When JJ was brand new, because we were separated, he actually took formula from a bottle before he fed from me. This is normally a big no-no as apparently babies get what's called 'nipple confusion' and you might have problems getting breastfeeding established. Luckily for both of us, he was definitely not confused and breastfeeding has pretty much been a dream compared to lots of people I know - no latching problems, pain, infections, cracked nipples, etc. But enough of the bragging!
We gave him a bottle of expressed milk on a fairly regular basis, but then there was a period of about a fortnight where for one reason or another he didn't get given a bottle. Well. After that fortnight, we tried to give him a bottle and our booby boy was having none of it. (At about the same time he literally spat the dummy too - no pacifying him that way either.)
This is a bit of a problem, given I want to be able to leave him with other people - particularly given he's booked in to start at daycare when they open on January 7th, so I can go back to work!
So, first I tried various combinations of bottle and teat. Nothing doing. I asked our Karitane nurse for her advice, and she suggested putting off going back to work until he's 9 months old. Ummm, no! Her secondary suggestion, issued a little doubtfully, was that some babies can take sippy cups early, and sometimes you can go straight to a sippy cup for babies who refuse to drink from a bottle. So, we've been experimenting with sippy cups. So far we have tried 5 different types of cup, from newfangled to old school. The first 4 attempts resulted in much the same reaction.
Before:
Mum, what is this thing?
After:
Mum, that's just not right!
BUT I am pleased to report that we finally have success! And funnily enough, the cup he's taking milk from actually has a teat like an ordinary old bottle. The only difference is that it has handles and he's feeding himself, so I guess the problem wasn't the teat, it was a control issue. As my sister has so kindly pointed out, who'da thunk it that my baby has turned out to be a control freak... :-D
4 comments:
No! Rachael wouldn't have a baby with a determined streak would she?
:-P As long as he doesn't do what I did and learn to walk in the privacy of his own room - I would quite like to see his first steps. For the record, I'm sorry I did that to you!
(Mind you, it's not likely to be a problem - while he's determined, he loves being laughed at!)
I believe I also commented that Dave is hardly the type to sit back and let people do things for him either. The two of you were doomed from the start to have an independent child....
You did take your first couple of steps in the lounge where we saw you - it was just that we laughed and made a big fuss, so you then took it upon yourself to be perfect! Now, I wonder where you got that from...
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