Mum's health and weaning from breast to bottle/cup

tiamai_d

Will he take expressed breast milk from a cup? The familiar taste may help the tranistion from breast to cup (I wouldn't use a bottle at this age to be honest). The texture or cows milk is more like the texture of breast milk also.

Bettyboop

daphne_descends wrote: »

What medication would you be taking?

Check here http://www.breastfeedingnetwork.org.uk/drugline-information-and-factsheets.html to see whether you can in fact still breastfeed - bear in mind that whatever medication you are taking, the impact on your milk and therefore your baby will be vastly different when feeding a 1-year-old than when feeding a newborn.

Unfortunately GPs and HVs are often a bit misinformed about medication and breastfeeding.

I think the GP mentioned the medication would be amnitriptilyne (spelling)?, I have tried the Tommee Tippee bottles and Avent but agree with nadnad that as my son is 1 a cup will be much better. I bought him a special one just for this but he is just to little to understand that it's for milk and and his other one for water. He is a very fussy eater and although I see where you are coming from with the cost of formula etc, if my little one isn't eating properly then formula is what he should have. Cows milk is fine but has nowhere near the same amount of nutrition in it. HOWEVER, we are going to try cows milk again tomorrow and whichever one he takes to will be the one I will give him...Seeing the Health Visitor next week for some more advice on this. My husband is quite lazy and last night when my son woke up I asked him to try and and put him back to sleep. I have been ill for a week now and am drained to death....no exaggeration either. He just said he doesn't want him, he wants me. Well obviously because I'm the milkshake cafe!

Bettyboop

bestpud wrote: »

I think it likely the OP won't want to take meds and breastfeed, no matter what her GP says tbh.

I hope this isn't crossing into medical advice but my GP would not give a definitive answer on this, because they can't basically. Neither did I find enough information to out my mind at rest.

It was all very vague I felt and 'vague' isn't easy for someone suffering from anxiety.

I don't mind taking medicine if it is safe to do so while breastfeeding. The problem is the particular course of medication cannot be given to breastfeeding mothers and she cannot offer me something else. In the meantime I am trying to take things easy (easier said than done)! At the end of the day my son is most important and I would never take anything unless absolutely necessary and I will also need to know that whatever is passing through milk will not effect him in any way.

Bettyboop

tiamai_d wrote: »

Will he take expressed breast milk from a cup? The familiar taste may help the tranistion from breast to cup (I wouldn't use a bottle at this age to be honest). The texture or cows milk is more like the texture of breast milk also.

I have tried this aswell. Served it warm and another time at the same temperature it came out - whatever that is. He's definitely a stubborn little man :rolleyes: .

I can't seem to type today!

tiamai_d

Bettyboop wrote: »

I have tried this aswell. Served it warm and another time at the same temperature it came out - whatever that is. He's definitely a stubborn little man :rolleyes: .

I can't seem to type today!

I think then you are going to have to grin and bear a week of hell, which will be hard on you both but if it works, then it's worth it.

Stop breast feeding and offer milk in his new cup. He will scream and strop but a week without milk won't harm him in the long run. It will make you feel awful though so be prepared, but a Mummy has to do what a Mummy has to do.

DS2 had formula milk till 18 months as he needed the extra iron (he was prem and it was formula or sytron added to cows milk which was yuck). Speak to your health visitor about this if you are worried.

Another thing, when you are giving him his cup or milk, is he sitting at his chair or are you cuddling him? He may be missing the closeness of breast feeding if he is sitting at his chair. Cuddling him while he drinks may be another small step to ease him into feeding from a cup.

Is he getting his water in a cup or bottle? Have you tried milk in his water cup?

Bettyboop

tiamai_d wrote: »

I think then you are going to have to grin and bear a week of hell, which will be hard on you both but if it works, then it's worth it.

Stop breast feeding and offer milk in his new cup. He will scream and strop but a week without milk won't harm him in the long run. It will make you feel awful though so be prepared, but a Mummy has to do what a Mummy has to do.

DS2 had formula milk till 18 months as he needed the extra iron (he was prem and it was formula or sytron added to cows milk which was yuck). Speak to your health visitor about this if you are worried.

Another thing, when you are giving him his cup or milk, is he sitting at his chair or are you cuddling him? He may be missing the closeness of breast feeding if he is sitting at his chair. Cuddling him while he drinks may be another small step to ease him into feeding from a cup.

Is he getting his water in a cup or bottle? Have you tried milk in his water cup?

Both cups are identical just different colours. These cups were my 3rd purchase before he would take water from anything. With a bottle he just shakes it around and throws it....with a smile on his face of course. I have tried giving him milk in his booster chair, on my lap, after the bath while I'm putting his nappy, reading him a book..... and even out and about in the pushchair.

I can see that it's lookinf more and more like I will have to just stop and that will be heart wrenching hearing him cry for me.... First time around I gradually stopped so the boobs did not hurt by stopping straight away I'm sure it's going to be painful.

Edited to add that he does have water in a cup. Sometimes he spits it out on his clothes and other times he drinks it. He is actually getting better with having water.

tiamai_d

With DS2 I stopped suddenly and painfully (incident when he was in SCBU with a nurse). If you do decide to stop fully, wear a tight bra, have lots of breast pads and do not express unless it is unbearable, even at that only enough to ease the pressure. A warm bath will ease the pain as you will probably leak milk (and tears no doubt). But it wont last forever. My milk dryed up within 3 days, although I had only been feeding (and expressing) for 2 weeks. It may be different after so long.

He will eventually use a cup too.

jammydodga

Hiya, try looking on here https://www.safefetus.com

I stopped feeding ds at the beninning of jan after 27 months, so i know how hellish it is to stop, and he has only just started sleeping through (although i am now expecting another, no rest for the wicked!).

What i found worked was to cut out one feed every 3-4 days, he soon got used to not feeding.

bestpud

Bettyboop wrote: »

I don't mind taking medicine if it is safe to do so while breastfeeding. The problem is the particular course of medication cannot be given to breastfeeding mothers and she cannot offer me something else. In the meantime I am trying to take things easy (easier said than done)! At the end of the day my son is most important and I would never take anything unless absolutely necessary and I will also need to know that whatever is passing through milk will not effect him in any way.

That was the sticking point for me as they could not, or would not, say for sure iyswim? Not the same meds though, nor exactly the same problem, but your last statement shows you think the same way I did about it.

Would your HV be able to have a chat with your OH and explain how things are for you? And, more to the point, make it clear to him he will be doing everything for his son if you end up being unable to cope at all!

Or would he go to your GP with you and let him/her try and get through to him?

Thinking of HVs, have they offered you a support worker at all? I used to have someone come once a week and play with my littlies while I had time out. Not that I felt able to leave them with her, but it did help (a lot) to have someone to occupy them for an hour.

Or what about Homestart?

Tabithajay

You deserve a huge pat on the back for breastfeeding for a year. I managed six months with my 2nd child and it was the hardest thing I ever did. Harder than labour for me! When I stopped feeding my daughter, the only bottle she would take was the tommee tippee closer to nature. As for cows milk, I had to start by making up a 6 ounce formula bottle and adding a bit of cows milk and gradually increasing the ratio, as she totally refused cows milk in the beginning. Now she loves her bottle of milk morning and night, or her "bog" as she calls it! If you struggle with him taking any formula or milk initially, you could make sure he has plenty of calcium rich foods and yogurts or milk based desserts. Good luck, hope you are feeling better soon. I can really sympathise with the sleepless nights