Went Back to Work and Baby Will Only Nurse at Night, Please Help!

I nursed my son (now 19) until he was 16 months (only morning and night after I went back to work at nine months) when he weaned himself. My daughter (now 12) wouldn't take a bottle from anyone when I went back to work at 4 mos, so she nursed all night and didn't eat all day. I had to stop nursing her when I got home and have her Dad give her a bottle, so finally she easily took a bottle. I tried to nurse her night and morning like her brother, but she began refusing the breast, and entirely weaned her self within a month :(

Hope this helps.

You say that you have her on a #2 nipple for the bottle. That is much much faster then breastfeeding, so I would have to agree with others that you little girl probably has realized that drinking from a bottle is easier. For breastfeed babies I have heard it suggested to keep them on the slowest nipple that the baby can deal with. My little girl actually started a bottle on the premie or #0 nipples when we started her on a bottle (had to go back to work at 8 weeks). After not too long she moved up to the #1's, but at 4 months I have no intention yet of moving up to #2's, because it isn't bothering her. The main point of my blathering is that if your daughter won't take a bottle with a nipple slower then a #2 she probably thinks that breastfeeding is just way too slow and too much work.

Hi T.-
If you can't nurse her regularly and she is being finicky about going back and forth, then maybe strictly pump (on a regular schedule) and put your breast milk in a bottle. If your supply is starting to drop, take fenugreek. Both of my sisters had no luck with the tea but a lot of luck with the capsules. Ignore the warning on the back about breast feeding mothers and ask your doctor how much he recommends you take.
Your supply should stabilize and maybe even increase enough for you to put some into the freezer.
My sister had no luck with nursing but insisted on breast milk, which is awesome, so pumping was it for her.
I hope this helps.

My son didn't start nursing well until I stopped pumping altogether. He was about 1 month old. After that, he got it. There was enough milk and it wasn't frustrating for him. I did not have to go back to work, but we did supplement with formula. He had both breast milk and formula til he weaned himself at 9 months old.

Hello T.: I am one of the lucky ones that wet nursed since I had an abundance- but I work with a wonderful woman whose newborn had to stay in the hospital for 2 months since she was a premie. I know that she had a hard time but was able to use her pump at work and we made accomindation for her needs,so you might check about that for your child.
I know that I used a cup inside my bra that caught all my leaking milk and then I froze it or put it into a Thermos -- they are called Sweedish Milking Cups and since I hated to use a pump I squeezed it out of the breast. For the babies that I wet nursed I found that I would use a dropper to get it started and then squeezed milk into their mouth until they could or would do it naturally. Since your baby is only 4 months she is going through alot of changes all at once so she may still nurse and accept your milk - even if you have to only do it the way you are please don't get discouraged as it is the best gift that you can do for her at this tender age. I appreciate that you have to work and are fighting this and the concern you have but keep up the struggle its worth it 5 years down the road. Nana G

Anything with malt, like Ovomaltine, or even milk itself, will help your milk supply stay up. Maybe check with your doctor or pharmacist. If you're pumping I hope you're at least giving your baby this milk in a bottle. In this way at least she's getting your Mother's milk. If she's small (and perhaps 'weak') this could be causing her troubles. It takes a lot more effort to feed from the breast than from a bottle, so maybe she's just decided she can't/won't make this effort. I breastfed my son for 16 months, however, I admit I wasn't a milk machine and from early on I did give him formula supplements, too. He also had trouble early on with breastfeeding; was quite weak after his circumcision. I was advised to pump, then have my partner feed him the bottle as to avoid any confusion. That is, mommy gives the breast, partner or anyone else gives the bottle. You're daughter's now older (4 mos.) but it's true she's probably got it figured drinking from a bottle is better/easier, which means you may be stuck with pumping until (if/when) she changes her mind. Keep her strong, even if she has to have some supplemental milk formula and maybe with this renewed energy she'll be interested in breastfeeding again. Do consult an expert in this field, as it's clear that it's a concern to you. Good luck.

Hi T.,
Have you tried a nipple shield? It's a very thin plastic shield that fits over your arreola...Medela makes one, I picked one up at Target and used it when my baby was nipple confused. You could give that a try as a tool to get your baby back to the breast. You may want to talk to your lactation consultant too.
Good luck!

My daughter did not have a good latch, as we found out when we hired a lactation consultant to come in. In fact, she was working so hard, she would loose weight, 2 oz., when she nursed. The LC worked with me and the baby and finally we both had it working well.

Since you already have an older daughter this might not be the issue, but it might worth checking out.

Stephanie