Breastfeeding my first child was a nightmare - she didn't 'get' the concept and fought and cried and screamed and just about drove me out of my mind. But, we persevered, and she self-weaned at about 14 months of age.
Nursing my son, on the other hand, has been a dream. I haven't experienced an iota of the frustration and helplessness that I felt with my daughter. In fact, he likes breastfeeding too much. So much so that he won't take bottles, and screams like you're trying to kill him if you offer one, even though it's my milk in the bottle.
Now I know he's only 6.5 weeks old, but I need a break so I can get some sleep since he sleeps only 2.5 or 3 hours at a time and then is awake fussing for an hour after each feeding ends.
So... does anyone have any helpful suggestions or tips for convincing him that bottles aren't satan? Or any ideas as to which bottles might work best? I'm losing it here!
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Comments: 10
I had to do that with my daughter.She nursed til she was 9 months than broke herself. She took the breast and the bottle. As I went back to work when she was 8 weeks old.
Just remember to always hold the baby or have someone else hold the baby when it drinks from the bottle. Never prop a baby up.
Our pediatrician also told me to have someone else give her the bottle. He said that if she knew it was me giving her the bottle she would want the real thing and not the bottle from me.
We did that and after all the nipple tries we finally got her to take it.
BUT!!!! She never took formula - and believe me! I tried EVERY ONE OF THEM! Even the expensive liquid premade kind. I nursed that girl for 11 long months until I was able to put her on whole milk. :O)
I wouldn't change it for the world though. She's 7 now and has never had an ear infection and has been healthy and happy!
As for getting a break... is he sharing a room with you? If so, move him to his own room. Without you near, he won't be as tempted to eat as often. Also, push him further between feedings. I forced all 3 of mine to wait 4 hours between each feeding by the time they were 1 month old. And all of them were sleeping through the night by 3 months at the very latest (and by through the night, I mean 6-8 hours). Let him cry. Give him a pacifier if he will take it, or help him find his thumb if you don't mind a thumb-sucker.
Here is a great article about introducing a bottle to a breast fed baby:
http://www.babycenter.com/refcap/473.html
We learned with my grandson to have someone else offer him a bottle. My daughter never gave him one it was always me or her husband. Sometimes youeven have to try different nipples for the bottle. My grandson adapted very well with this. I hope you get this resolved cause nothing is as bad as being sleep deprived. If eel for you dearly.