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The Nursing Baby - Q&A

I wanted to reassure you that even if you have difficulty giving bottles, your caregiver may not. I would not even try to give bottles yourself, it may seem threatening to your baby to be given a bottle from yourself rather than breastmilk. Your baby may continue to refuse bottles of milk as long as you are in the house. Even at that age, they can be smart enough to know mother has milk for them. It isn't necessary to teach a baby to be a good bottle drinker before the first separation, although it is helpful, of course.

Some tips for your caregiver while you are away:

1. Wait to feed until baby is actively hungry (but preferably not crying).
2. Make sure milk is blood temperature.
3. Try feeding baby in a variety of methods. Some want to be snuggled up, other breastfed babies may prefer a bottle sitting in a bouncy seat (feels different from nursing, just like the bottle). Other babies will accept a bottle if the caregiver tries to give it while walking.
4. If baby turns away, take it as a sign of refusal and accept it. They can try again later. You want to prevent baby actually fearing the bottle if it's put in his mouth when he's turned away. Babies are at the mercy of caregivers with bottles, unlike with the breast (have you ever tried to feed a baby from the breast who refused)?
5. Finally, there is a possibility that your baby may choose to go 6 hours a day without any additional breastmilk/formula. Take this as a compliment, and be assured that if you are nursing on demand, your baby *will* receive all that he needs. My own baby would (between 4-6 months) go 4 hours with nothing till I nursed him, and sometimes would not accept anything in the afternoon which made it another 6 hours without food. This made for a busy evening with a lot of nursing. If this is the case, you'll need assistance in the evening getting supper and cleaning. Don't try to be a wondermom!