Breastfed Baby Going to Daycare- Started Refusing Bottle- Afraid to Work.

Hi! I'm new to this site and I love it!

First of all I breastfeed all 3 of my girls and they were all the same. I went through 9 different bottles I think with each one of them. I even bought the One Step Ahead bottle that looks like the nipple. That really didn't work.I found out that when the mom isn't around the baby will eat. I do in home daycare and it worked with another Mom when she was going through this. They will get hungry enough that they will take a bottle. Believe me. It's sooo frustrating I know,but it will all work out in the end.
:0)

I don't have anything more to add, other than to reassure you that he won't starve. My son did the same thing (after we had no problems with our first 3 girls using the bottle while I was at work). I nursed him just before I left & immediately when I got home. He nursed a lot all evening & night to make up for not eating anything while I was work (about 8 hours). He survived, so take heart!

This happened with my first child when I went back to work when she was 3 months old. You aren't the only one. This happens a lot. My daughter would nurse in the morning before I went to work and literally refused to eat all day until I picked her up from day care at 3:30pm. When we would get home, she would nurse instantly and then nurse constantly until bed time. My husband was with her from 7am-12pm and then she went to daycare until 3:30, so I would call my husband everday and he was practically in tears because our daughter would just scream and scream. He'd offer the bottle and she'd start to suck and get mad and quit. We tried 12 different bottle nipples and she finally took the playtex one.

I took her to the pediatrician and he said she will eat, she won't let herself starve and to just wait it out. It was hard and I cried a lot, but it did pass after about 1 and a half weeks.

My husband and I were so glad that I was able to be a SAHM when our second one came along because we were so fearful of that situation again.

I know that this is going to be a hard time for you, but you will get through it. Good luck!

Do you really have to work? Is it necessary right now in order to put food on the table and keep the utilites paid? If not, see if you can take a longer leave from work if possible. I believe babies need their mommas, especially when they are infants/newborns. My daughter had a hard time at 5 months taking a bottle and I felt increadibly guilty for weaning her when I did. I regret it so much now that she's 7! They aren't babies for long and it's such a precious time you will never get again. If you can stay home longer and take your time introducing the bottle, do it!! If you can't, all I can say is keep trying the bottle, preferrably from someone other than you and good luck to you all! Also, have you talked to a lactation consultant to get advice on how to continue to breastfeed and work?

Just keep trying to offer the bottle. It may take a few days but eventually he will eat. My daughter went through the same thing. The other thing that may help is offering a cup instead of a bottle for awhile. Just little sips from a small cut until he will take a bottle again.

Even after she would take a bottle from others my daughter would never take one from me ever.

It is actually very common. Some babies can go the whole time without taking a bottle and save it all for when he's back with you. Not very common for more than 5 hours, but does happen. Don't worry he'll get hungry enough that he'll take it.

J.,

I am not a working mom but, I know a mom who would send like a night shirt or whatever with her child everyday to help with meal time.

Good luck!

A.

I am an infant day care provider and the one thing that I would suggest is having someone else feed your son his bottle! If you are the one doing the bottle feeding and the breastfeeding, he will expect only Mommy to feed him! I would have your sister try every so often and whoever else you trust! That way he is used to other people offering him food! Just an idea, but it has worked for other parents that I have worked with!

Hi J.:

My son did the same thing at daycare. It is a normal transition. They just offered him the bottle he would take maybe an ounce and then push it away. After a few days of this, they decided to wait until he was really hungry and mad. Then they offered him the bottle and he gulped it down. (They did this after speaking with me and had my permission.)
He would do great for a couple of weeks then go back to being difficult. We joked that he had a reset button because they we all went through this process a dozen times.
At about 6 months he decided to adjust his schedule to me. He would take only 4 ounces 2-3 times a day at daycare and then nurse every 1-2 hours once he was home at night with me. I didn't mind too much and then once we started cereals and food he started to do better at daycare.
Just be patient and remember that when he gets hungry he will eat. Best of luck.