Baby won't take bottle and due back at work

[41clare]

Hi, I am after some advice on what I should do. My baby is currently 6 months old and I am due back at work in 2 months so he will be 8 months. I have bf him exclusively up until he was 4 months and since have started offering purées and continued bf. the problem I have is he will not take a bottle so I really don't no how I am going to get milk into him while I am at work. He will take a very small amount from a tippee cup but this is no where near enough. Does anyone have any suggestions on what I should do? I'm really worried about going back to work because of this. Thanks in advance

First of all- don't panic! Two months is huge when they're that age . Keep trying with a cup (and maybe try different types of cups)- he may very well change his mind in time, particularly when at nursery without access to boobs you. Also, don't assume that it's necessary for him to drink large quantities of milk through the day. I went back to work four days a week when EBF/bottle refusing DS was 9 months and we just didn't bother with milk during the day when I was at work. He had a feed first thing, and then when we got home. He was eating pretty well by then and he was quite happy taking water from a cup so he wasn't hungry or thirsty. While breast milk (or formula) is obviously nutritionally very important, it doesn't necessarily need to be consumed during the working day. Lactation consultant friend said this was totally fine and he was happy and settled at nursery.

I was going to put exactly what FurryGiraffe says a - he might take a bottle by then and b - he probably will be able to get through the day without one by 8 months.

Neither of my DC drank very much milk from a bottle when they went to nursery. They just ate a lot of food when they were there. DD dropped all milk of any form once she turned 1, other than milk in food, and she's little but fine. It's not worth sweating it. Send a bottle in - sometimes they have it once they see other babies having theirs - but don't worry if it goes undrunk. I think there's too much emphasis put on milk for babies eating solids anyway.

Some babies who have been exclusively bf won't take a bottle but might take to a straw cup. Super drug do one that is suitable from 6 months. Not perfectly leak proof (don't fill more than 2/3 and don't screw the lid on too tightly) but otherwise was fine.

www.superdrug.com/Buy-1-get-2nd-1-2-price-on-selected-Superdrug/Superdrug-My-Little-Star-Flip-Cap-Lid/p/604791#.Vaj5VHi4muU

Don't panic at all. How are you giving a bottle? I returned full time at 7mo with DD1 and she wouldn't take a bottle. Within a week at nursery she fed herself a bottle in the highchair. Have you tried the highchair instead of a baby hold? Or maybe a sippy or free flow cup? Many babies can drink from cups at 8mo. They will survive.

Rereading you are using a sippy cup. Have you put formula in it? Just keep trying. They change a lot in 2 months at this age. Many babies don't take much milk by that age. DD1 have one ready made carton a day from 7mo. So that's just one feed I assume? (They offered twice a day). But he will take more solids at that point if it's what he prefers.

Thank you so much everyone. I was really worried about going back to work before writing this post but I feel a lot happier now. Thank you all for your advice. :-)