bottle

I have alot of people pushing me to give the baby a bottle with either
formula or breastmilk. He doesn't take it but also I'm so afraid of him
rejecting my breast like in the "why do I bother" post. I don't go anywhere
and I don't work. Sometimes I will pump and leave some for whoever watching
him, but that's only been for 3 hours the most. Someone told me to force him
to get used to it so I can get more freedom. I really don't mind leaving all
the dishes everyday to nurse. It's true that all I do is take care of kids
but he is my last baby and I want to cherish every moment I have with him. I
want to feed him. I was so gypped with the other kids because I didn't nurse
them. My family isn't all that supportive about it either. They think I
should get him on the bottle so I can wean him from me when he gets teeth. I
tell them I expect to do this for at least the first year and take it from
there. They think I'm crazy. This group is the first place I really found
support. I don't get it from Dr.'s or most family and friends.
Kris

My advice is to do what your heart is telling you. My DD is now a year, and
still almost exclusively BF (she doesn't like solids too much). I have
never given her a bottle. At around 5 1/2 months she started drinking water
uut of a cup (normally mine), and when I sit her down for her meals she
drinks from a sippy cup. If I am going to be away for a while (I think the
max is probably 3 hr also), I do pump, and DH (we haven't left her with
anyone else yet - we have plans for my Bday in September which will be the
first time we are both gone) can put it in the cup. Before she took the
sippy cup, I still expressed, and DH would attempt to give it to her from a
bottle, but she always refused. What worked for him was giving it to her in
a dropper.

This is your child and you need to do what is best for both you and your
child. Listen to your gut feelings!!

Michelle P
"K.B." wrote in message
rthlink.net...
I have alot of people pushing me to give the baby a bottle with either
formula or breastmilk. He doesn't take it but also I'm so afraid of him
rejecting my breast like in the "why do I bother" post. I don't go
anywhere
and I don't work. Sometimes I will pump and leave some for whoever
watching
him, but that's only been for 3 hours the most. Someone told me to force
him
to get used to it so I can get more freedom. I really don't mind leaving
all
the dishes everyday to nurse. It's true that all I do is take care of kids
but he is my last baby and I want to cherish every moment I have with him.
I
want to feed him. I was so gypped with the other kids because I didn't
nurse
them. My family isn't all that supportive about it either. They think I
should get him on the bottle so I can wean him from me when he gets teeth.
I
tell them I expect to do this for at least the first year and take it from
there. They think I'm crazy. This group is the first place I really found
support. I don't get it from Dr.'s or most family and friends.
Kris

K.B. wrote:
I have alot of people pushing me to give the baby a bottle with either
formula or breastmilk.

People were always confused about why my kids didn't have bottles. They
could not fathom that my life could include my babies so completely that
I could always feed them at the breast.

He doesn't take it but also I'm so afraid of him
rejecting my breast like in the "why do I bother" post.

That would scare me too...we've been hearing a lot of sad stories around
here lately, and nipple confusion is 100% preventable for someone with
your lifestyle.

I don't go anywhere
and I don't work.

I went lots of places and work darn hard as a SAHM, but I still didn't
need bottles.

Sometimes I will pump and leave some for whoever watching
him, but that's only been for 3 hours the most. Someone told me to force him
to get used to it so I can get more freedom.

boggle Just the word 'force' is so awful. They're babies for such a
short time...why don't people get that?

I really don't mind leaving all
the dishes everyday to nurse.

Yeah, I never minded holding a baby as opposed to doing housework,
although there are times now when putting away toys or sweeping is
cathartic for me.

It's true that all I do is take care of kids
but he is my last baby and I want to cherish every moment I have with him.

Great attitude! My kids are five and three, and I'm so grateful that I
got a chance to really savor their babyhoods. There were days that felt
soooo long, but the years themselves just flew by.


I
want to feed him. I was so gypped with the other kids because I didn't nurse
them.

How wonderful for you that you have the chance to nurse this baby. It's
always interesting to me to hear mothers talk about the differences in
parenting when they nurse after bottle-feeding.

My family isn't all that supportive about it either. They think I
should get him on the bottle so I can wean him from me when he gets teeth. I
tell them I expect to do this for at least the first year and take it from
there. They think I'm crazy.

People who haven't done it generally don't get it. Some people are
supportive, or at least keep quiet (most of my family falls into that
category), but others feel defensive about their choices when yours
differ, or continue to spout on ignorance. I'd just smile and say,
"we're doing great...thanks for the concern!" then change the subject.

This group is the first place I really found
support. I don't get it from Dr.'s or most family and friends.

I found that my need for support ebbed and flowed. Once the baby is no
longer nursing in public, fewer people know you're nursing and it's less
of an issue. Most people would have no idea that my kids are not
weaned, even though they are always complimenting me on their behavior
and intelligence. If you get through the first year and then stop
bringing the subject up, or at least be vague about weaning, it will
probably get easier.


Emily

"K.B." wrote in message
rthlink.net...
I have alot of people pushing me to give the baby a bottle with either
formula or breastmilk. He doesn't take it but also I'm so afraid of him
rejecting my breast like in the "why do I bother" post. I don't go
anywhere
and I don't work. Sometimes I will pump and leave some for whoever
watching
him, but that's only been for 3 hours the most. Someone told me to force
him
to get used to it so I can get more freedom. I really don't mind leaving
all
the dishes everyday to nurse. It's true that all I do is take care of kids
but he is my last baby and I want to cherish every moment I have with him.
I
want to feed him. I was so gypped with the other kids because I didn't
nurse
them. My family isn't all that supportive about it either. They think I
should get him on the bottle so I can wean him from me when he gets teeth.
I
tell them I expect to do this for at least the first year and take it from
there. They think I'm crazy. This group is the first place I really found
support. I don't get it from Dr.'s or most family and friends.
Kris



My best advice is to ignore people pushing you to do something which you are
not happy doing. If you don't need him to take a bottle, then there is no
need to force it on him to make others feel better about it.
You are doing the right thing in feeding him yourself when he is hungry -
why mess about pumping and sterilising bottles when you don't need to?
....and as for weaning when they get teeth ... why? I've hardly ever been
bitten by DD and bf is a quick way to calm her down or ease her stress
through the pain of teething (or immunisations or colds etc). When she has
bitten me its been by accident.
FWIW I don't think you are crazy - just a good Mum for breastfeeding your DS


Cheers
Amanda

How old is your baby?

He just turned 3 months on the 19th.

Is
your husband not supportive, or are you just talking about other relatives
(in-laws/your parents/siblings, etc?).

My husband is supportive. He a goes with the flow type a guy. It's siblings,
friends, my Mom. Plus Dr.'s. My Dr. was pushing me to put him on formula and
the gyno was pushing me to stop for the pill. I don't have many in-laws but
my sister -in-law is very supportive. she has a baby the same age and she
nurses.

Kris

Naomi
CAPPA Certified Lactation Educator

(either remove spamblock or change address to to
e-mail
reply.)

"Marvin L. Zinn" wrote in message
...
Kris,

If we had a lot more mothers like you the world
would be a better place to live!

marvin

Marvin L. Zinn
Reply to:
Using Virtual Access
Windows 2000 build 2600

Thanks, that's so nice of you.
Kris

"K.B." wrote in message
rthlink.net...
My husband is supportive. He a goes with the flow type a guy. It's
siblings,
friends, my Mom. Plus Dr.'s. My Dr. was pushing me to put him on formula
and
the gyno was pushing me to stop for the pill. I don't have many in-laws
but
my sister -in-law is very supportive. she has a baby the same age and she
nurses.

Yeesh--it sounds like time for new doctors!

Belphoebe

My husband is supportive. He a goes with the flow type a guy.

That's great. Your husband is definitely your most important support. With him
behind you, you should be able to deal with the other attempts at sabotage...

My Dr. was pushing me to put him on formula and
the gyno was pushing me to stop for the pill

Lordy! You DEFINITELY need new doctors.
Why was the doctor telling you to put him on formula... and what kind of idiot
gyn would want you to put a baby on inferior food just so you could take bc
pills? Is he really unaware that there are other methods of bc available?
Seriously, if these doctors have been telling you to wean, I would consider
changing if at all possible. There is simply no reason for a doctor to be
telling a mother of a new infant she should be formula feeding. (Unless he has
no milk and the baby is starving! Whiich is clearly not the case here.)


Naomi
CAPPA Certified Lactation Educator

(either remove spamblock or change address to to e-mail
reply.)

"Naomi Pardue" wrote in message
...

Lordy! You DEFINITELY need new doctors.
Why was the doctor telling you to put him on formula... and what kind of
idiot
gyn would want you to put a baby on inferior food just so you could take
bc
pills? Is he really unaware that there are other methods of bc available?
Seriously, if these doctors have been telling you to wean, I would
consider
changing if at all possible. There is simply no reason for a doctor to be
telling a mother of a new infant she should be formula feeding. (Unless he
has
no milk and the baby is starving! Whiich is clearly not the case here.)

Naomi
CAPPA Certified Lactation Educator
I'm not going back to the gyno. I'm upset with them anyway because they
wouldn't give me my epidural and they forgot about me in the hospital. They
forgot to circumcise the baby too. That's another story.
The ped. I'm going to stick with. He is my Dr. plus my 4 kids. I like him
and I'm just going to overlook his lack of support with bf. The baby had an
issue with allergies and he told me to give him formula instead of my milk.
I stuck it out and we are fine now. There is also a Nurse practitioner that
works with him and she was supportive and said to call her with any bf
questions. She never knew any answers when I called. I called her once
because my one boob was so much smaller than the other and wasn't making
milk. She said she would call me back with an answer on what to do and never
did. My husband had elbowed it and it hurt real bad. I pumped it regularly
and the milk is back now. I think it was a little bruised or something.
Kris