How to switch from breastfeeding to bottles?

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GIRLY


My baby is now 1 month, and I totally breasfeed her. I need go back to work soon and start pumping & train her with bottle, but she refuse and keep crying until I give up and give breast. Any suggestion?


Answer
My baby is now 3 months and exclusively breastfed. I've been pumping milk for a while now and freezing it so that I'll have some on hand when I need to leave him with a sitter or am
unable to feed him for whatever reason. (it actually happened last week - I had to take a medication that passes into breastmilk and could not nurse him for 24 hours)
But it's hard. My baby HATES to take a bottle. He cries, screams, and just totally throws a fit. Sometimes it takes until he screams himself to sleep then wakes up again before he'll finally drink from the bottle.
Some things that you can try are:
-Try a couple different nipples. Different babies prefer different shapes and feels depending on the shape of the mouth and also the way your nipple feels in their mouth. My friends' babies all use the expensive Avent or Dr. Browns nipples but mine prefers the regular Gerber silicone ones. (lucky for me, they're 1/3 the price!!)
-Have someone else give the bottle. Once baby sees/smells you, she wants what you've got!!!
-The person giving the bottle should be very familiar to baby. My son would sometimes start drinking from the bottle, then open his eyes and when he saw it wasn't me, but his aunt or grandpa instead he'd stop drinking and start screaming again. But if he sees his Papa he's ok because he recognizes him.
-Leave the room completely while someone else is giving the bottle. Don't distract him, if you're there he will want you!!!
-Don't give up, or give in and offer the breast right away. Sooth baby every way you know how, EXCEPT by nursing!! If you give in when baby screams she quickly learns that if she doesn't feel like drinking from a bottle she doesn't need to, you'll give her the breast if she fusses.
-When your baby gets hungry she will eventually take the bottle. Be patient, and loving, and try not to be stressed about it because baby feels your nervousness! She is OK, if she won't drink then she's just not THAT hungry yet... she'll get it right in time!

Good luck.



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