Baby won’t take a bottle, have to go away for two nights

[CheekyLemonOtter]

Hi all..
just wanted your advice. I have a 9 month old, he has been exclusively breastfed and will not take a bottle. He will drink some water and a couple of sips of milk from a sippy cup or bottle but no more. He is eating three meals a day and often has a snack too. I am going to a wedding of my best friend in a very hot country and me and my husband just think it would be cruel to bring him as it will be too much for him. My mum is amazing with him and has offered to have him for those two days however I am just so worried about the whole milk situation. Any advice/suggestions would be amazing.

He'll drink if he's thirsty.

He's eating 3 meals per day, she can hydrate him via food also.

I went to a wedding when mine was the same age. I pumped milk for her and my mum tried giving it in a sippy cup. She wasn’t much interested in drinking it, but was fine.

Your baby will be ok for a few days without if he won’t drink it. Or you may find he drinks it fine if that’s what is offered.

He will be fine, it’s only two days and he’s able to drink if he wants and he’s getting his nutrition from food.

I had a baby like this, so I understand why you're worried. He may or may not drink when he's thirsty, and if he's hysterical before this point it's no good for anyone.

Can you do a test run (leave him all afternoon, and bedtime for instance), to see if tips like PP suggests work?

If not, take him! Babies go abroad all the time, nothing cruel about it.

Can you do a practice where your mum has him for a day and you see what happens?

People say they'll drink but I remember ebf dc just didn't when I went back to work, he was offered a bottle but had barely any of it. Bf very thirstily! You'd be better off knowing before you get on a plane.

Which sippy cup have you tried? DD at that age would take a reasonable amount from a cup, she wouldn't entertain a bottle, but it had to be an old style free flow Tommee Tippee one. He's at an age where he can get by for two days. You will probably need to pump to relieve the pressure though.

Could you pump and your mum can maybe put it in porridge or mashed potato? Apart from that keep offering the cup and if he's drinking water and some milk he will be fine.

I’ve tried a munchkin one and the Tommy tippy free flow one too.

I wouldn't have left my EBF daughter at 9 months tbh

You should take him with you

We exclusively breastfeed and pump for the occasional bottle. 5 month old recently started refusing pumped milk in a bottle too. This went on for over a week and I thought we’d never be able to share feeding again…

To our surprise - this worked: Cradle baby and swing side to side while feeding baby the bottle! No idea why but it’s almost a hypnotic motion and when done just right baby accepts it!

He’ll drink if he’s thirsty and if he’s hungry your mum can just make him up some porridge or something if she’s desperate. If he’s having 3 meals a day he’s not going to be going without nutrition. I’d go and leave him. He’ll be fine

You need to stay home or take your child with you. Not all children will break down and eat or drink if they get hungry enough. Most will, but not all. You don’t know if you have the later. We certainly didn’t when we had a bottle resistant child who seemed ok with food at first.

I’d get your mum to have him for a day and then put him to bed as a practice. 3 meals a day and 2 snacks, maybe with some formula snuck into porridge or mac and cheese he’ll be fine so long as he drinks enough water from his cup and can manage to get to sleep without a feed first. I really wouldn’t fly abroad without a test run to make sure he’ll be ok. If it doesn’t go ok then I’d take him so long as the bride and groom don’t mind. It wouldn’t be my first choice but I can’t imagine how it would possibly be cruel?

Sorry but I'd take the baby, babies are fine in hot countries and travelling. It'll be cruel to leave them. I had a baby like that. Also you'll be pumping and stressed etc

Thanks everyone x. X

People have babies in every hot country in the world. Plus, nowhere you’d fly to for 2 days is ‘very hot’. Take the baby

At 10 months my daughter didn't have more than a couple of spoons of food a day and did accept any liquids from any form of vessel. I had to stop breastfeeding and was in hospital. For a week we tried to hold off breastfeeding and got every person and their dog to try giving her a bottle. I would be struggling to get her to feed for hours and hours. She would unhappily got 6-8h without a feed at a time when she fed every 2-3h. We had to send her home to dad in the end and she went 26h without a drink! She had maybe 4oz of formula over the course of the day with 2 Weetabix over the course of the day. Then she went to nursery and accepted a bottle. The whole thing was highly traumatic for those involved but it had to be done as my health couldn't cope with breastfeeding any longer and we needed better control over my daughters food allergies as we couldn't identify them all whilst I was breastfeeding as she reacted to foods I was eating too. Dad had her for 2 days and then I had weekend leave and she never asked for another breastfeed.

The fact my daughter barely ate was an added complication. I guess you have to ask yourself if you would be worried if you child went two days without a drink. If there general diet means they are getting adequate hydration from food then in might be possible. If that doesn't seem reasonable or if that fills you with utter dread I would think of an alternative plan

I would take him. We took ours to hot countries as babies. Just make sure your accommodation has full air con.

Hi, I’m not saying I am not taking him at this point in time. That’s why I’m asking for everyone’s advice. As I mentioned originally, I am very worried so that’s why I have written the post.

No need to be a dick about it.

He will drink soon enough when he needs milk.

I think it's cruel to leave an EBF BF baby out of the blue for two nights tbh. I'd take him. He'd be much happier with his mum.

Speaking from experience btw. I had an EBF baby and I know this would have massively upset her. They're so aware at that age and peak age for separation anxiety.

My friend who doesn't even BF left her FF baby for three nights and when she came back he had gone from a happy little chappy who was so chilled to a baby who screamed and got hysterical when she left the room, and woke up so much at night for weeks, it was really sad to see. You're their whole world at that age and two days away will feel massive to them. As a percentage of their life it's quite a lot if you think about it.

Thanks everyone - I think I will take him with us. The thought of leaving him as well as him being very upset and hungry is just too much. Really appreciate the advice xx