? and surely it's a bad idea to do that so close to my return to work?

Please please help, i have been in tears all day about this. i have no choice about returning.

Does she have any solids yet? If so dont worry too much just give her the food and have a drink available but dont worry about milk. She'll make up for it when you get home.

not much advice i'm afraid but i'm sure someone will be along soon.

i know that some babies reverse cycle when mums go back to work feeding more at night. and if the mum is not in the building the baby will take a cup/bottle after all. sometimes they won't take a baby off you but will of someone else iyswim.

cold turkey (as in complete stopping) might be not such a good idea for you too. some women run into problems with blocked ducts if they stop suddenly.

not sure basically, sorry!

a bottle, sorry!?

Agree with jollyma - don't sweat it.

She can have solids and if she really refuses to have anything from a cup or a bottle, her solids can be made extra sloppy and she can have them off a spoon.

You can then bf her as much as she/you want/s when you are with her.

Whoever is looking after her when you are at work can give her practice with a cup/bottle.

Hope this helps. Spend the next two weeks of mat leave enjoying yourself, not crying or messing with cups and bottles :)

Thanks for the advice. I've started giving her some finger foods (successfully BLW my older son so keen to do this with DD as well) and although she isn't eating anything so far, I guess she will get better at that as time goes by.

Will she get dehydrated if she won't drink anything for 10 hours in the day? I have to go back full time so I'll be away for all that time 5 days a week, is it ridiculous to worry she'll get dehydrated?

PS

Enjoying my maternity leave instead of sobbing over a blooming doidy cup does sound much nicer!

My daughter would not take a bottle at first but as soon as I warmed up the teat she did. Do not know whether you have tried different teats slow flow fast flow etc... you probably have but just saying what worked for us :)

Not ridiculous to worry, CEP - 10 hours without a drink is a long time for a baby.

But - whoever is looking after her can do the sloppy solids thing, use an egg cup to tip some water or whatever into her, and a baby of this age is not going to dehydrate without being unhappy and crying first...it's not like with a newborn.

And they will be practising with a cup/bottle for you, as well :)