DS2 bfed, and not keen on bottle. I go back to work when he's 9.5 months old. Problem?

[Jojay]

DS2 is 3 months old and has had a bottle of EBM every night since he was about 2 wks old.

Recently he's been less and less keen on it, nad for the last couple of days has refused it completely, and I've ended up breast feeding.

I'm due back at work when he's 9.5 months old. If he continues to refuse the bottle, do you thnk he'll cope with a sippy cup by then?

I leave the house at 6 am to get to work, so a bf before work won't be an option, though he could have one when I pick him up at 5 pm, and throughout the evening / night - hopefully he'll be sleeping through by then but who knows?

Should I persevere with the bottle, or stop worrying about what will happen in 6 months time?

I think you should stop worrying about what will happen in 6 months time. That is double what he's already lived. Who knows how many changes he might go through before then.

stop worrying but if its any use my DS was excl BF when I went back to work at 7.5 months and had never had a bottle. He just went straight onto a sippy cup with EBM and was fine.

I think it is too early to be worrying about it. By 9 1/2 mths he will prob happily take a sippy cup when you're not there and just have some extra milk in the evening - like you say. Just enjoy him for now and see what happens!

TBH I think you should persevere with a bottle or some sort of cup. I only say that because we are in a sort-of similar situation with dd3 (9.5 mths). She is also excl bf, I left it too late to introduce a bottle (tried her with numerous teats from about 6 mths onwards - all refused time after time). The upshot is that I am the only one who can feed her - I am not going back to work for the foreseeable so my only problem is one of inconvenience, say, if we want to go on a (rare!) evening out etc.

Really really wish that I had got her to take an alternative form of taking (my) milk earlier. But like Cies says, who knows what changes will happen before your return to work - and every baby is different. HTH a bit!

My DD was just over 9.5 mo when I went back to work, and excl BF. I sent EBM in a bottle for a little while but she preferred to drink water in a sippy cup at nursery and continue to BF at home.

My dd did the same as yours, we were all smug that she was able to switch between boob and bottle then she developed an opinion and refused the bottle (and her dummy). She was fine when I went back to work though, took the sippy cup after a few days when she realised it was pointless holding out for me. I agree with others, 6 months is a long time, difficult to imagine her being so much bigger! Don't forget by then she will be on solids too, my dd upped her solid foods significantly when she started nursery.
My dd is now 15mo and still getting bf in the evening (and morning and afternoon on my days off)

It's good to hear that some babies of this age cope ok with a sippy cup. DS1 took breast or bottle easily and had bottles till 11 months and I can't remember when he got proficient with a sippy cup!

I think I'll keep trying with the bottle a bit longer though. He was very tired and crying the last couple of times we've tried which hasn't helped, nad only the boob would calm him down. I'll get DH to try in the daytime tomorrow when hopefully he won't be so frantic.

Thanks for all your advice

You'll be offering water in a cup when weaning. Just put milk in it at 9 months!

They can go without milk all day at this age anyway.Mine had water in the day from 8 months 9went to work f/t).
We still breastfed for 2 1/2 years.

Moondog - your supply coped with infrequent feeds then? Without a morning feed, I'd be down to 1-2 feeds a day ( hopefully, unless he decides to feed all night......) and those feeds will be fairly close together in the evening.

Will my supply cope with that? I've had no issues so far

I used to feed twice a day from 7 months. Didn't give formula inbetween. Kept that up until 15months. I think the feeds were fairly big ones.

Gave plenty of cheese and yoghurt in the day though.

Yes, I didn't really think about it.Just trusted my body.

Forgot to add, - at the weekend I would feed more, - often to get some peace so I could make a phonecall or watch the news

I fed on demand at w/end too.
First feed (often in nursery carpark) after being apart was always lovely.

I had to leave DS for a few days when he was 6 months old (a day at a time).

But kept the night feeds, which I'm convinced is what kept my supply going...

It will be fine

Thanks everyone