Breast feeding fear of bottle

[lisaj86]

Hi
This is my third child and I have managed to crack breast feeding this time which has made me very afraid of expressing any to give him in a bottle I realise it is not feasible that we will be together 24-7 until he stops breast feedin but I just don't want to loose this connection and getting on well feeding am I barmey?

[wonderstuff]

Neither of my children took a bottle. I remember hearing of a friend not being able to give her son a bottle while I was pg, and being appalled at the idea of not being able to leave my baby for 6 months! Then of course I was the one with the baby dependent on me, and it was fine. I was on mat leave until she was 8mo.
So no, not barmey, but do think about whether you need to use a bottle, if you are going to have to be away from him in first 6 months then I would be inclined to start a bottle earlier rather than later, I tried at a month and I'd missed the boat, dd wasn't having any of it. With my second I didn't bother with bottles at all - too much hassle.

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

So glad that you've managed to Bfed dc3 and that its working well for you . Why do you think you are afraid of expressing?

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

And have a look on kellymom at "alternative feeding methods", it doesn't have to be a bottle

[leedy]

Not barmy at all, there's no law that says you need to express and give bottles, especially if you don't absolutely have to eg for work - you don't have to be with your LO 24/7 even if you don't give a bottle, especially once feeds space out a bit (before my DS1 ever had any expressed milk, DP and I used to leave him with my mum and go out for early dinners out straight after a feed) and definitely once they're on solids. Also if you do express, when your LO is old enough you can do a cup of milk rather than a bottle if you/baby prefers.

[leedy]

(also, er, just "out for dinners" or "dinners out", not "out for dinners out". I blame sleep deprivation/the three week growth spurt of doom)

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

You must be sleep deprived because I'm not entirely sure the 3 week growth spurt exists leedy, isn't the next one due around 6 weeks .

Congratulations on your lovely new Lo

[lisaj86]

Thanks everyone I'm just afraid of loosing the connection I think and that the way it's all working now would break down if he took to a bottle I'd prefer to carry on until he's ready for juice and water and that kind of thing then I think I'd be ok lettin him have something other than me x

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

Can understand your worry, especially if you've tried bfing before and not had the support you needed. Dod you manage to look at he info on kellymom?

[wonderstuff]

If thats what you want to do then go for it. My two went to nursery when they were 8mo and took formula or water from a tippee cup. I think combining breast and bottle is really hard tbh, babies can develop a strong preference for one or the other.

[Startail]

DD2 never took a bottle, but by about 8 months she would happily take juice from a cup and a pot of yoghurt and let me go out in the evening.

8 months seems a long time, but it isn't really, especially as small babies are portable and can be taken shopping, to cafes and to friends houses quite easily.

It's the larger start interacting with their environment and get bored before you've finished eating size that are a pain.

[thezoobmeister]

hi OP, I think you should carry on exactly as you are for as long as you like.

My DD1 never had a bottle til I had to go back to work at 6mo. and actually, expressing and bottles were such a hassle that I'm not going to bother at all with DD2.

As a pp said, there is no law that says you have to give your baby a bottle or express.

[WantAnOrange]

You're not barmey. DD is 9 weeks old and refuses the bottle. It's very inconvienient as I'm doing a degree! I wish we didnt have to bother. I felt a little pang of jealousy the first few times DH tried to bottle feed her though.