I just had baby #3 10 weeks ago and am finally going back on the mini pill. I exclusively breastfeed (no pumping, bottles or formula)... and am wondering if there are any other BC options. I have not been on the mini pill for long before, since it gave me headaches in the past. Did any of you have symptoms of anything on the mini pill? Any other contraceptives you tried while nursing?
Also.. my baby REFUSES the bottle. We try every single day... we have tried ALL those tricks, such as: having him latch onto the bottle, feeding him when he is not starving, having someone else feed him, not holding him in nursing position, changing nipples/bottles, dipping nipple into breastmilk, heating up nipple, having him go to someone else's house... everything!!! I am loving being home with him, but there are times I NEED to be gone for a few hours here or there and I currently cannot leave him at all. ANY HELP/ADVICE to help me get him to take a bottle would be great!!! The only thing we have not tried (and I REALLY do not want to try) is making him hold out (or starving him) lol. I just don't want to do that, and do not feel right about it. I waited until 6 weeks to try the bottle and I think that is where my problem started-- with my other children I never waited, and they nursed/bottle fed just fine...
Please help! Thanks so much to all of you AMAZING mamas out there!!!!
Thanks mamas!!! To answer some of your questions... I tried the IUD (mierna) but could always feel it during sex (hope this is not TMI on here)... so I had it taken out after 3 years of painful sex... and felt SO much relief when it was out. So, that is really not an option for me right now. When not nursing, I choose to use the nuva ring. For now, I am going to keep taking the mini pill and hope I do not forget it, and hope that the side effects do not affect me so much.
Baby questions--- we have tried everything... but first, we did try one thing for several days at a time. We did not switch off trying all sorts of stuff in the same day.... we did try to be consistent. Unfortunately, he does not eat every 4-5 hrs... more like 1-3 hrs, so he is fairly unpredictable for me to be able to run errands without him. Plus, he refuses a binky as well. I am going to stay positive and keep trying the bottle!!!
Thank you ALL so much!!! LOVE!!!
I use the mini pill.. so I can't help with other options... Try the breast flow bottles. That's what my lil guy uses when I have to go to work. They are made to work like the breast. He has to latch on the nipple as well... look them up! I hope that helps!
I have the Mirena and I had it put in when I was exclusively breast feeding. You should ask your OB what your options are.
As far as the bottle feeding...Have you tried the brown playtex nipples? I've heard a lot of women have had success with those type with the Playtex Nurser system. Your other option is to leave immediately after he has nursed so he's full. You should have a few hours to go do what you need to do.
I took the mini pill while breastfeeding, so I can't help you there. And we tried all of the things you've tried to get our kiddo to take the bottle at 11 weeks, and the only thing that finally worked was to get him really hungry. It took about four hours: two refused feedings, plenty of tears (on my part -and his), and finally he pounded a whole 6 oz bottle. Note: I was not in the room during any of those attemps and finally the success - my husband was in charge of that.
I know that's not what you want to hear, but it's what we finally resorted to and he took the bottle (and the breast) like a champ after that.
Good luck! ~ D.
There's always condoms ;) That's what we always used because I didn't want any hormones (however small the amount) passing to baby via my milk. I was prescribed the mini pill but didn't end up taking it because I didn't feel comfortable with the hormones passing into the milk.
I second the brown (latex) Playtex nurser nipple. It is extremely soft like the breast and the drop ins give you the ability to squirt just a tiny amount of warm breastmilk into baby's mouth so he understands what this different nipple is there for.
As for b/c, the mini-pill is your only hormone choice as long as you breastfeed. Other options, as mentioned, are condoms and IUDs. Discuss any other options available with your doctor, but I believe those are the main choices (I think mini-pill and condoms are most cost-effective if you expect to have another baby; IUDs are expensive to have put in).
I so sympathize with you on the bottle issue! My first son took a bottle no problem, so I expected the same with my second. WRONG! I just finished weaning him at almost 13 months and never successfully/consistently had him take a bottle. It was a long year, but he out-stubborned my husband and me. We DID try to starve him, but after 12 hours of not eating and constant crying/not sleeping (because he was hungry, poor guy!) I gave in. Funny thing is, he switched to cow's milk just fine and had no issues with weaning! I hope you're more successful than I was with this problem! Best of luck!
For BC, we had twin girls in Feb and while we are pretty sure we are done we didn't want to do anything permanent- at least not just yet. However, I knew I would never remember to take a pill every day while chasing a two year old and (now mobile) twins. I opted for the Mirena IUD. I LOVE it!! I don't have to remember to take a pill daily and I don't have a period!
To answer your second part, I exclusively nurse my twins as well. However, I still pumped to get a stash going for the freezer, just in case! My first daughter would take the milk however she could get it- didn't matter the bottle, the temp, anything. These 2 are a different story! After trying any bottle I could get my hands on, we finally found the Playtex drop-in with the latex (brown) nipple worked. It was the most natural nipple I found. I also gave the girls a bottle first and for us that worked, something about being snuggled up close to mom made that bottle ok. I know that doesn't work for some but it did for us. Good luck! Hopefully soon your baby will start to spread out feeding and you can run an errand here or there!
No suggestions about the mini-pill, I have no experience with it. If your experience with it is bad, I'd talk to your doctor about other options. What do you use when you're NOT breastfeeding?
As for the nursing/bottle issue. My son was the same way. Ultimately, he ended up take a bottle when I...
-pumped directly into the bottle liner, and gave it to him immediately
-used the old fashioned platex, latex nipples (brown ones)
-gave him the bottle myself
I say those things not because YOU should do exactly that, but to say just keep trying and go with what YOU think will work. (My little guy FINALLY took a bottle two days before I had to return to work!)
HTH
T.
part of the problem with "trying everything" is that you're not sticking to just one method & standing firm on it! If you stand firm, then eventually your child will latch on & will drink from the bottle. You may have some crying, you may have some thrashing, you may have a missed feeding.....but in the end, as tough as it is to ride it out, you will have a child who can take the bottle. Sometimes it's heartbreaking to be a parent! I wish you Peace!
