Breasfeed Experts..... Need Help!!!! ASAP

what worked for me was to tickle my 4 month old's nose with bottle nipple a bit...consistently...i put the nipple above her mouth and let her make a move for it...that way it wasn't threatening or invasive to her....i did this consistently...and was able to leave her overnight with my parents one night....when she hadn't taken a bottle YET up to that point....

good luck...

When my little guy used to nod off to sleep, I'd either stroke his cheek or jiggle him a little to have him wake up. Sometimes I'd have to do it every half minute or so, but at least he would eat a little longer.

I've always heard that you can introduce a bottle pretty easily around 4 wks. You're not too much later than that, so I'd keep trying if I were you. Try it at least once per day. Maybe different times of the day would be more successful than others.

B.,

Ignore the old expression to never wake a sleeping baby. Keep your baby awake through the meal. Tap her foot, raise and lower her arm, rub her, take her clothes off and nurse her under a blanket, etc. If she still won't wake up, change her diaper; whatever it takes to keep her awake and eating until she is full.

She is still young enough to take a bottle. If you wait much longer, she may never take one. Be patient and keep trying. Pump breast milk in a bottle and squirt a little in her mouth so she gets the idea and don't try it when she is too hungry; she is likely to get so frustrated she falls apart.

Good luck,
S.

You baby will eat all she needs, unless she starts loosing weight there is no need to worry about how much baby is eating.

AS far as refusing to take a bottle, while you are gone- I knew another baby like that, spent all day in daycare, didn't eat a thing until her mommy was ready to feed her. She was quite a healthy looking chunk of a child.

Pacifier- try introducing her to her fingers. Many babies will suck on their fingers when they want to suck- it is quite nice not to be the human pacifier :) and babies seem to love flesh.

- Mom to 5

A baby can get very efficient and get enough to eat after nursing for 5-10 minutes. If she isn't losing weight, don't worry.

My daughter started daycare at 3 mos and went for 4 weeks without drinking from a bottle. She was happy all day (except to scream whenever they tried to put a bottle in her mouth) and waited for me to come back to feed her. One day she just started drinking... She never would take a pacifier either (just one less thing to "wean" her from!).

I had tried several types of bottles and nipples, just pick one you like, that might be closer to the shape of your nipples, and stick with it.

And try not to worry! As others have said, a baby will not starve themselves!

OK, let's see, where to start. i feel your pain. Both my boys were breast fed only. They never took bottles or pacifiers. As you say, good and bad. As far as feeding and falling asleep, I would undress him, or put a cool cloth on his head or feet to wake him and encourage him to finish feeding. I also ended up putting him on a schedule and not giving in until he got better at finishing. The only other thing I can say is try another way of soothing her when she is fussy. The more attached she is to you for both food and soothing, the harder it will be to leave her.

Hi,
I had kids like that and also worked in newborn nursery for years; it can be very frustrating!
You definately need to keep her awake so she gets enough. When she starts to fall asleep after a few minutes, you need to unwrap her, rub her back, the bottom of her feet, etc. to wake her up. I used to change my kids diaper between sides to help wake them up, instead of changing them before starting.
Even if you need to have a moist washcloth and wipe her face off to help her wake up, it will be best in the long run. If you absolutely can't get her to wake up, you might want to pump and try that in a bottle when she does wake up. That way, you can empty out and won't have to worry so much about problems that way.
Hang in there!! You are doing a wonderful thing for your baby.
B.

I can relate with everything you have said. I know its hard getting your baby to take a bottle when they are used to the breast, but don't worry - when she's hungry enough, she will drink the bottle. No baby has ever starved her/himself to death while being offered food. Just keep trying!
I tend to BF my baby whenever she gets crabby too. It works every time! You just have to try to wait until you KNOW she's hungry, and then she'll eat a lot for you. Otherwise, try to keep her awake by squeezing her upper arm a little or something so she keeps eating before falling asleep. I feel like a human pacifier too! I feel like I'm feeding her all the time! But enjoy it, because she'll stop one day and then you'll miss it. I have another child, and he stopped around a year and I did miss it. Good luck!

I suggest that you research this issue on the following websites:

http://www.drjacknewman.com/

http://www.llli.org/

I had a sleepy baby too and you need to stroke her cheek and if that doesn't work break the suction and have her go back on. Make her uncomfortable so to speak. I've undressed my baby and even lifted her up and back down to try to wake her. I've put water on my fingers and put it on her belly and blew on it.

Let someone else give the baby a bottle. She associates you with breast and even your scent in the home can toss the baby off. If nothing works your baby will get it if the baby needs to. Our daycare lady had issues with my baby taking a bottle the first day but it only took 15 minutes for her to figure the bottle thing out the next day. Put breastmilk in the bottle and even let it leak out so the baby smells it on the nipple.

Try different nipples. My oldset liked the Dr. Browns and my youngest liked the Playtex Nurser. I thought Avent was too hard. They do make a bottle that looks like a breast so maybe that would help. It did't help my child. I picked a bottle and nipple and went with it because for over a month my child never took a bottle before entering daycare. We tried everything. I put her to breast and broke the suction and quickly inserted the nipple and she spit it out and didn't like it.

Kids can get nipple confused the other way where they are so used to the breast that the bottle nipple confuses them. Between 4-6 weeks is the best time to introduce the bottle so I'm not sure if the baby is confused at this point. My child was 8 weeks when I introduced the bottle and it didn't go so well.

I called the hospital and spoke to the lactation consultant on the phone and so you might want to hear what they have to say too.

Get some help from your local La Leche League. They can advise you with whatever your nursing goals are.
My kids would never take a bottle or pacifier, so I didn't use one! When we needed to, we used a little cup or dipped a straw in the cup with your finger over the end to draw up a swallow of fluid, then put it in her mouth, release the finger and just enough went in her mouth.
My best advice is to be available to your baby whenever possible. You career and education are very important, however, your baby will only be a baby now. You only get your children for a short time. They grow fast and have lives of their own. Just ask your parents!
Hope this helps, enjoy your kids and good luck on your externship!
J.

Just another suggestion to try that goes along with some of the other good advice you have gotten. Try a shot glass, its small enough for baby's mouth to handle well, and easy to keep track of how much baby has eaten, being one ounce in size. This was the technique my sister used with her daughter who wouldn't take a bottle when she was first born. My sister was finishing school also. The shot glass was the thing that worked for her husband while she was gone.

Good luck!

S.

As far as the snacking thing goes the best thing you can do is to try and keep her awake. It seems cruel to poke a sleeping baby, but sometimes tickling their feet or getting them partially undressed or even just burping them to try to get them to stay awake.

Sometimes it's the bottle nipple they don't like, I don't know which your using but it could be that she doesn't like it. Is it breast milk or formula in the bottle? I was told once to rub breast milk around the nipple to try and get her to smell it and want to take it. Don't know if it works or not.

I would stop the boob soothing, it will make her more and more dependent on you. Plus if she's eating alittle everytime you soothe her then she wont be hungry for the main event and hence the snacking.

Good Luck!

Hi....I never had the "snacking" problem (all 3 of mine were serious eaters!) but may have some help with getting the baby to take a bottle. With all 3 of mine we had my husband offer the bottle first. We also choose the middle of the night feeding to offer the bottle the first time because that is when the kids were the hungriest..With my first, I did the bottle and he wanted nothing to do with it. Then the next night, my husband did and it was fine. Our middle one struggled a bit, but after 3 nights of getting the bottle and not mom, he drank that bottle so quickly we were amazed! Keep offering it and eventually that baby will get it :) Good luck with baby and school!!

As far as her not taking a bottle, she will not starve to death. This situation feels so helpless while you are in it, but there are really only two possible outcomes to this situation: (1) Eventually, she WILL take the bottle when she gets hungry enough. (2) She will eat little (or nothing) when she is away from you, and then she will "power feed" when you are reunited.

Babies are incredibly adaptable!

And why not just forgo a bottle altogether, and have your daycare provider use an eye dropper, tiny cup (like a medicine dosing cup), sippy cup, or straw (where you put one finger over to create suction)?

As for her snacking, I would not feed her right when she starts to fuss. I would wait a good 10-15 minutes, and then feed her. When she starts to doze off, stroke or gently flick her cheek to keep her awake. Hold her upright and then reattach if needed. If you think she has not emptied your breast when she's done eating, go pump.

Some babies just do not like pacifiers. One thing you can try is to dip the pacifier in breastmilk and then give it to her. You can also warm the pacifier by running it under hot tap water for a few seconds.

That is the age, you are a human pacifier especially in the evenings, neither of my kids took a pacifier and both had bottle issues on and off. As for taking a bottle I had the best luck with the latex nipples on the playtex bottles and yes I tried all varieties. Make sure the milk is warm enough almost hot, and have someone else offer it to your baby when you are not around and you know that she is hungry. It will take a few tries but she will eat. If a bottle does not work try a cup or a spoon to feed her. Nursing is not easy especially when you have to work but it does get easier as they get older!

Two great websites to help you see your problems are normal.
www.kellymom.com
www.workandpump.com

as far as the falling alseep at the breast, just rouse her a little when she starts drooping. most breastfed babies will try to suck back in if you start removing the breast just when they are falling to sleep, or you can pull her closer to you and see if she starts sucking more. just rouse her in some way, talk to her, tickle under her jaw, stuff like that.

CONGRATS ON BREASTFEEDING! :D its the awesomest thing ever.

one thing that ive heard about getting breastfed babies on the bottle is that mom might not be able to get baby to use the bottle. when it comes to that, babies arent stupid, they can smell you and they know the real thing is there somewhere, they prefer that thank you :P. so you might have to leave the room completely and have someone else take over bottle duty to get her to take the bottle.

also, when it comes to breastfeeding you should never worry that shes not getting enough. your breast is always enough for your baby. with VERY rare exceptions, there is never a reason to supplement with formula, though doctors (who work for clinics and hospitols who are paid by formula companies) are quick to suggest this as a remedy to nursing moms who are concerned about amounts and that sort of thing. they dont have the time to sit there and educate you, so instead they take the easy way out and just hand you the formula line. dont fall for it unless you are SURE yourself that shes not getting enough.

ALSO, for babies whos moms go back to work or school, there is a common theme of nursing or bottle 'strikes' - where baby will just refuse to eat. this is ok. your baby will not starve herself. make sure the caregiver just keeps trying to get her something to eat during the time you are gone, and be fully prepared to spend extended time reconnecting with her when you get home. she might actually learn to nurse longer and eat more at a time when she does this 'strike' than normal. always make sure that before and after you leave you spend close personal time with her. i highly recommend getting a sling of some kind - the moby wrap is VERY comfortable. you can go about your morning routine for the most part with her strapped to your chest, and you can transfer her right to the caregiver in the sling so that baby has another person to snuggle up against that way after you leave. also, when you get home and want to do something, you can pop her in there and go about your business all while reconnecting with her. :D

as far as popping a boob in every time she is fussy, congrats! this is healthy and awesome for your relationship and her needs :D its responsive parenting, and thats what you WANT to be doing. however, its perfectly normal to want to stop doing that at some point, and you can introduce a pacifier at any time, though again, she might not be intersted. babies lose them so easily and its frustrating for them, and for you to have to get up every so often and give it back you know? its up to you. some babies do just fine without a pacifer, but im telling you that sucking is a NEED for babies, and an unfulfilled need turns into an undesireable habit later. i know a baby who didnt get a pacifier, and he ended up grinding his teeth, which hurts mine! :O

anyway,
good luck. this is a hard time for you, and the more sensitive and responsive to her needs you are, the easier the transition is. find a local or nearby la leche league, they are FANTASTIC and i didnt start going until my son was 16 months old or something, but i regretted not going sooner. they are so encouraging and helpful - you might need and LOVE their advice and support and encouragement. do your best to get to the next meeting you can find. i know they have a list on their website
http://www.llli.org/
there might not be one in your specific town, i drive an hour to get to mine.. but there is usually one nearby
so check nearby towns as well as your town
good luck! and have patience and confidence. ! :D

Hi B.
I know it is hard and it sounds mean but a baby is unable to starve themselves so if you are gone and she gets hungry enough she WIll eat. I also would try to limit nursing her to only when it is time to eat so she can learn new ways of soothing herself,or you may never get to leave her. Good luck and hang in there.

I know all babies are different, but when my daughter had this problem, we just tried different shaped bottles until we found one she would take. We ended up with Advent, perhaps because it was shaped more like a breast with its wideness. It was frustrating and we only had luck when I was physically removed from the house because otherwise she seemed to sense I was still near. I never really had the snacking problem, but Arianna also refused a pacifier. When ended up taking car rides, rocking and using a baby swing to soothe those cranky moments. It seemed to help most when dad rocked her without a shirt on - she still got that comforting closeness without the urge to suck on mom. I don't know if any of this helps, but it does get easier.

Hi there, see if you can find the Playtex Nursers Bottles and nipples. The nipples are shaped more like the real thing. If she falls asleep after 5 mins I would use a breast pump to empty your breast. Breast milk can be stored and frozen. In the fridge I believe its 3 days up to 2 weeks in the freezer. I would also try swaddling her she may just need the warmth of your body the reason she falls asleep after 5 mins. How's her feeding otherwise. Maybe a pacifier could help. Good luck.

Your daughter sounds a lot like mine was. It took us a long time to get her to take a bottle, but we started much later - around 3 1/2 months. We just kept trying lots of different bottles, and my husband kept trying to remind me not to get panicked and force the bottle on her (easier said than done). The Playtex drop-ins were the ones that worked for us. I would recommend getting a bunch of different bottles and give them all a try (or have someone else try while you're out) and see if one works better. One recommendation I heard was to nurse her first for just a short time, and then offer a bottle so she's not hungry, which can make her more fussy.

As for the snacking, we found that touching her nose would wake her up enough to eat a bit more - so there was a lot of nurse, nod off, touch nose, nurse, nod off, touch nose, repeat... Whatever works, right?

I know it's hard to believe, but you can relax knowing your child will eat when she's hungry! We had the same problem and called our doctor in a panic a couple weeks before I went back to work. Our doctor, who has been the top pediatrician in Mpls-St. Paul magazine numerous times and is a very gentle, caring man, told us to give our daughter the bottle, and only the bottle, until she would accept it. He said she would not starve herself and would eventually suck on it when she got hungry enough. He had been through this hundreds of times in his 30+ years as a pediatrician! She cried and cried, and turned red in the face, and this went on for a few hours at least. Maybe half a day! We kept coming back to it about once an hour and trying. It was horrible, but the doctor was right... she gave in and started sucking on the bottle, and finished the whole thing immediately. It was never a problem after that. I continued to pump at work and nurse 3 times a day. She took a bottle the other 3 feedings, both breastmilk and formula. Don't worry, you can do it!