Bottle strike and decrease food intake
 

I am starting to get a little anxious.....
I started working full time a month ago.....at first things were fine
and DS was taking 2 bottles of ebm a day plus solids.......then a week
ago he started a bottle strike.....he is not taking much ebm during
the day and he is not eating as much solids as I would hope....
DH is doing his best to keep him fed through the day with little meals
but I don't think it's helping....
DS nurses right before I leave and right after I get home and a couple
of times through the night. He is almost 11 months old and up until a
month ago he was 23 pounds but he looks like he is losing weight....
Is this normal for babies who transition from fully breasfed to
bottlefed ebm??

FayeC

Bottle strike and decrease food intake
 

FayeC wrote:
I am starting to get a little anxious.....
I started working full time a month ago.....at first things were fine
and DS was taking 2 bottles of ebm a day plus solids.......then a week
ago he started a bottle strike.....he is not taking much ebm during
the day and he is not eating as much solids as I would hope....
DH is doing his best to keep him fed through the day with little meals
but I don't think it's helping....
DS nurses right before I leave and right after I get home and a couple
of times through the night. He is almost 11 months old and up until a
month ago he was 23 pounds but he looks like he is losing weight....
Is this normal for babies who transition from fully breasfed to
bottlefed ebm??

He sounds just fine. How's his diaper output? Have you tried the
EBM in a cup or sippy cup? Or add it to his solids if you want to
try to give him some during the day. As you add solids, kids
naturally start cutting back on nursing.

In terms of bottle rejection, I think its completely normal. With
both my girls I went back to work at 12 weeks. DD1 barely took
a bottle at all. Even at her peak, she was only taking 6 ounces
while I was away. The trade off was that she nursed *alot* at
night. By the time we started solids she cut back on her bottles
all together. She did continue night nursing until I put my foot
down when she was 18 months or so.

DD2 took the bottle quite well. Your typical 12 ounces a day.
Then we started solids and she started cutting way back.
I think the solids made it easier for her to wait for me. At
10 months she completely gave up the bottle. We did EBM
in sippy cups until 12 months and then transitioned her to
cow's milk., although she didn't start drinking a significant
amount of cow's milk until about 18 months. She too nursed
at night. At 11 months she probably nursed before and
after work, before bed and 2 times during the night. At
18 months she nurses before bed and sometimes in the
morning.

So, I think your son sounds just fine. I'd give up on the
bottle and work on sippy cups. And you can add EBM
to his solids if you want to get more into him. Also
nurse on demand when you are with him - that's when
he'll fill up on breastmilk.

Mary W.

Bottle strike and decrease food intake
 

to be honest, I wouldn't have even attempted to give ebm in a bottle to a
10+ month old, I know we stopped providing ebm for my first in daycare
around that time (he was only there 4-7hrs, if it was 10hrs we obviously
would have needed to). Around this age there body shape is changing, the
chances are he's growing tall and thus slimming out a bit. My DD is the same
age and usually feeds 3 times a day, but can skip the middle of the day
quite easily if it's not possible for any reason.

btw, your DS weighs the same as my DS, but my DS is nearly 3!

Anne