DS refusing milk all day while I'm at work - any advice please?

[Lors23]

Hi all.....newbie here, I was pointed in this direction to ask some advice from you lovely ladies....

Ok so I went back to work today properly.....and as per last week when DS had his nursery visits he refused milk. It was EBM and he would just not entertain the idea, from a bottle or a cup.

When he was younger he would previously take bottles fine (Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature ones) but the last 2 weeks or so he started refusing. He has been exclusively BF since birth.

I am getting myself extremely stressed about this - I know milk should be his main nutrition for 12 months, he is almost 7 months now and eats a good range of solids and drinks water with them but should I be concerned if he will not take milk at all on my work days - I work 3 full days a week, he takes a big BF in the morning and night.

I expressed today at work for him and only got about 4.5oz between 2 expressing sessions. His routine has gone totally out at nursery anyway with regards to sleeps so the nice routine I had going with him at home will probably be ruined - if I was to go to the nursery to feed him I wouldn't even know when to go around his random naps and things! It's not really that practical for me to do that but if I had to I could I think.

Any advice, before I tie myself up in knots about this even more?

Thanks in advance,

Laura x

if he is eating well, then don't worry! i would have nursery keep offering him ebm, even if just half an oz or oz at at time out of a cup and simply skip the bottle all together. Maybe when he settles in properly, he will nose up to it. Remember, ebm keeps for hours even at room temp and after their mouth as touched it so for now i would freeze it in 2 oz batches so it doesn't go to waste. I didn't go to the nursery to bf dd for the same reason you stated. (my dd also was a bottle refuser and since she refused solids till 10 months - she would gag till she was 13 months so i know your stress.)

Are you bf on demand when you are not at work? if so, then he will be fine.

give the mite a couple weeks he may surprise you yet.

Feel for you, it's hard isn't it. Nothing really to suggest except I would recommend going to feed him yourself during the day if you can and think it might help your peace of mind, even if just for the first couple of weeks. I go at lunchtimes to feed my 7 month old DD at nursery (3 days a week) and although I initially thought it would be a pain I really enjoy it.

Don't stress too much about the routine either, it will work itself out.

My DD will take bottles but I struggle to express enough, so she only has EBM in the afternoon, she has rice milk mid-morning. 4.5 oz from 2 expresses sounds like quite a lot to me so well done! I usually only manage 1 oz at a time. Good luck

My LO started nursery at 7m and I too stressed as she wouldn't take bottle. However she eats well while there, has lots of water and bfs well before and after nursery. I am at work 4 days pw and on the non work days she bfs on demand.

I worried she wouldn't get enough milk but to compare it to formula - babies of around 7m only have 2-3 bottles a day so I am sure it's OK. If your baby was desperate he would take the bottle I'm sure.

don't worry. it's only 3 days a week. tank him up before and after. he's taking in lots of food and water so he won't be hungry or thirsty, then he'll be delighted to see you when he gets home!

Thanks for all your replies.

Today went a bit better, he took some EBM from his doidy cup!! It's an improvement on yesterday. The nursery staff are great and will keep up with this if it's the only way he will take it.

He is taking huge feeds morning and night though, and plenty water during the day, still plenty wet and dirty nappies so I have relaxed a bit for now!!

I personally think he is just protesting about my return to work full stop!

Thanks again

L x

DS refused for a few weeks and reverse cycled instead, but did eventually start drinking milk at nursery and (gasp!) sleeping through much of the time. He just needed time to get used to it.