Need some advice and a rant!

[snitchrose168]

This is for my SIL really. DS is 14 months and we stopped bf when he was 11 months. We were combination feeding from 5 months due to me going back to work.
SIL's DD is 7 months and she is ebf. I'm so proud of her. She wasn't going to do it at firs but saw me and how at ease I was with it. It came really easy to her and I think this is the first hurdle.
It's a biting child! She doesn't know what to do and I have no advice. DS is only getting his first tooth now!
She asked the hv for advice and she told her she should think about stopping and introducing a bottle. I was furious!! No helpful tips, no it might be hard but keep trying. And SIL doesn't want to stop.
Also, she's stressing about starting work again when DD is 9 months. Again I have no advice I expressed non stop so DS could have a month of ebm before combination feeding.
I told her to go straight to cup but I'm not sure if she has to use formula or just cow milk when SIL is at work.
She comes to me for advice and I don't want to let her down now. I was the one who showed her how to express because I knew how hard it was for me as there was no one to talk to.
Thanks

Is she worried about her DD taking a bottle when she's back at work, or about expressing? Will she have access to pumping facilities when she's back at work? I went back at 5 months, 4 days a week, 10 hour days, and I ebf'd until 16 months, so it can be done as long as the workplace is accommodating (mine wasn't great, but I managed). I wouldn't go to cow's milk at 9 months, but she should be able to express, and she's got two months lead time.

If the biting is an issue, she could try saying a firm no every time she is bitten and remove her nipple by putting her little finger into the corner of her babies mouth. Then after a short time offer the breast again
It is the first command a baby learns because mum is usually consistent!
Mine both stopped biting when they had teeth very quickly. Wish it worked for other requests now so fast :)

Bloody useless HV

You've got two separate questions here, so I suggest you'll get more response by posting two questions as new threads.

Kellymom has good advice about biting (which is very common and frequently stops very quickly):

www.kellymom.com/bf/older-baby/biting.html

And working:

www.kellymom.com/bf/pumping/bf-links-pumping.html

Although it's an American site so it's worth knowing that in the UK, if that's where she is, she's protected by law and her workplace should provide her with a place to express and to store her milk (that's a simplistic summary of the law though).

I am going through a biting phase atm and its lasting ages to the point where DD created a tooth mark in my nipple and I has to use lanisoh for the very first time (DD is 11 months on Weds). The only advice I can give for your SIL is watch her like a hawk with a finger close by ready to dive in and break the bite with a firm but not shouty no. Also, if the baby causes damage, to alter positions (its really quite remarkable how helpful this is) I swapped to a rugby hold so help my nipple recover and DD doesn't tend to bite in that position either as long as I keep watching her (she likes the eye contact). It means no more feeding in front of the tv or with a book but it works.

Thanks everyone. SIL internet is on the blink so I'll text her a few of these suggestions.
And I'm also v at the hv. How dare she suggest giving up bf. Is it any wonder bf rates in NI are so bloody low. Grrrrr, makes me so mad.

My baby is still very young, so not sure I can help, but there's a BF counsellor at The Royal who I spoke tolast year when my DD was in NICU there and she is really very, very good, so may be available for any advice if your SIL needs someone 'hands on'?