Just like the Randy Newman concert we already had tickets for. Having tickets gave us a deadline by which to get Yirmi to drink milk in some other way. Bottles have been a total failure, so we've been working on something that's somewhere between a bottle and a sippy cup. OK with water, but no success so far with milk. Not even with breast milk.
So here's my not-so-new theory. If you care about your baby knowing how to drink from a bottle, start him or her early. Like at 2 weeks, just every 2 or 3 days, but keep the baby knowing how and not completely avoiding it as if you're trying to shove poison down his throat, sealing his mouth with that special baby-super-glue that NO bottle will ever penetrate. You would think one would get smarter about some things as they have more kids, but my first 4 took bottles. It's the last two who haven't. And ALL the kids were breastfed (Abigail for the shortest time - just over 4 months, as she started losing weight when I got pregnant with Nomi). You might think that having Nomi breastfeed for 16 months (and therefore not being able to leave her *ever*) would have taught me a lesson, right? Nope. Maybe it's this: having six kids is tiring. Breastfeeding is a time-out. Since only I can do it, it means I *have* to do it. And during that time I *have* to sit and rest. Sounding less stupid?
Until Yirmi starts sleeping through the night (yeah, you'd think an 8-month-old could do it, when he was sleeping 7 hours straight at around a month, but he doesn't. In fact, most nights he wakes up twice or more to nurse.) I will definitely continue breastfeeding, at least at night. After that, I hope he'll be ready to give it up. After nearly 4-1/2 years of straight pregnancy-breastfeeding (x3) I'm looking forward to my body belonging to me again.
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boygirltwinsmom
12 years ago
7 comments:
Ha. Too late for the bottle advice. Would come in handy sometimes, too. At least he doesn't refuse it entirely - last we checked - which gives us a little leeway. If there's a next time it might be a little more important, though. I do see what you mean about it being time out!
Bea
good advice - We go back and forth from breast to bottle and have been since he was 6 weeks w/ no trouble
I'd love to think this is one area where we went right with Abby, but I think we just got lucky. She will drink from anything - I'm almost certain she would nurse from my earlobe were there milk in it. Goodness knows it's not for lack of effort. It's almost scary to burp her on your shoulder, an occupational hazard of sorts. And she once latched on to my nose happily. If there's a next time around, I hope we get just as lucky.
Oh dear. That happened to a friend of mine too, but then all of a sudden after months of rejecting the bottle, her son suddenly took the bottle. Go figure.
I can see why it'd be a nice break for you, though. It sounds like you and Yirmi have a bit of a win/win situation going.
Mine ended up on the bottle really quickly- refused my useless boobs! :)
But the whole body belonging to you again thing? I get it. I spent a fair chunk of 2007 and 2008 pregnant. It's nice not to be, for a while,
J
you've been tagged on a meme at my blog
http://trilcat.blogspot.com/2008/11/7-things-about-me.html
silly me thinking surely you'd seen it all and had nothing new to learn by now. piper slept long nights from very early on too but gave it up around 4-5 months and didn't get back to sleeping well until 9 or 10 months. hope you get some rest soon!
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