Help with transitioning from breast to part bottle given that I can't express

[RachelTW]

I am going back to work in 3 weeks time. Up to now my LO has been 100% breastfed. I want to bf her in the morning and evening when I am back at work, but have my mum give her a bottle during the day when she's looking after her. We have started to try to give her a bottle, but she absolutely refuses it. We've tried different bottles, cups etc. My problem is that I can't express so I can't give her EBM and I need to cut out one feed at a time (as I understand it) to give my body time to gradually cut down the breastmilk and not get mastitis etc - so I don't think I can go cold turkey.

I thought that what I had to do was to get mum to try to give her one bottle per day, e.g. at the 1pm feed, and just not give her breastmilk if she won't take the bottle, until her next feed is due, e.g. at 4.30pm and live with her being very unhappy and crying during that time. And then we have to hold out and keep repeating this until (if?) she takes a bottle, for about 4-5 days (time for my breast milk to adjust). Then cut out another feed, e.g. 9.30am feed, the same way. And if she won't take the bottle then she has to go from her first feed - 6.30am until 4.30pm if she won't take the bottle etc. Has anyone done this / succeeded with it?

I would really welcome any other suggestions of how to do this, within the timeframe and bearing in mind I can't express.
Thanks!

[Pens Fan]

Hi ya.  I had a very similar situation with my little one.  Don't Despair it will work out your baby will not starve itself and you are not hurting it.... 

How old is your LO?  Is she eating solids yet?

I went back to work when my LO was 6 months and did the same as you are planning... Kept the morning and evening feed and my DH became a stay home Dad and gave the LO the 11am and 3pm feed with formula.  I dropped the 3pm feed first and gave it around 2 weeks before I dropped the 11am feed.  I then took fenugrek to keep up my milk supply for the Morning and Night feed.   

My Lo refused a bottle from around 3 months to 5 months and that was with EBM.   We tried lots of techniques- me being in the house, out the house, lots of different teats/bottles.  LO refused the bottle and went on feeding strikes.  It was so crazy that I ended up taking her on a Hen night with me as there was no way I could have been gone all day as she wouldn't feed.

Then one day I tried one last teat ( I was desperate by this time as I was going back to work in around 3 weeks) - it was a MAM bottle and in it went and vola she latched on straight away no issues. 

The best advice I was given was to try and find a teat that was as close to my nipple as possible - I also used to warm the teat up and give her the milk just a little bit warmer than she was used to.   I actually introduced Formula when she had a cold as I figured she would not be able to taste the difference and we had no issues with it.

Do you dream feed?  The reason I ask is this time with my DS who is 13 weeks old we introduced a bottle very early for the DF and while he is asleep he takes a bottle no worries.

I hope this helps as I know how worrying this is but you will find a way and it will all work out.

Cheers
Eliz

[clh]

Does any of this help?  http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=64926.0

Also, do you mean you can't express at work or you physically can't express.  If you mean you can't express at work, you could try hand expressing a bit at home to relieve pressure on those feeds that you're dropping.  (Not enough for a feed, but to relieve pressure to prevent clogged ducts possibly leading to mastitis.)  http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=70304.0

[Pens Fan]

Hi ya - check out the breast feeding board there is a lady with a similar issue and there is a link on the post to tips on getting a breast feed baby to take a bottle....  

[RachelTW]

Thanks very much Eliz and clh. 

My LO is just over 6 months, so very attached to breastfeeding. We tried introducing a bottle when she was about 7/8 weeks but she would have none of it then.

In terms of expressing, I tried two types of pumps and hand expressing and can't get a drop with any approach -though that was also several months ago. I could express at work but it would be pretty difficult and I don't really want to go down that route - though I will re-consider if necessary.

I have come down with a really bad cold, so my plan to start today with dropping a feed and not giving in had to be put on hold - I just don't have the energy to deal with it, but hopefully we will try in a couple of days.

Thanks for the encouragement.

[Pens Fan]

Stay positive - once Lo's get to 6 months and you begin to wean the total dependance on mummy begins to diminish.  Get well soon and keep us posted...

[RachelTW]

Success!! I can hardly believe it. I didn't want to post sooner in case it was an abberation, but my LO has now taken a bottle for one feed for 4 days in a row.

I decided just to think about what my LO would like most and combined that with some things I'd read and heard, and it worked! I decided that I would try to give her the bottle, rather than my mother, who is going to care for her some of the time when I go back to work. I got a cloth that smelled of my milk and draped that over my shoulder. I looked at all the bottles and teats I had and chose one that had a small narrow long teat - a Dr Brown's, first size. I made sure the teat was really warm, and the milk, which someone here had suggested.

And I just snuggled her in my arms in her usual feeding position and she took the bottle. She protested a tiny bit, but when she tasted the milk, she was fine. ( I am giving her goat's milk formula, Nannycare, in case anyone is interested. Supposed to be much better for their digestion than cow's milk based formula.)

After the first two days, mum gave her the bottle, and she was fine with that too. So I think we are on our way.

Thanks for the advice. Hopefully this will also help others with the same problem.
 

[Pens Fan]

Wonderful news :-)  I am so pleased for you all.  Keep it up and don't be too concerned if you have a few set backs you are well on your way and they will only be very minor or little wobbles.