He does not drink my milk from the bottle

A mother exposed the following problem on the Facebook page of MyModernParents.com: "I am worried because in a few days I will be back to work, but I don't know how to teach my three-month-old daughter to take my milk from the bottle. I have already started pumping it. to get her used to the bottle, but I can't. "

At three months, breastfeeding is well underway and this has enabled the optimization of milk production. While it is not always easy to use the pump, with a little patience and various tests to find the best time to express, the mother should have no particular problems pumping the milk. The problem is that the little girl is used to sucking from the nipple and gestures of breastfeeding, so it is not easy for her to adapt to such a drastic change, especially at such an early age.

So what to do? Here are seven tips, with advice from Digging, midwife of the La Luna Nuova cultural association of our city, and of Chiara Losa, pediatric nurse and IBCLC breastfeeding consultant who works at the breastfeeding clinic of the Buzzi Hospital in our city.

1. Have patience, 
2. Looking for the right teat, 
3. Change position, 
4. Have others give the bottle, 
5. Talk to the baby,
6. Give the milk with the syringe,
7. Wait for the return of the mother. 

1. Be patient

The first tip is to take your time and arm yourself with a lot of patience, knowing full well that at first they will probably take one step forward and two steps back. In practice, it is a question of continuing to offer the bottle for two or three days in a row, then letting it stay for a couple of days, then trying again and so on. Sometimes a few days can be enough, sometimes it takes up to 2-3 weeks.

Obviously, however, we must make sure that this insistence you don't become a stress for the child, otherwise it will have the opposite effect.

2. Look for the right teat

Maybe the problem is not the bottle, but the teat: you can make several attempts with different teats. Usually those with one long base they are better accepted than narrow and long teats.

3. Change position

We must make the child understand that to take the bottle it does not mean giving up on mom. These are simply two different things and therefore it can help to offer the bottle in different positions than those used when breastfeeding, for example standing, walking or humming.

4. Have others give the bottle

If the mother gives the bottle, it is easy for the baby, accustomed to breastfeeding, to immediately look for the breast. For this it could be useful that giving the bottle is another person, like dad, grandmother or whoever will take care of him during maternal absence.

You can begin to have the nanny come home a few days before returning to work, pump milk and then leave the room for an hour: it is likely that the little one, not perceiving her presence, is convinced to accept the bottle.

Even in this case, however, it is advisable to try to insist (without exaggerating!) For a few days if it does not work the first time.

5. Talk to the baby

Also very useful verbal communication: when the grandmother (or the nanny) arrives, the mother tells the child that he will have to go and the milk will be given to him by the grandmother, but then he will come back soon. Mom's calm and reassuring tone of voice, repeated every day, will help calm him down in the long run.

6. Give the milk with the syringe

If you really don't want to know, you just have to switch to other methods. In particular, you can use your finger with a 10 or 20 ml syringe without needle: put the milk in the syringe and gently push it into the mouth, accompanying it with a finger, obviously clean and with a short fingernail. It takes more time, but maybe it can be a transition phase before trying again, after a few days, with the bottle.

If the baby is older, around five to six months, you can also try the glass with or without rigid spout.

7. Wait for the mother to return

Sometimes, thanks to breastfeeding permissions, the mother is able to go home after 3-4 hours and in this case she may be able to breastfeed the baby directly. There are not a few children who, rather than resign themselves to the bottle, prefer to wait for their mother to return.

As a precaution, however, Mom should still leave some supply of milk, so that those who take care of him can give him some - perhaps with a syringe or a teaspoon - in case of need or if the mother is late for a long time. In this case, feedings will likely be more frequent during the rest of the day to compensate.

Read also: The skills of the newborn, all the skills of the first days and weeks of life

Questions and answers

In a few days I'm back at work and I'd like my three-month-old baby to get used to taking my milk from a bottle. I have tried several times but does not want to. What to do?

First of all, you need to be patient. Then look for the right teat. It may be helpful to offer the baby the bottle in different positions than those used when breastfeeding, for example standing, walking or humming.

How to get your baby used to drinking milk from a bottle?

If the mother gives the bottle, it is easy for the baby, accustomed to breastfeeding, to immediately look for the breast. For this it could be useful for another person, such as dad or grandmother, to give the bottle. Furthermore, the calm and reassuring tone of voice of the mother and of those who take care of him, repeated every day, will help in the long run to reassure him and make him get used to the bottle. If you really don't want to know, you just have to switch to other methods. In particular, you can use your finger with a 10 or 20 ml syringe without a needle: you put the milk in the syringe and gently push it into your mouth, accompanying it with a finger, obviously clean and with a short nail. It takes more time, but maybe it can be a transition phase before trying again, after a few days, with the bottle.

TAG:

• breastfeeding
• back to work
• maternity