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Susan Hendry

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Jun 2, 1999, 3:00:00 AM6/2/99
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Hi there

My name is Susan and I am the proud mum of Thomas aged 13 weeks. As soon as
I found out that I was pregnant I swore that I was going to breast feed,
which I am. I won't say without any problems, because there was. But those
soon disappeared and he has been putting on an average of 10oz a week.

My problem at the moment is that I need to go away for the afternoon, in 2
weeks time, to a place where I cannot take Thomas. Both of his Grannies
have offered to baby-sit, so that's not a problem. My problem is that he
won't take a feed from a bottle. He only takes a bottle as a toy, chewing
on the teat and spitting out either the milk (my milk) or the water. He
doesn't take a dummy either, he plays with it as well.

Does anyone have any helpful hints or am I going to have to cancel?

Thank you for taking time to read this.

Susan & Thomas
WWW.big.currantbun.com


Suzanne Dallape'

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Jun 3, 1999, 3:00:00 AM6/3/99
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Susan Hendry wrote in message <37554938.0@news1>...

>My problem at the moment is that I need to go away for the afternoon, in 2
>weeks time, to a place where I cannot take Thomas.

How long will you be gone? Can you feed beforehand and return in enough
time to feed again?
He is quite young for this, but could you try a cup? You tilt it and the
baby laps it like a cat. It might get enough into him to sustain him for a
very short while.
Also, who is trying to give him the bottle? If it is you, he may not
want to give up "the best" for a distant second. Could Grandma try?
If it is any consolation, my son never took a bottle either--he played
with it like your son. Where are you going that you cannot take him? What
are the ramifications of canceling?
--Suzanne

Vic

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Jun 3, 1999, 3:00:00 AM6/3/99
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Hi Sue,
Just a second voice in favor of trying the cup (and some hints on
how to proceed).
Byron, who's now 7 months, and taking an Avent bottle since 5.5
months, initially refused a bottle. We tried one bottle of breastmilk
at 3 weeks, no problem. Then we (foolishly) waited until he was 6 weeks
old, and you would've thought we were torturing him! Tried about a
dozen times over 2 weeks, and it just wouldn't fly. Let it rest for 2
weeks, and tried again. No go. I was about to resign myself to never
being more than 2 hours away from him for the rest of his nursing days,
when the lactation consultants from the hospital where he was born
suggested cup feeding. I was reluctant to try the cup (didn't really
think it was possible for a baby that young to drink from one), but at
age 12 weeks he did fine! He took to it immediately. There was about
50% loss from spilling the first couple of times, but after a few tries
that loss was down to about 20%.
It's really kind of cute too, and friends and family will be amazed
that your baby drinks from a cup.
The best success I had at first was using the tiny (1 oz) plastic
medicine cups that come with liquid medicines. Since he's gotten older,
I've been using the clear plastic caps that come with the Avent
bottles. You can see the baby's mouth through the plastic, it's a soft
material, and pretty easy to keep a grip on. Surprisingly, it's really
about as efficient (he takes about 1 ounce per minute through a bottle,
from the cup, or from me) as any other method, and he seems to enjoy it
as well.
An interesting note: somewhere around the beginning of his 5th
month, he stopped lapping and started sipping. The only problem we have
with it now is that he REALLY wants to hold the cup himself, and
everytime I let him, he has spilled it. (And I hate to see my hard
earned breastmilk slosh onto the floor.) I guess now that he knows how
to drink from a "real" cup, I'll have to transition him to a "sippy" cup
just to save my carpets and floors. ;-)
Another hint: if Thomas feeds a bit from you first (just to quench
the immediate hunger, but not so full that he gets sleepy), it may go
easier the first couple of times.
Good luck,
Vicky
Mom to Jacky (12 Aug 1991) and Byron (8 Nov 1998)

ps - When I returned to the hospital's weekly breastfeeding support
group meeting last week (which we hadn't attended regularly in quite a
while) I learned that some of the pediatricians are using cup feeding
for premies! No nipple confusion, and the littlest ones apparently can
lap even before they can suck! And, yes, this is a very
pro-breastfeeding hospital. vc

--
Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.
~ George Bernard Shaw ~


Karen Beaton

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Jun 3, 1999, 3:00:00 AM6/3/99
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You mentioned that he wouldn't take a bottle, but have you tried to have someone
else give him one while you weren't there? Sometimes babies will take it from
someone else. If he's just been playing with it, has he really been hungry at
the time. I also agree with the other recommendations of trying a cup. One
other thing, how long will you be gone? You said for an afternoon-- 4 hrs? If
you topped him off before you left and left a bottle/cup for emergencies (if he
gets hungry enough he will take it), it could be possible (at 3 1/2 months) that
he could wait until you came back.

Good Luck,
Karen (mommy to Sean 12/95 and Daniel 3/98)

Susan Hendry wrote:

> Hi there
>
> My name is Susan and I am the proud mum of Thomas aged 13 weeks. As soon as
> I found out that I was pregnant I swore that I was going to breast feed,
> which I am. I won't say without any problems, because there was. But those
> soon disappeared and he has been putting on an average of 10oz a week.
>

> My problem at the moment is that I need to go away for the afternoon, in 2

Joelani

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Jun 3, 1999, 3:00:00 AM6/3/99
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Susan,

My ds also will not take a bottle- unless desperate. I had to leave him for
several hours (6) when he was very young too. My dh gave him bottles of ebm
(no more than 2 ounces in each). He would only take a little bit to ward off
hunger and basically waited for me to return! Then he power nursed!

Recently (ds was 5+ mos) I again had to leave him for six hours, left 6 ounces
of ebm (in small amounts) and he only ate one ounce while I was away. Again
nursed all afternoon. He didn't seem any worse for wear!

I wouldn't recommend making a habit of it but one day may not be too bad.

Lani

Paul Griggs

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Jun 5, 1999, 3:00:00 AM6/5/99
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He might be able to drink from an eggcup (let his daddy or grandma try and
see) or failing that, you can always spoonfeed him! laborious and a pain,
but it works. Alternatively, could your babysitter meet you midafternoon so
you could feed him yourself? Just some ideas...

Welcome to the group, by the way

Helen
(mum to Alex 24/11/98)


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