HELP!! Breastfed baby on hunger strike.

[Emsky]

Hi,
My daughter is 5 months old and since she was about 2 months I have expressed milk and she has taken a bottle of it whe i'm out or at work, no problem.
However she now point blank refuses to take a bottle when I go to work and will go for hours and hours starving, until I can get away to come home and feed her.
I've tried all sort of teats and also cups in the hope she might go for them, but she almosts chokes herself in protest.
I've tried as many tricks as I can think of and everyone in the family has tried to feed her without sucess.She seem to know what is in the bottle and although its her my milk she just won't except it form anything but the breast.
I am really concerned, I love breastfeeding and am so upset that it has become an issue but I have to work and they will only tolerate me popping out for so long.
If anyone has any ideas how I can tempt her bk to bottles I'd be so grateful.

M

How long are you at work for Emsky?
Will she drink a little water from a cup?

Hi,

I work 9 or 10 hour shifts mostly evenings and nights so she doesn't miss me too much.I do 4 shifts and then have 6 days off. She has a cup with juice or water but rather than drinking it just plays with the lip and occasionally some liquid leaks out into her mouth which she doesn't mind.
M

What kind of cups have you tried?

Is she distressed when you are at work or happy to wait for you to return?

Hi,
Ive tried the tommee tippee stater "my 1st cup" and a couple of similar variations from Boots etc..
Whilst I'm at work she does get distressed,she is only looked after by family members but is very clingy to me and the refusal to feed appears to be her protest. Currently i'm having to leave work twice in a shift to come home feed and settle her.

M

Oh sorry Emsky I was rather hoping that you would say that she was fine whilst you were away.
Part of me feels that if you didn't come home she would just HAVE to take milk at some point. I know that this seems harsh but in reality at 5 months she can easily go 9 hours (at night for instance) without a feed. If the strike does coninue then she will just have to fill up when you return. The fact that she has taken bottles in the past is promising I think. What a little madam eh??
BTW my DD2 is nearly 6 months and doing the same when I am trying to return to work myself! This afternoon she did take a whole ounce from the bottle tho! Tried to give the rest to DD1 in a mug but she declared it 'horrible'!

Hi,
Thanx 4 that. They know too much for tiny people don't they!!

M

Well good luck with it all and post an update if you remember.
Night night.

Emsky, what a difficult situation...I think it is probably made more difficult because you have 6 days off at a time, which must make your little daughter get used to you once again, and then be faced with the fact you are not there for extended periods of time. When she was tiny, she would be more adaptable, but now she is protesting in the only way she has available to her

I think in this situation, it might be worth while thinking of early solids, with a high water content. Try an egg cup for water. It's too long for her to go without any liquid at all, though of course she will manage without milk for extended times.

How about sticking to the bottle at the same times usually when you are not home to keep her accustomed to it? Then bf as usual. She would not expect it then?

this may help you

have you tried a doidy cup? i'm trying to get my dd 4 months to drink from something other than me, have tried every teat, spout etc and the doidy cup works for her. she actually grabs it off me to have a sup. messy at first but getting better. got mine from blooming marvellous.

Thanx everyone will update!! M