how can I breast AND bottle feed?

[SuperNerdy]

When my exclusively breastfed 6 month old baby was 5 months, I was sent on a week-long business trip. As grandma had been here to help and I generally work as a telecommuter, up until that trip, I was able to just run upstairs and feed DS whenever he was hungry. We had given him bottles of expressed breastmilk on occasion, and he was interested in playing with it, but he never really took to it until I went away for a week. Then all of a sudden he became a bottle pro.

After I came back from my trip, we tried to breastfeed AND bottle feed him (because grandma is going back to Hong Kong soon, and baby needs to go to daycare) but he was adamantly refusing the bottle. He just wouldn't take more than two ounces at a time.

Yesterday morning, he did a trial run at daycare. Just a half day. He refused the bottle all morning. The daycare lady said that he MUST be on the bottle before they can accept him full-time. I get it. He needs to be able to be fed.

So yesterday, after daycare, we tried to get him on the bottle again. Daddy said I wasn't to feed him at the breast at all. DS was able to bottle feed when I was on my trip, he needed to learn to do it again.

Consequently, last night, he basically starved. It broke my heart. Daddy kept trying to give him the bottle, and he just cried and cried for mommy. I just sat crying in my room with leaky boobs listening to them over the baby monitor. Between 1pm yesterday afternoon when I had last breastfed him (after I brought him home from daycare) until 6am this morning all he had was ONE ounce of bottled breastmilk. Of which he spilled about half.

This morning he started taking the bottle again. Sucking it up like a pro.

My question is: Is it possible to give him the breast without having him go on a bottle strike again?

I really don't want to ever see him go hungry like that again. But I am also concerned by supply will drop without him actively nursing. the pump doesn't get the milk out nearly as well as baby does, and I saw my supply drop dramatically while on my trip. It took baby really working at the boob when I got back to build supply back to normal. Not to mention I also really enjoy the time I spend with him while he is nursing. It should be possible... other people do it. just. HOW?

[Fiver]

You're right, lots of people do manage to combine the two.  A lovely compliment that he likes to feed from you, though

Could it be that he was just happy with 2oz and didn't want more, perhaps?  Sometimes the more one tries to force the issue with a bottle, the more it will be resisted.

I think people generally choose a particular feed of the day that they are going to do regularly by bottle and only add in other ones if they're going to be away for some reason.  So I've often heard of BT or DFs being done by bottle.

[SuperNerdy]

And I like it when he feeds from me! 

He was definitely hungry when he took the two ounces. If I had offered the breast he would have taken a lot more. I think he was eating just enough to not be hungry hungry and was just waiting for when the breast would be available again.

So you think if we only gave him bottle for set periods of time (eg during his day care hours) he'll know that he needs to take the bottle then?

I'm just afraid he'll hold out until booby time.
I guess l'll have to try to find out eh?

[Fiver]

He would hopefully get used to that, yes.  And if he won't take a bottle when you're not there and he's at daycare, there's not a huge amount you can do about it, really   Would they be willing to try giving milk in a sippy or open cup instead?

[SuperNerdy]

Not sure if they would try a sippy/open cup. They have lots of kids to watch, I don't want them to get frustrated with DS taking up toooo much of their resources.

I'm going to start trying giving him the breast only once a day tomorrow and see if he'll still work with the bottle. I'll keep you posted on what happens!

Thank you!

[Fiver]

How did it go?

[SuperNerdy]

Well, he took the breast very happily in the morning time. And continued to take the bottle well for the rest of the day and into the night!

But then, I gave him the breast again this morning, and the rest of the day he has been fighting the bottle. Not sure why today is different from yesterday. He's started teething, and he got his six month shots yesterday, but that wouldn't affect things too much would they? 

I mean, he was still teething yesterday too...

[Fiver]

The shots might make a difference - he may be feeling a little under the weather/feverish and/or needing the additional comfort.

[SuperNerdy]

Thanks everyone for your support! After a few days of only bottle feeding, we reintroduced the breast strictly in the morning and after a few days we tried an occasional nursing in the afternoon/evening. It looks like he has finally adjusted! Thanks again!

[Fiver]

Good news - thanks for the update