https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Thu, 07 May 2026 23:23:36 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-bf-and-plan-to-return-to-work#post-2237045 Wed, 15 Jul 2015 09:32:17 +0000 MrsKoala 2237045@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@PawPrints: Keep offering the breast! My LO went through several nursing strikes and we got through them. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-bf-and-plan-to-return-to-work#post-2236864 Wed, 15 Jul 2015 03:10:47 +0000 Pumuckl 2236864@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@PawPrints: oh no! Hope it passes soon. Maybe he's teething and it hurts more to nurse than to take the bottle? I'd definitely keep on trying to feed per breast. Does he have regular intervals at which he eats (like every 3h or so)? Then you could maybe offer a little before he's mega hungry because maybe he prefers the bottle because it's "easier". </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-bf-and-plan-to-return-to-work#post-2236846 Tue, 14 Jul 2015 23:43:05 +0000 PawPrints 2236846@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Update: Well, the plan worked a little too well and LO is now demonstrating a raging bottle preference. She rejected the breast at every feeding between 7am and 5pm today. :( I am going to go crazy if I have to start pumping/bottlefeeding her when I'm by myself all day. Evenings are okay since DH can give her the bottle while I pump, and MOTN feedings she's usually sleepy enough to accept the breast. I have no idea why she's so angry when I try to feed her. I may try reintroducing the nipple shield (that we weaned off at 3 weeks old, ugh) since it's similar to the bottle nipple. I went to a LC yesterday and her weight gain has slowed a lot, I'm sure related to this fussiness/screaminess at the breast. She has gained only half an ounce per day since her 2-month appointment. I really hope this improves soon. I don't know if I could handle if we have to go all the way to EPing. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-bf-and-plan-to-return-to-work#post-2228087 Mon, 06 Jul 2015 18:24:47 +0000 PawPrints 2228087@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@dc yoga bee: Just the regular Medela plastic 5 oz bottles and a slow flow (but not preemie) nipple. We may try switching to the preemie one. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-bf-and-plan-to-return-to-work#post-2228081 Mon, 06 Jul 2015 18:19:30 +0000 dc yoga bee 2228081@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@PawPrints: what kind of bottle are you using? We've tried lots. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-bf-and-plan-to-return-to-work#post-2228079 Mon, 06 Jul 2015 18:14:28 +0000 PawPrints 2228079@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Thanks for the replies, sounds like bottle refusal is a much bigger problem and a much more important concern than breast refusal. If she refuses a bottle when she goes to daycare we will be screwed. I hadn't been considering that possibility since she has loved the bottle since we started giving it to her at four weeks old.</p> <p>So I guess I'll plan to pump every other day or so and give her a bottle 2-3 times a week to keep her accustomed to it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-bf-and-plan-to-return-to-work#post-2228077 Mon, 06 Jul 2015 18:12:26 +0000 Jess1483 2228077@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@dc yoga bee: depends on the person (my milk lasts about 5 hours), but if it's as old as she usually rejects, then it's perfect to try. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-bf-and-plan-to-return-to-work#post-2228070 Mon, 06 Jul 2015 18:04:13 +0000 dc yoga bee 2228070@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MrsBrewer: I try to pump between 9-10 am which is when I plan to pump at work, and then again some random time at night. But, in reality I have to pump before she eats and I pump 2-4 ounces each breast, but she still seems to get plenty. </p> <p>@yellowbird: Thanks! The doctor made me worried! I'm trying to get this reflux under control first!</p> <p>@Jess1483: I pumped at 12:30ish. Is that old enough to taste or should I thaw some milk from last night? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-bf-and-plan-to-return-to-work#post-2228044 Mon, 06 Jul 2015 17:17:28 +0000 Jess1483 2228044@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@dc yoga bee: have you tasted your milk? I have an issue with excess lipase that makes my stored bm taste gross. I can fix it, but it caused a huge bottle refusal issue for my guy. Check it out (not fresh pumped, check stuff that has been stored) and let me know if it tastes bad. If so, I can give you more info. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-bf-and-plan-to-return-to-work#post-2228042 Mon, 06 Jul 2015 17:16:48 +0000 yellowbird 2228042@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@dc yoga bee: my son wouldn't take a bottle before going to daycare and he does just fine there, so don't worry yourself too much on your last 2 weeks home! I wish I hadn't! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-bf-and-plan-to-return-to-work#post-2228039 Mon, 06 Jul 2015 17:08:38 +0000 MrsBrewer 2228039@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@dc yoga bee: when do you pump?! I'm having a hard time finding time to pump. I just don't want to drain my breasts and then have LO wake up and need to eat but I won't have any milk then. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-bf-and-plan-to-return-to-work#post-2228035 Mon, 06 Jul 2015 17:00:48 +0000 blackbird 2228035@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>He gets one every day or every other day. I pump right before I go to the gym and sometimes he drinks it, but sometimes he sleeps the hour I'm gone. I haven't noticed a preference yet. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-bf-and-plan-to-return-to-work#post-2227960 Mon, 06 Jul 2015 15:53:54 +0000 mfa_lady 2227960@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Could you try mixing up the time of day that you give her the bottle? That way, it won't be part of her routine like the witching hour bottle was--sounds like that was part of the problem, that she started expecting it. You could keep making sure she'd take a bottle, but mix it up a bit. :) Good luck, mama! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-bf-and-plan-to-return-to-work#post-2227958 Mon, 06 Jul 2015 15:53:30 +0000 Mrs. Coral 2227958@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We also gave a bottle at bedtime to ward off bottle refusal. It was great to get a break and DH got some bonding time. When we skipped a few days out of pure laziness, it was a trip to get her to take a bottle again. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-bf-and-plan-to-return-to-work#post-2227927 Mon, 06 Jul 2015 15:22:03 +0000 MrsKoala 2227927@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We gave him a bottle once a day from 2 weeks to 6 weeks to gear him up. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-bf-and-plan-to-return-to-work#post-2227919 Mon, 06 Jul 2015 15:15:45 +0000 mrsbubbletea 2227919@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@LuLu Mom: @Pumuckl: @dc yoga bee: ditto! My son did great with the bottle the first few times. Then we got lazy and the times I would and he'd take a little bit only I always assumed he wasn't hungry. Well fast forward to<br /> 5m old when I went back to work and it was a nightmare! To this day he sometimes takes up to 3-4 3 oz bottles but other times takes as little as 2 oz the entire 9 hours I am gone. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-bf-and-plan-to-return-to-work#post-2227913 Mon, 06 Jul 2015 15:10:37 +0000 danda 2227913@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'd definitely keep giving a bottle every day or two...bottle refusal is no joke! We dealt with it after I stopped trying to bottle feed frequently betwen 4-8 weeks old...my daughter refused bottles by 2 months old and it was a lot of work to get her to reliably take one by the time she started daycare at 4 months. Just make sure you pump at least as much milk as gets consumed. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-bf-and-plan-to-return-to-work#post-2227874 Mon, 06 Jul 2015 14:42:56 +0000 dc yoga bee 2227874@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Opposite problem here as well in that she won't take a bottle, and I go back to work in two weeks. The doctor was concerned this morning, and said she should be getting at least one to two bottles a day by this point. I pump regularly because I'm engorged, and now I'm going to start leaving for an hour each night for DH to give her a bottle! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-bf-and-plan-to-return-to-work#post-2227869 Mon, 06 Jul 2015 14:39:11 +0000 snowjewelz 2227869@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would still give a bottle regularly. DD first refused bottles, then had a nursing strike once she was on the bottle (she would take bottle 3x while I'm at work). It was stressful both times, as I was forced to pump even at home when she refused to nurse (it lasted ~2 weeks), but then not taking a bottle was even worse since I physically was not there to let her have another option. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-bf-and-plan-to-return-to-work#post-2227845 Mon, 06 Jul 2015 14:20:40 +0000 LuLu Mom 2227845@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We also have the opposite problem, my child refuses to take a bottle. She's been at daycare for 3 weeks and we are lucky if she takes 4 oz the entire day. She took it fine the first few weeks, so I got lazy and just breastfeed, and then when I tried to go back she refused. I wouldn't give up on it completely! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-bf-and-plan-to-return-to-work#post-2227844 Mon, 06 Jul 2015 14:19:56 +0000 NeekieRose 2227844@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm already back at work with a 3 month old, but before I went back I was giving her a bottle at random times. So getting a bottle didn't become part of any routine. I would continue to give a bottle since I'd be scared that she wouldn't take the bottle when you go back to work and you really need her to. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-bf-and-plan-to-return-to-work#post-2227843 Mon, 06 Jul 2015 14:15:53 +0000 Pumuckl 2227843@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We had the opposite problem a month or so ago when my 5month old completely refused the bottle although she had taken it earlier in her life. So now we're feeding her a bottle of pumped milk for her midday feed most days. When we're traveling we skip it though.</p> <p>ETA: So I'd not drop bottles completely and give one on at least a semi regular basis. Is not doing so at his witching hour a feasible option? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-bf-and-plan-to-return-to-work#post-2227840 Mon, 06 Jul 2015 14:14:17 +0000 Ajsmommy 2227840@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I pumped to add to my freezer stash. Once DD was sleeping a big solid chunk at night, which started around 9 weeks I would pump right before I went to bed and add it to my freezer stash. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-bf-and-plan-to-return-to-work#post-2227835 Mon, 06 Jul 2015 14:09:03 +0000 PawPrints 2227835@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>If you are breastfeeding and planning to return to work, how often do you give LO a pumped bottle?</p> <p>We were doing a pumped bottle every evening, supposedly to make sure she would keep taking the bottle so she's ready for daycare. She won't be in daycare until she is 7 months old, she's 3 months now. I realized we were starting to use the evening daily bottle as a crutch to get us through the fussy witching hour and that it probably wasn't a good thing that I was unable to reliably breastfeed for any given 24-hour cycle. (Particularly worried about this for our upcoming vacation, for which I'd really love to leave all the pumping/feeding stuff at home). So, for the last few days we went through a concerted effort to wean her off the bottle and back onto the boob, which was fraught with some screaming and tears (not all of them LO's) but I think we are through it now. We have now gone 3.5 days without a bottle and LO seems much happier about the exclusive boob feeding.</p> <p>But now I'm wondering, do I just stop pumping entirely? Or pump solely to add to my freezer stash? (I've got a solid freezer stash already). Or start giving her a bottle every few days or something? What is your approach? </p>