DS will only breast feed... and going back to work. Help!

[pinkdaisies]

Sorry if this has been asked and answered 100 times already, but I couldn't immediately spot a thread on this...

My 6 month old DS has been demand breast fed from birth, and won't accept a bottle. I have tried, a lot, and at one point he'd accept expressed breast milk but now he won't even take that. I'm going back to work in 2 months, so am not panicking too much yet, and I'm not wanting to give up breast feeding either, but can going straight to a spouted cup with formula work? How oh how do I go about that? He manages about 2 sips a day of water from a cup, so how is he ever going to manage a full feed of formula, which he doesn't seem to like? Any thoughts please!!!

Really don't stress about it. DS never took any milk from a bottle and refused point blank to take any milk, ebm, formula or cow's at all from anything until after I had stopped bfing.

He had a huge bf in the morning and then another when I got home and one before bed.

In the day he ate and drank water.

He is a healthy 6 and and I don't think its done him any harm.

Similar to Ineedsomesleep, my 7 month old DD2 refuses milk full stop at nursery (went back to work 3 weeks ago). She loves her food though, and will drink water from a sippy cup. I feed her once in the morning, then when I get home and whenever she wakes up in the night (rarely nowadays). She has about 3-4oz of formula on her cereal in the morning. I am hoping this is enough, and assume if she wanted more milk she would wake. Don't stress too much, they will find their own way.

Thank you so much for the reassurance. It's absolutely what I needed to hear! I'm glad to hear it's possible to keep up feeds when back at work too in the morning and evening. At least he'll be getting some milk that way! Thanks

MrsFlyingKebab how did your boobs cope!! Sorry for the question but my little one will be 7 months when I go back 3 days and I am really stressing!

I've been back to work now for 2 weeks, and DS is 6 months. He sometimes takes ebm at the cm but more often than not doesn't. He eats well and drinks his water from a sippy cup. I feed on waking, on coming home and at bed, and still do a night feed although I'm hoping that will drop soon (please?!)
He also has formula on his cereal.
I checked with the HV and she just said to make sure he has dairy in the day too, so he has a yoghurt a day and also a snack with some cheese somehow - e.g. tonight he had a bit of cheese on toast when DS1 was eating his snack around 6pm.

tryingtobe - my boobs are ok, although I do get the newborn swelling feeling around 4pm sometimes. Funnily enough, it's when I think of going home and seeing him! My supply is fine though, seems to increase as needed on days I'm off and isn't uncomfortable when I'm at work.

scarlotti did you change your feeding patten or introduce solids before you went back?? How's it going? Nice to be back??

tryingtobe started solids around 22 weeks and he loved his food, so we were on 3 meals a day by the time I went back. He dropped the milk feeds so I've just gone with him. Had he not, then I'd have either sent more ebm or used formula if he wasn't drinking it.
Think it's easier as it's only 3 days a week.

Yes, am enjoying it!!

Many thanks!!

Sorry for late reply. I'm fortunate in that DD2 has taken to food like you wouldn't believe. She started nursery gradually before I went back. 3 mornings a week followed by 3 full days in a week then we both went full time. I just wound down the daytime feeds, putting off feeding her when I was with her until I was really full. My boobs got the message and wound down accordingly. At the same time she was weaning and i introduced more meals.
Those two weeks before I went back I did leak a bit, but now, nearly 3 weeks in to full time work, they always feel soft but she is still getting a good guzzle both sides at bedtime.
Actually, it makes me think thAT dd1 would have breast fed longer but I thought my supply had gone. Mind you, she didn't mind formula at all.

Mrs - what do you give your DD2 for snacks now she's reduced her milk feeds? DS2 has decided that milk will only be taken from mummy and so on my 3 days at work, doesn't take any milk at mid morning and mid afternoon. I need to add in something on top of his 3 meals, but he already has yoghurt and fruit as puddings.

Needs to be something I can take in his lunchbox and I'd rather it wasn't too sweet.

My Ds went to nursery full time when he was nearly 9mo, not eating huge amounts (BLW) but would happily drink water from a cup.
He would not touch milk from a bottle, tried both EBM & formula milk in both bottle and cup, and he wouldn't touch it.

You might find that your baby may take a bottle at nursery - but you won't know until you try.

My Ds was absolutely fine!

My DS went to nursery 2 full days a week at 5 months and hadn't ever been much good with a bottle. But within a couple of weeks he'd cracked it. He had small amounts of food as well that we took in to the nursery in tiny tupperwares (cheesy mash, porridge, stewed fruit, millions of bananas) and they introduced alongside water from a bottle. I expressed two or three times during the day according to when I got a break or felt like I needed it. I used a double pump and got about 100-140ml from each side on a good day, but at worst 30ml each side if I was under the weather/dehydrated/tired.

At 7 months he was eating three nursery-provided meals a day with water from a cup and occasionally an afternoon bottle of expressed milk (I expressed at lunchtime about a total of 120ml and at the end of the day put that in the nursery fridge for use the following day). I'd pick him up and we'd get home about 6 and settle down in front of the telly with a cup of tea (me) and both boobs (him).

At 8 months, no milk at nursery at all, no bottles unless I'm not around (I'm sometimes out in the evenings for work), and this was about when I completely stopped expressing during the day. Now at nearly 10 months old he has a 6am feed in bed (DH brings me tea and toast!), we go off at 07.45, home by 6 for another breastfeed. Then I bustle around the house a bit and procure his fourth solid meal (usually our leftovers from the night before or some simple pasta, veg, or a sandwich) and porridge. If I leave a sippy water cup around where he's playing he'll make his own way to it and glug contentedly. Sometimes need a last little breastfeed after bathtime but I think it's just habit.

At the moment he is demanding a 3am feed too which is a bit tiresome but I don't really mind and nobody at work has yet commented on the bags under my eyes...!

(I know you didn't ask about solid food but I thought it would be useful to reassure you that in only a couple of months the whole rigmarole of providing made-up bottles, tiny boxes of food, etc etc will settle down.)

Nursery prepare all her snacks and meals. She has water with all food from a sippy cup. She normally has fruit, and I think they tried her with baby biscuits last week. At home, I quite often give her some bread, eggy bread or with a cheese triangle or something. Or fruit. She'll chomp down banana or pureed pear/peach/apple etc. Sometimes I'll combine it with porridge oats and cook it to give it a bit more texture. Bread sticks can be good for them to gnaw on....
She must be ok, she's lovely and podgy on her arms and legs!