Returning to work with a 10-month-old who will not take a bottle

[jmrpinkie]

I am going to be returning to work at the end of October. My daughter will be 10 months. She is currently exclusively breast fed and won’t take a bottle.

what does a 10 month old day look like? If she still won’t take a bottle by then will she be fine throughout the day? Obviously I know she’ll be eating solids and presumably she’ll drink water from some implement but just curious! Also hoping it will have changed by then but I’m just wondering.

I did the same - DD didn’t take a bottle. I still did a nightime / after nursery breastfeed but she was ok on food by then and occasionally had a little cows milk in a cup although not at nursery. I’d be inclined to not try the bottle tbh. It will be another thing to try and wean them off of when it sounds like you might get away with going straight to a sippy cup

At that age you can go for a sippy cup. Practice with water. One of mine missed bottles out entirely.

Don't worry she can have a cup of milk.

I'm a childminder and have had loads of babies who wouldn't take a bottle or were off day time bottles by 10 months.
They had three meals and either had a cup of milk (breast, cow or formula) or water or some yoghurt once or twice in the day.

My DD would not drink from a bottle nor drink any cows milk. She had some expressed milk for a while from a cup then rejected that too. She basically ate a lot of yoghurt (she had 4 plain yoghurts a day on top of a morning and evening breastfeed). But if your DC will take cows milk that would definitely make life easier.

Ok thanks all this is super helpful.

Yeah she’ll be absolutely fine. My DD is starting nursery at 10.5 months mid August and she does take a bottle but I’m not even going to send milk for her I will just feed her morning and night she absolutely loves her food and water

Mine went to nursery at that age. They just drank water from a cup + ate nursery food when away from me, then breastfed when I was around

Both mine were breastfed bottle refusers, as with others they drank from a cup and ate food when I wasn't around. I still fed them through the night though.

I did this. I tried moving her to a sippy cup for expressed milk, but that didn’t work. She just adopted, had a breastfeed before and after work, and at bedtime. Water during the day in a sippy cup. It was fine, although I was very stressed about it at the time
edited to add: mine ate plenty at nursery, never drank cows milk or formula, and we did BLW. She was fine

Don’t worry. That’s still a good way away. If she isn’t taking a bottle by then you might be able to find a cup she will take her milk in. I didn’t breastfeed but by that age I think my daughter was only having milk when she woke up and before bed and maybe some sips of that or water in a cup with her meals.

Just a message to say there’s still hope for the bottle yet. If she’s 10 months at the end of October she’s about 5 months now? My baby is exclusively breastfed too, didn’t take bottle or a dummy at all until after 5 months. And it just happened by accident the way she sucked on my knuckle one day (whereas before she wouldn’t even attempt to suck on anything other than the boob as if she didn’t know how to) and so I quickly expressed some milk and tried her with a bottle and she took it no bother.

My stubborn wee beast point blank refused a bottle, we tried all variations, eventually we tried her on a tippy cup.... no problem, she took to it immediately (we think it was because the tippy cup wasn't trying to be something it wasn't.... a nipple which a bottle is!). She turns 18 in November and still very much knows her own mind!

I did the same. He would feed in the morning, I would pump once at work then he would feed as soon as I picked him up. He would eat some food and have a bit of milk / water from a cup. He did revert back to alot of night feeding for a month or two which was really hard with work but settled down after a bit

Oh my gosh this gives me hope! Currently trying to get my 4mo to take a bottle which is proving impossible so I’m going to persevere (or even just look for that opportunity!) on x

I had lost hope too, had gave up trying etc. then that day just the way she sucked I thought I’m just going to try!

Same as others have said - feed when you're together, but solids and water when you're not. I remember worrying a lot about this too before I went back to work, as I could find almost zero advice or guidance.

I went back to work when my daughter was about the same age, she never took a bottle either, she was fine!

I was grateful for my local nursery because mine didn’t take the bottle either, but they were able to help and before I knew it, DC finally took to the bottle. I have no idea what strategy they used. I’m in their debt!

I did this too with Dd at the same age. I managed the first 8 weeks or so by getting the train back and Mum who looked after her for the 3 days would meet me at the station. I’d get off and breastfeed and go back to the office. Lucky the trip only took 25 mins so I managed it in my 1 hr lunch break with a bit of flex from the team and myself where required. Eventually I’d just meet them and walk with her while she drank from a sippy cup and snacked and then we could drop that midday feed. Where there’s a will there’s a gentle way OP. Good luck

My little one is 10.5 months and is the same. I started introducing a straw cup around 7 months with water which he now drinks from. You can encourage them to drink from it by putting yogurt or similar on the straw. It took around a month or so at every meal time. He also has 3 meals a day and snacks. He starts nursery next month and still feeds through the day but I have left him long enough with family before and he's been absolutely fine.

I was in the same boat and as everyone has said, it’s completely fine. They just adapt quickly. I had initially planned on pumping at work but couldn’t get any milk! I would just feed the kids (had same issue with DC1 and 2) before I left for work, as soon as I got home, and then before bedtime, and they had food and water during the day.

They were both still waking at least once in the night for feeds as well, which tbh is fairly normal for bf babies. I carried on bf to 15 months with DC1 and 18 months with DC2, and by the time I stopped was down to just morning and bedtime. Some friends tried to stop bf before going back to work but I found it really helped them and me to carry it on for a bit.

Also your baby is going to change so much between now and October - it’s hard to
imagine now but they will feed so much less at that age.

Just to add in response to the people saying they had success introducing a bottle - unless you want to stop bf when you return, there is really no need to introduce a bottle at all. I went back to work when my kids were 11 months and neither ever took a bottle - they drank water from a sippy cup from 6 months as recommended. Introducing a bottle is unnecessary hassle and expense for a baby at that age imo, and just something else to have to wean them off later. Obviously different if they are younger (under 6 months).

I had similar, but mine was a year when I went back. She would not reliably drink water or milk from any vessel other than the boob. Only a couple sips of water at best. But she ate well. I sent her nursery, and warned them she doesn't really drink very well -they weren't too worried because they said as long as she eats she won't be hungry. Within a month or so she was drinking more at nursery too. I think necessity forces them too. They can also make up for the lack of milk when you are reunited (it's called 'reverse cycling').

As I say, mine was a couple months older than 10m, but I also did some KIT days at that time, and she was fine. Just caught up with the milk when I got home.

Main thing is make sure she is established with food. And keep trying with water in various vessels (open cups, sippy cups, straws etc), as she may start drinking soon.

Try cups - mine never took a bottle. I wouldnt even other introducing a bottle at that age.
mine went to nursery at 10.5 months - they offering formula in a cup and sometimes she had a bit but mostly just BF when she was with me. The straw cups are good; use the Pipette method to teach straw use. I never had to pump, just gradually reduced BF over time and now I only Bf at bedtime (shes 19 months).

Things will change a ‘lot’ between now and then and there are loads of options for a 10 month old that probably seem a million miles away now. My daughter refused to nurse or have a bottle once she discovered food and she is fine. She’s 13 so am sure the advice will be different today but the health visitor was super helpful in making sure she for all the important vitamins etc.