Dropping midday breastfeed and supplementing with bottle/beaker ......baby screaming desperate mummy help needed!

[wrinklytum]

Back to work soon so need to get dd to take bottle/beaker of formula.Have tried different formula brands and she will have hipp organic in her breakfast but will only have sips from beaker.Now trying to drop midday bf and supplement but am tearing hair out!Difficulty expressing and time factor limited,as have lively toddler roaming around too.Should I leave her to cry until she is so thirsty she drinks?Feel like awful awful mummy but dont know what else to do.Any suggestions gratefully received.She is 9 months btw

Wrinkly, I suggest chilling....you, not the milk

At 9 months, she is going to be just fine not having a midday milk drink on the days you are at work. She can bf when you are with her, and you can leave that situation right up to the time you go back. The nursery/minder may have better luck getting a beaker of milk down her, but if they don't it is no big deal. She can have sloppier solids if it's a question of getting liquid into her, and fromage frais/yogs if it's a worry about nutrition.

It is unkind to leave her to cry - at her age, how can she understand why you are not giving her the drink she wants? At her age, too, she will understand that the nursery/minder doesn't have the breast option available and will not fuss about it.

How about just not bothering to change things any more and keeping you both happy?

Thanks tiktok I understand from my perusal of mn that you are a breastfeeding counsellor of some kind???I did feel ver y awful leaving her to cry but have had mother and mil telling me to leave her thats what they did etc etc.I will feel happier nowand continue surreptitiously bf in the day!!!!as there is nothing worse than knowing you have the means to feed but depriving the poor little soul.My only worry is that I work shifts and if on a late shift I wouldnt get back from work til 9pm and dd usually goes to bed 6-6.30 after bath,story and huge guzzle,which could make life difficult for dp.Do you have any tips for expressing using a manual pump as I wonder if she would be more amenable to have expressd breast milk but have had problems establishing a good supply and end up with a paltry 2oz after a good half hour.Must be doing something wrong!!!I have tried to request early shifts or 8-4 shifts but have a new boss who is being quite difficult re shift patterns.Luckily i only work 2 days but even so dds routine is going to go to pot if I have to do late shifts.My idea was to try gradually to wean her off the breast though I dont really want to stop yet but feel Im going to have to cos of the work issue.Very sad mummy!!!

Yep, I am an NCT breastfeeding counsellor, wrinkly.

I hope other mothers will post here and share their experiences and ideas about continuing to bf around shift work.

Your employer is legally bound not to make it hard for you to continue bf, and that would include imposing difficult shifts on you - but unless there is already a bf policy in place and you have support at work, it might be difficult to insist on this. Hope others reply, as I say.

You could try hand expressing - and somewhere on here is a thread dedicated to expressing so that would be worth a look.

Honestly, if you are only working 2 days a week or the equivalent, it is even less worthwhile to make a huge deal out of getting her to take a beaker....as I say, chill

Many thanks tiktok am now off to give my poor little daughter a guzzle when she wakes up!!!

just a couple of ideas for expressing: have you tried pumping while she feeds on teh other breast? that always helps for me.
also, there are places that hire out really good electric pumps - the difference is amazing ime. it might be worth enquiring with your local NCT branch.

wrinklytum do not worry, i went back to work 3 days a week when ds was 12 months. not shifts but what with one thing and another did not stick to any kind of bf routine apart from early morning feed, even on days off. still going strong four months later, feeding average of twice a day, no problems at all. your ds will realise that dp cannot feed him, so hopefully will put up with it for the two nights you aren't there for bedtime.

Harpsi yes tried that I think Im not a very good milker! If I were a friesian they may have put me down by now!!!Will enquire re electric pump thanks

Fishie thanks for reassurance

Isnt mn fab,always some kindly soul out there for reassurance/advice!!

Must go now to cook tea as both little uns snoring and Im wasting valuable time!!!

oops sorry your dd not ds i am over-projecting