How to deal with bottle-refusing breastfed baby if I am in hospital?

[GingersnapBiscuit]

I’m currently on holiday in France and have developed cellulitis around my eye. I have been given oral antibiotics but told I may need to go into hospital if I don’t see an improvement in 24hrs. I’m really stressed about this possibility (currently looking likely) because I’m here with my 5 month old EBF baby who has literally NEVER agreed to take a bottle despite many attempts, and who still feeds overnight.

I’m on holiday with my parents as well as my partner and our 3yr old so he would have some support. What are people’s experiences with having to leave babies overnight who won’t take a bottle? Did they give in eventually when nothing else was on offer?

Could someone try cup feeding the baby or spoon feeding? Some babies can drink from a tiny cup like a shot glass sized one more easily than a bottle.

Baby don't starve, they'll drink the milk if needed

Not sure about France but many hospitals will admit a breastfed baby with their mum if possible. Given it’s for antibiotic treatment it should be possible to admit you together.

Ask / demand that they do.

Alternatively, could you request to be treated as an outpatient? When I had cellulitis on holiday they had me in for daily IV antibiotics before I went back to the UK with oral ones.

Can baby not stay with you? That's what happened to me, although that was the UK.

Husband brings baby in for feeds/spoon or cup feeds

Babies will not starve themselves

A breastfed baby would routinely be able to stay with their mother if she was admitted to an NHS hospital. How easy would it be for you to come home?

I always thought that a baby would take something and not starve, but I had to have a GA when our DS2 was about six months. He wouldn't eat solids and wouldn't take a bottle. He screamed for a good 24 hours and I then fed him against medical advice... It's v hard. Ask the hospital to let the baby stay with you or visit enough to feed regularly. Skipping a few feeds won't matter on the grand scheme of things.

I tried feeding using a calpol syringe, teaspoon, small cup etc - all worth a go!

Hope you feel better soon.

Tell the hospital and ask if your baby can stay in with you. If you have any French you can say the baby is "exclusivement allaité et n'accepte pas le biberon". You can usually get a private room by paying a small supplement (around 80€ per night in most places) which you might need to do for your baby to stay with you. If your baby is in a travel cot ("lit parapluie") you might need to bring it.

When dd2 was 7 weeks I was admitted to hospital and she came too. The staff loved having a baby in.

If it is ‘just for IV antibiotics’ would they necessarily admit you overnight or would it be just turning up to get the antibiotics every few hours? They sometimes do this in the UK.

Most places will admit a bf baby with you, can you explain to the hospital?

If not, whilst you’re not there baby will most likely take a bottle if they keep trying. If not, syringe (calpol one) feed or use an open cup.

Dd was a wild bottle refuser, but if I was completely away from her would take one.

Have to make sure can still breast feed on the IVs.

Are you sure you can BF taking the antibiotics that you are? I was on AB for an infection (via GP) and had to pump and dump.

Drugs in breastmilk service from the breastfeeding network has amazing information on what can and can’t be taken during lactation.

most antibiotics are fine to take.