I need a break!!!

f10wer04 · 2022-02-24T18:30:19+00:00

I love my DD beyond anything imaginable however, she is 6m old and EBF! I have tried continuously to give her a bottle but each attempt is failed. She would take it at the beginning or her little life as I was in and out of hospital due to a haemorrhage. I would love to be able to give her a bottle just so without sounding selfish I can have time to myself once in a while. Since the day she's been born she's been stuck to my hip, she sleeps with me at night, she is with me all day & I would really love to spend time just me and my husband! *Please help as a break is well over due!!!*

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alakhx · 24/02/2022 18:34

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alakhx · 24/02/2022 18:34

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rolypolydoly · 24/02/2022 18:37

Ignore PP, OP.

Do you have anyone nearby who can help? Have you tried speaking to your health visitor?

Original poster

f10wer04 · 24/02/2022 18:38

@rolypolydoly

Ignore PP, OP.

Do you have anyone nearby who can help? Have you tried speaking to your health visitor?

I've got people who will help, health visitor has only been once. People have tried to help, I've tried different bottles, milks, I've even tried to let her get hungry before giving her the bottle but she is reluctant.

OP posts:

megletthesecond · 24/02/2022 18:41

Ignore ala weirdo trolling.

squishyegg · 24/02/2022 18:41

I hope the previous poster was being sarcastic... you are not being selfish at all.

I am in a similar position with my 7m old. I haven't slept since I was around 6months pregnant. Think the longest is 4 hours a couple times- otherwise she wants to be attached to my boob all through the night!!!

gemsam7015 · 24/02/2022 18:41

Firstly @alakhx is a knob and everyone needs a break. Don't let someone like that make you feel like shit.

What I can say is that at 6 months I put my eldest in her own room and sleep trained her (took less than a week) and she only woke once at about 3am for a feed and settled herself again until 8am ish. She was an awful sleeper before that but it really worked! If you felt comfortable doing that, you could settle into that routine and then once she's in bed, have someone come and sit in your house while you and your husband go out for a meal. Even if you're not going out, I found it great that I could put her down between 6pm and 7pm and then have a whole evening to myself knowing that I only had one night feed to do. It was like I'd unlocked my old life; food and drinks with friends, cinema trips, late night shopping, hairdressers etc etc.

You'll still be the best mum ever and also get to do things you'd like to do!

megletthesecond · 24/02/2022 18:43

Is she on some solids? It's years since I had a baby TBH but can you let someone else give her lunch so you can get out for a couple of hours?
She won't starve in that time.

tothemoonandbackbuses · 24/02/2022 18:45

Try sippy cups instead you may have to try a few different types.
If she won’t take milk would she take a jar or pouch of baby food
You may find she is happier to spend time with someone else in the day rather than the evening. So could someone take her out in the buggy then give her some lunch. Maybe two hours in the morning and gradually work up from there.
Ime it’s really difficult leaving bf babies in the evening.

SparkleSky · 24/02/2022 18:46

This is an intense time, they are so gorgeous but I remember so clearly longing for a bit of time to just be me. Yanbu at all and as she goes more onto solids it does get easier knowing they can theoretically have a drink and some nourishment without you there. Ignore pp they must never have had an ebf 6 month old to not get how you're feeling and how much commitment it takes from you to get to this point breastfeeding.

Original poster

f10wer04 · 24/02/2022 18:46

@gemsam7015

Firstly *@alakhx* is a knob and everyone needs a break. Don't let someone like that make you feel like shit.

What I can say is that at 6 months I put my eldest in her own room and sleep trained her (took less than a week) and she only woke once at about 3am for a feed and settled herself again until 8am ish. She was an awful sleeper before that but it really worked! If you felt comfortable doing that, you could settle into that routine and then once she's in bed, have someone come and sit in your house while you and your husband go out for a meal. Even if you're not going out, I found it great that I could put her down between 6pm and 7pm and then have a whole evening to myself knowing that I only had one night feed to do. It was like I'd unlocked my old life; food and drinks with friends, cinema trips, late night shopping, hairdressers etc etc.

You'll still be the best mum ever and also get to do things you'd like to do!

Thank you so much& I have tried to put her down in different rooms and her cot but she screams she is only settled with me. If I put her in the cot she will wake within 10 minutes and it continues. I feel like letting her cry it out is wrong I am really soft with her as well so it upsets me leaving her to cry. She has to be breastfed to sleep as she will not take a bottle also

OP posts:

OnceuponaRainbow18 · 24/02/2022 18:47

At 6 months if she’s hungry could they give her some yoghurt to fill her up til you’re back? Or milk in a cup

Justgivemethehobnobs · 24/02/2022 18:48

Please ignore the first two comments, they are so rude and unhelpful.

Have you tried leaving the baby with your husband and physically leaving the house? I think babies can sense you're nearby and therefore refuse a bottle, whereas if you're not an option it may be that your baby will take a bottle.

Twizbe · 24/02/2022 18:56

I have good news for you op. You've hit 6 months which means the very hardest parts of breastfeeding are now behind you.

If you haven't already, start weaning and get her up to 3 meals as soon as you can.

She'll then likely drop a milk feed. Hopefully it will be a lunch time one and then you have about 4 hours when you could go out without her.

Next month or so she might drop another and then another and by 10 months is she could be down to 2 feeds a day.

Now she's 6 months you can forget bottles as well. Get her to take water from a sippy cup then try with milk. Milk doesn't have to be given in a bottle.

One of the best things about breastfeeding once they start weaning is they control how much milk they take. They can also start getting what they need from solid food and water. It means that soon if you only offer a couple of feeds, she can adapt your supply to give her the same amount of milk as 5 little feeds in 3 bigger ones.

Garman · 24/02/2022 19:07

Have you tried a small cup, or spoon?

gemsam7015 · 24/02/2022 20:21

@f10wer04 I did cry it out. It's not for everyone but I was at the very end of my rope sleep deprivation wise. The first night she screamed for over an hour, and by night four she wasn't even crying; just rolled over and went to sleep. She's nearly three now and has been sleeping a solid 12 hours every night since then (had one night feed til 10 months but then I'd had enough and stopped that too and she wasn't bothered!)

I'm sure there'll be plenty of mums who think I'm terrible for doing cry it out and of course I'm not suggesting you do it if you don't want to, but it might be worth considering if you wanted to