Breastfeeding, working, weaning, worrying.....

9 replies

Seren00 · 14/06/2004 15:15

Hi there all. My DD is 30weeks and has been on solids for four weeks. I started back fulltime a week ago and am struggling to get a routine for her.... How long will she need lunchtime milk for? All the books I've read say about 8 months. At the moment I'm going to see her at lunchtimes and send in some EBM to the nursery for her 3 o'clock feed. BUT she is not that keen on bottles and has not drunk any yet! Should I panic?
Luckily I've got a stash of bm in the freezer due to some manic expressing session during the last 7 months....she's not the biggest babe ever and also does not seem that keen on solids. How much should she be eating each day? She still has about 5 breastfeeds. My friend's baby of the same age has a huge smorgesboard of food every day although he was bottlefed. Am I the only guilty worried working Mrs Bates out there or what?

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elliott · 14/06/2004 15:34

Me too! This is my first proper week back (can't you tell, too much mumsnetting going on!)
I have to say I'm not too worried about ds2, I think it helps having been through it all before and knowing the nursery very well. I am also bf. We're still working out a routine but it is looking a bit like this: bf and breakfast at home; ebm bottle at nursery around 9.30 (he takes only a few ounces); sleep; lunch 11am; bf from me around 12.30; second sleep; tea 3pm; then home for supper and bf at bedtime.
He's never taken much milk from the bottle ever but there's nothing I can do about it so I don't stress - he will eat and drink water when I'm not there so he'll be ok. He does eat pretty well (i think) but again you can only give them what they will take, so try not to worry about her solid intake. I'm trying to keep up the number of feeds (he's also pretty slim!) but on a work day I'll only be able to manage 3 bf and one bottle.
hth!

elliott · 14/06/2004 15:38

Also, you will find that they will fall into a nursery routine quite quickly, but it might not be the same routine as at home.
My ds2 is 6.5 months, btw.

Pidge · 14/06/2004 15:47

Lots of sympathy - it's really stressful that return to work thing, and I went through a whole load of angst over breastfeeding and whether my dd was getting enough EBM from me during the day. Don't worry if it takes you several weeks to really get into a routine - these babies all vary, some settle down quickly, others take a while.

My own dd took quite a while to settle into nursery and whilst she was a bit unsettled there she often would refuse the bottle too. She started at almost 6 months and I hadn't given her any solids by then (just breast milk), so some days she went without food or drink! Nearly broke my heart. Anyway, when she did start on solids it was just one meal a day (lunchtime) then pretty soon afterwards some breakfast. The only milk I was sending in (all expressed) was a bottle for mid-morning and another bottle for mid-afternoon - both around 6 oz if I remember correctly.

Like Elliott says - they may often settle into a different routine at nursery than at home. Some mums find they give extra breastfeeds on the days they're with their baby, as a kind of catch-up from the days when they're apart.

Good luck - you'll get there.

elliott · 14/06/2004 16:05

I've also decided (accepted) that I can't express at work - I'd rather use the time to go and feed him myself - so once my freezer stock is empty he will have one formula bottle a day at nursery. Feel ok about this, a little sad but also relieved (packed away the pump and the steriliser!)

Original poster

Seren00 · 15/06/2004 14:27

Oh how I lok forward to that day!

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hebetalbot · 15/06/2004 14:34

blush Hi, i am new to this site and this message thing so forgive me if i do it wrong. My D is just six months and I have just started weaning her (1 week ago). She has breakfast and an evening meal. The problem seems to be that she is too tired to eat breakfast and is not really keen on food. Should i move to a lunch and dinner or carry on, or should I go the whole hog and introduce 3 meals a day. She has been exclusively BF up to now so i am begining to worry about her iron levels. advice would be appreciated.

hebetalbot · 15/06/2004 14:40

Pidge · 15/06/2004 14:51

hebetalbot - welcome! First thing is - definitely don't worry, it's not like their iron levels plummet as soon as they're six months. The new guidelines are to not wean until 6 months and that takes into consideration the fact that many babies will take several months to get the hang of solid food. You've done brilliantly to exclusively breastfeed this long.

Ok ... on the meals front, I would keep offering the food and if your dd is not interested, don't worry just stop and try again later. If you do find she's very tired at breakfast, by all means try the food at another time of day. She is much more likely to take to it if she's not exhausted.

Don't worry if weeks go by when she's not interested. I found with my dd when I started weaning at 6 months, some days she would get on great and eat very well, other days she was just not interested. If she had a little cold or was tired she would go for a couple of weeks hardly taking anything! But gradually she settled down and is now a pretty champion eater.

The difficult thing is that there's no right or wrong way to doing this. Just try to follow your dd's cues. Also you can try her on some finger foods and see how she likes that. Maybe some soft banana or something. Babies sometimes like doing stuff for themselves. Or try giving her a spoon to hold even if she won't do anything much with it it gets her involved in the process.

Good luck

Original poster

Seren00 · 15/06/2004 15:23

It is easy to think they are suddenly going to starve, isn't it?!!
My nursling isn't that keen on the fresh slop I am giving her but seems to love rusks and anything that contains refined sugar and processed wheat, etc.
Her first words will probably be "Findus Crispy Pancakes"!

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