Returning to work

Here is some information to help mums trying to return to work and organise their feeding.

There have been a few enquiries about bottle refusal and transition to bottle feeding (either EBM or formula), so here are a few tips.

Some babies will take breast or bottle and not have any trouble with the transition but it can be a trying time if you have a deadline and want to be prepared to ensure baby is getting adequate milk while you are not there.

Dealing with the transition to bottle acceptance is like any skill to be learned-repetition, perseverance and minimal stress. Consider how easy it would be for you to just change writing hands.
There is no value in trying to force feed bottle to baby as he/she will quickly learn this to be an unpleasant experience.

When trying to encourage positive baby/bottle interactions, it may take a bit of time. If you have tried and not been successful, this can cause stress as the deadline for return to work looms closer. Sometimes, being aware of your own feelings can help reduce stress.

I hope this helps:
Give yourself a month to transition (although 2 weeks should be adequate).
For a couple of days, simply have the bottle and teat you will be using close by at feed times. Introduce the bottle as a new thing-allow baby to hold it, touch it and get to know it. 
Many parents think it is the type of bottle that will bring success but more often than not, many varied types only cause a hole in the wallet and no success.

Try getting baby to take some milk from the bottle
-the best time to try is when baby is hungry but calm.
-dip the teat in breast milk to provide a familiar taste
-use small amounts at first to minimise waste
-if transitioning to formula, try breast milk in the bottle first then when the bottle is accepted, transition to formula by mixing gradual ratios ie 1/4 formula 3/4 breast milk then 1/2 1/2 and so on. Formula should still be mixed as per instructions.
The transition for each step need only be every couple of days but first bottle acceptance must be successful.
-don’t spend more than 10-15 minutes trying (remember, your aim is a positive experience)
-keep calm STRESS LESS and really try and put yourself in a calm and easy state before you try…this will probably be your biggest challenge also but is vital.
Repeat, repeat, repeat this process. You can try at a set time each day or every feed as long as it is a calm and non stressful experience. 
-try a sippy cup or small amounts with a plastic cup. It doesn’t matter how your baby gets the required amount and if they are good at or prefer the cup, that is fine.

If you have made the transition successfully and would like to reassure other mums it is possible, please feel free to share your experience.
Kathy

If you have any questions or there are any topics you would like to see in future posts please don’t hesitate to get in touch.