Sorry I was MIA yesterday, James
and I had a quiet day at home since it was raining. Ok, we were at home, but
I'm joking about the quiet day. I spend the entire day running after the little
daredevil who climbs on everything and sometimes forgets to hold on resulting
in some face plants! :( I do have some cushions strategically placed, but they
can only do so much.
So I'm trying to prepare James
for day care, which means get him used to drinking from a bottle. Yesterday I
tried formula in a bottle. It was around nap time so he agreed to drink a few
sips, then he started crying and screaming! I tried again and no luck, he
sealed him lips closed and tensed his entire body kinda like planking. Lol! I
felt bad so I had to nurse him and put him to sleep. I wondered if perhaps he
didn't like the formula and it wasn't the bottle? My next course of action was
to pump, so I put some in a bottle and tried to feed him again before his
second nap and he just threw a fit. I kept telling him that it's mommy's milk,
but that didn't matter. He just fought and fought. So now I am completely
stressed and consulted my good friend Google!
There were many accounts of my
son didn't accept the bottle for 2 weeks, or my daughter took to it right away.
I didn't find anything useful. The whole time I was kicking myself on why I
haven't tried this sooner. James starts transitioning on Monday so it doesn't
leave me much time at all. Looks like I'll be there nursing him or pumping milk
for the teachers to try feeding him. I hope they have some advice for me too
since they are the pros.
I also got some advice from a few
friends and family suggesting that I try a sippy cup / straw cup. James drinks
his water from a sippy cup, but he doesn't know how to hold it on his own or
tilt it so I don't like this option. We do have a straw cup at home, but he
doesn't know how to use it or so I thought. I gave him the cup and he started
chewing on it, but not sucking, so I tried pulling it away from him and he
began to draw water! It was great, now he can drink from one! At least I can
use this cup as a last resort now.
As for today I had similar luck,
if we dare call it luck. I gave James my milk and he again refused throwing
himself down and crying. Adit was working from home so he even gave it a try. I
had read online that he can still smell me so he could refuse because of that.
That may be true, but he didn't smell anything on a Adit and refused him too.
Lol! Since it was my pumped milk of which supply is difficult to come by these
days I kinda force fed James the ounce I pumped. He was crying so him mouth was
open and in between tears I could hear a gulp. We got the ounce down which is
an improvement, but it was not pleasant. I hope it doesn't come to this in day
care. Luckily they have a webcam so I can watch James the whole time!
The rest of our evening was good,
I took James out into the hallway with his walker which he enjoyed. That was a
great idea from our friend Deepa! The only downfall of letting him walk so much
is the pain it causes my back since I am hunched over with my hands on both
sides ready to catch him when he falls or decides he's done. James is sleeping
soundly now, I just hope he continues to and maybe wakes mom up 3 times tonight
instead of the usual 4-5. I know this is insane and I agree, but one battle at
a time since I need to focus on bottle/cup feeding him!
Tomorrow I'm attempting to
toughen up and only nurse in the morning and evening. I just hope that he'll
try to cooperate with me. If anyone has any advice that can help, please
share it with us on the blog.
Happy reading!
Rachel
HI Rachel!
ReplyDeleteWe have a mutual friend, Zofeen--she sent me the link to this post. So I came over to offer my empathy and support! It can be really tricky to get a baby used to something different, especially when what they are used to is so delicious, comforting and reassuring (breastfeeding).
It sounds like you've tried all the right things. I think it's great that you are pumping and your little James will be grateful for that too :-) Also, in my experience, at 11 months, it is easier to get them used to a sippy cup/straw cup rather than a bottle. I would encourage you to keep trying with the sippy cup...you'll be surprised at how quickly they can learn to tilt it! The straw cup can be handy too, and some babies prefer that. The important thing is not to get discouraged, keep an open mind and heart and to keep trying. Best of luck!
And I forgot to mention one more thing!
ReplyDeleteYou might find it will be easier and James will be more open to trying the cup at times he's not tired or cranky. You know him best, so find a time that he is usually happy and give it a try. Once he gets the hang of it he will associate it with drinking and be more willing to try it at other times :-)
Thanks for the advice Kat! I already used it earlier today and offered James milk in a sippy cup. He thought it was water, took a few sips, realized it was milk, and pushed it away. Lol! At least this time he didn't cry! And I think you are right about not offering it when he's sleepy, etc. I'll try again tomorrow!
DeleteI had to come back and let you know I found a bottle to use with my baby (she's 6.5 months) that actually works!!! It's the Calma made by Medela. The milk only comes out when they suck, so it really mimics breastfeeding. We hardly ever need to use a bottle, but when we did, she would sputter and not really enjoy it, but with the Calma, she eats calmly and without fussing. It might be worth it to try with James, in case he doesn't take to the sippy cup!
ReplyDeleteHey Kat, I just bought the Calma bottle that you recommended. We tried it yesterday and he took a few sips which is progress for him. I hope it works out, I'll keep you posted!
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