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my LO is almost 5 months and does not take a bottle. she does not eat while I am at work, but my shifts are only 5 to 6 hours. She makes up for it when I am home by eaten 8 ounces or more when I walk in the door! She also eats more at night. And other than work, I don't really leave her often. And I am the only person who can put her to bed at night. I have just accepted that!

I was going to say reverse cycling. That's what we do if DD stays with my mom and decides not to eat or if she has a distracted day. I also have a few friends that do this with their babies who are in daycare.

My lo was drinking from the breast and a bottle right after she was born. Then I was only giving her bottles at night but she started doing so much better with the breast that I quit bottle feeding because it was finaly easier! Now she refuses the bottle. I do stay home with her but now I'm wondering if I will ever get a chance to go anywhere without her! Should I try and re introduce the bottle? To be honest it's SO nice not having to pump at all! The only thing is is what if something comes up and I can't feed her, then what?

Mine has not since she was 5 days old in the NICU. As she started eating more solids, I've been able to leave her longer and longer. at 11 months I was able to leave her all day with my husband, and she was just fine. Have you tried leaving yours? If they're eating a good amount of solids, breastfeeding may be more of a 'want' than a 'need' at this point. I know I couldn't be around her and deny her the boob, but she can go a long time without it if I'm not there.

And as to before that point, I just didn't. Saying that out loud makes it sound really confining and awful, but it never felt terrible. I was really never away from her for more than a few hours before about 10 or 11 months.

Now that my youngest is almost 7 months he is eating every 4-5 hours now so I can leave him for longer periods. Or if I am out I just nurse him wherever I'm at. I've gotten comfortable nursing almost anywhere now. I just have to plan on wearing a nursing tank with some kind of low v-neck cardigan over so all I do is unclip the tank. Makes a world of a difference than to be fussing with a shirt and a nursing bra and worrying someone is going to see my side fat.

My LO only took a bottle rarely after 6 months and pretty much never after 8 months. But she didn't need it. I'd be gone 8 or so hours teaching and I'd leave milk but she wouldn't drink it even out of a cup. By that age she got by enough on juice or water and other foods for the time I was gone. She was anxious to nurse when I got back though.