Is it time to move on from EBF? Please help me plan.

[HalfMumHalfBiscuit]

I am in a quandry. DD is 5 months old and is EBF.

I will be going back to work in the next few months (sometime before July) and have been let down by my nursery that was near my work so won't be able to breast feed DD by popping in during the day whilst at work as I did with my DS. I didn't get on with expressing for DS and I would rather cut down on the breast feeding and introduce a bottle or two in the day and breast feed DD in the morning and evening as I cut down.

I have the following worries:

I am worried that DD won't take a bottle as I have never tried her on one. DS had one bottle a day from 4 months I think. I can't remember, its all a blur.

She has been waking in the night a lot more than she was for feeds and I am exhausted. Yesterday she fed at 6.30am, 9am, 11am, 1.30pm, 2.30pm, 5pm, 6pm and 10.30pm then 2am and 6/7am this morning. She is also wanting more feeds in the day. Would a formula milk top up help here or should I try some baby rice?? I am tired and run down and was thinking that my milk might not be enough for her. Also DS has been ill and I have been running around after both of them. Also she seems to get distracted by DS so thats why she might be having so many short feeds.

I am having a bit of a panic, feeling a bit low and worrying that I'm getting it all wrong. I want to do the right thing by DD but also need to look after myself and plan effectively for my return to work.

I have got some baby milk powder in and have dusted off the steriliser but don't know where to start. I was like this with DS. I stopped BF him at around 8 months. I hope someone can help. I need to get a grip.

Would it help to confirm your return to work date? E.g. if it's nearer the July end then you can relax for the next month and then start solids at 6 months and introduce a bottle around then and she'll be well away with the solids by 8 months and probably drinking from a cup which could be a good failsafe if she doesn't take to the bottle. If it's likely to be in the next month then perhaps worth getting her used to the bottle now.

Feeding more at this age is normal - probably either a growth spurt or being too distracted to feed properly like you said. Not sure if a formula top up would help as my DD rejected the bottle by 4 months but hopefully someone else will be along to help with that bit.

thanks appleandblackberry.

At present I can't confirm my back to work date as childminder not up and running yet. She is awaiting final checks.

Just had a long chat with my health visitor who is very good and supportive of ebf but understanding too. I think I am going to try the bottle as a top up and see what happens and use your suggestion about going back to work later without introducing a bottle as plan B.

Anyone know what is a good age to introduce a bottle? Obv DD is 5 months so hoping someone will say it will be ok.

I am in the same situation, returning to work at the beginning of May.
I've definitely been lazier second time round and haven't introduced a bottle at all. She is EBF and just over 5 months old. What I've started doing is giving her a sippy cup to play with, with a little formula in (can't be bothered to express as she feeds so much and so often I can never get much out, plus I'm testing different brands to see which she likes as I'll be too lazy to express at work too). She has it for 5-10 minutes every day and knew straight away that the handles were for holding. She gums the spout and as time goes by she is pulling less of a face when a bit of formula comes out. I'm hoping that once away from the main source of food (me) she will cotton on and drink from it properly. Give it a go and you may be able to skip bottles altogether!!

Know what you mean about not getting round to introducing a bottle. Its so difficult focusing on the second DC isn't it when No.1 is running about and demanding attention.

I checked my diary just now and I gave DS a bottle at around 3 months!

What kind/brand of sippy cup are you using for DD? Do you sterilise it?

At least you don't have to worry about getting them off the bottle if you go straight for the cup. DS was addicted to his bottle.

i am planning on continuing breastfeeding when I go back to work in June

will offer her water/EBF or formula in a sippy cup or beaker in the day

she won't take a bottle (well only from my MIL) so can't be bothered with the aggravation

i will get my carer to try but hopefully she will take to a beaker

am planning on weaning in a couple of weeks so her milk intake will reduce a little as well

ruby - Sounds like you have got it well planned out . How old is your DD?

She is 23 weeks

Right I am going to try a bottle in a sec and see what happens. I am feeling apprehensive, guilty even. I just want to do the right thing for DD but also need to be able to go back to work.

If bottle doesn't work, no reason she can't have milk (expressed or otherwise) from a sippy cup. DS2 has never had a bottle, but has been drinking expressed milk from a Tommy Tippee cup from 6 months at his childminders. i can't imagine he'd have it from a sippy cup if I were around though.

By the way, the number of feeds sounds fine; and you're getting a good long stretch at night too. I'd have been dancing naked in the street had ds2 fed so little at night. Fortunately for my neighbours he's only now feeding twice at night at 14 months

thanks notanexciting.

In my head for some reason I thought that ds was sleeping through by now but after reading my old diary know that he did not. she was up again at 5 last night and i can manage on that. Its amazing that you adapt to less sleep at night.

I am thinking now that she is def hungry as not napping as she used to. am waiting for milk to cool and am going to try again. she fell asleep earlier so didnt manage it

will go out to get tippee cup as soon as i can sound a lot simpler. do you steralise them

sorry crap typing dd on knee

She didn't take formula today after all, but tried the teat in her mouth. I'll try a cup tomorrow if I can get one/find an old one.

Sorry for slow reply. I got her a tomee tippee sippy cup, the one from 4+ months, a very basic model. It has two holes in the spout rather than three for 6 months+ . To be honest, (read lazy haha) I haven't bothered sterilising it. She is at the stage where everything is going in her mouth quicker than I can stop her sometimes, my glasses, the cats ear etc etc so I guess her immune system could probably deal with a cup that has been washed in hot soapy water. I always do it first when I wash up. They're quite cheap too.

The feeding patterns now seem quite normal. Very few babies don't wake in the night at this age.

By July your 5 month old will be 9months old so they will be eating food by then.

I think that you've got time on your side, but try introducing a cup at six months.

My two were both very keen breastfeeders but I managed to be back at work for full days by 9 months.

Oh, and I skipped bottles with both of mine. To start with we had to take the valves out of the cups - too hard to suck.

Their preferred ones were the tiny heinz cups to start with and then the flip-up tomee tippee ones later

Thanks Builde and MrsFlying. Thanks for letting me know your experiences.

She was up at 2am and 5/6am then 7am again this morning. Although it's a blur.

Right got to find some sippy cups. I have a couple of DS's old ones although they look a bit grim/chewed. I might try a sterilised one this afternoon.

Bypassing the bottles does seem to take the hassle out of things so that would be the best plan.