EASY and separation anxiety

[Joey'sMom]

Hi, everyone.  I'm so sorry if it seems like I only show up and bring all my problems.    I just never have time to post, and then when I have a problem I feel so guilty coming here, so I ask everyone I know.  But this time, I can't find an answer.

I went back to work late November - full-time (7 am - 4 pm).  Joey was 4 months.  Everything was working out, and then our nanny quit, and now we've finally found a new one.

She's really terrific, but Joey is now 7 months and going through every phase.  He wants to crawl/walk, he wants to eat all grownup foods (he's pretty mad about this), he's teething, he has a stuffy nose, he's experimenting with his voice.

Last week, Joey stopped taking his bottle during the day.  He's supposed to have it around 8 AM from DH, and then one around 11/12 from nanny, and then one at 3:30/4 from me.  The only bottles he takes are from me.

Since he always ate the bottles from me (3:30, another at 7:30, and one at 4 AM), I immediately thought it was sep. anxiety. But DH and nanny were like "NO.  That's not it, it's just because he hasn't eaten all day and he's hungry."  Which I might agree with, except that he eats his solids all day.  ALSO, yesterday, the nanny tried to give him my 3:30 feeding before I got home (annoying isn't it?), and then he wouldn't eat THAT bottle either.  At 7:30, he ate his whole bottle.

NOW, today, he has taken every bottle so far from me.  None of the screaming, arching, or pushing away that DH and nanny have been insisting are such a problem.

Granted, we have been adjusting his schedule - I was definitely giving too many bottles, but still.  Does this sound weird to anyone else?

Thanks.

[Noelle]

Hmmm..it does seem a little weird. So basically he only likes taking his bottles if you are feeding them?  Do you maybe hold him a certain way?  Or let him hold the bottle?  Just wondering if it's some little thing that he is noticing the difference of.  This might be a long shot too, but what if they held a shirt of yours over their shoulder or something that smelled like you?  I know that sometimes works with getting bf babies to take the bottle....

Why don't you go ahead and post what a typical routine looks like throughout the day too.  Maybe something will jump out at us. 

[Joey'sMom]

Ok, I'm aware our routine is a little off, but here goes:

7 am wake & solids

8 am bottle

8:30 nap

9:30 activity

11 solids

12 bottle

12:30 nap

2:30 activity

3  solids

4  bottle

4:30/5 catnap

7 solids, bath, bottle, bed

4 am bottle

[Noelle]

Looking at your schedule - have you tried feeding the bottle before the solids?  Maybe he's just not hungry enough for the bottle during the day with eating solids first?