What should I do if my baby doesn't want to drink the bottle when I have to go to work?

Many postpartum mothers have to face the situation of going back to work after taking maternity leave, but the baby is still in the breastfeeding period, how to feed the baby? What should I do if the baby does not want to drink the bottle when I have to go to work? Don't worry, mothers, let the editor give you some tips~

I have to go to work. What should I do if my baby is breastfed?

After the maternity leave, mothers who have been breastfeeding have encountered a big problem - they can't breastfeed on time. What should they do? How can they insist on breastfeeding and not delay work? Listen to the tips we recommend for you to preserve breast milk!

Advance preparation - adjust breastfeeding time and accumulate breast milk

Adjust the time - 1-2 weeks before the mother goes to work, start giving the baby a psychological "vaccination". Adjust and arrange the baby's breastfeeding time according to the mother's work and rest time after work to give the baby a period of adaptation. If the workplace is close to home, you can feed the baby before going to work, go home to breastfeed once during lunch break, and then feed again after get off work. In addition, a few feedings at night can basically meet the baby's needs; if you are far from home, you can express breast milk in advance and store it, ask family members to feed 1-2 times on your behalf, and then breastfeed when you return home at night.

Accumulate breast milk - You can express some breast milk 1-2 weeks in advance and store it for later use. Put the expressed breast milk into a container and freeze or refrigerate it.

Practical operation - utensils, milk storage, thawing

Step 1 - Prepare the utensils

Prepare a breast pump and milk storage utensils - it is best to use plastic products that are suitable for freezing and have good sealing, such as breast milk storage bags, followed by glass products. It is best not to use metal products, as the active factors in breast milk will adhere to glass or metal and reduce the nutrients in the breast milk.

Step 2 - Pumping

You can express and store breast milk the day before or before going to work, and label the date and time of expression on the outside of the container. This way you will know the shelf life of the breast milk to avoid uncleanness and expiration that may lead to bacterial growth and digestive tract diseases.

No matter how busy you are, mothers should ensure that they express milk every 3 hours. This can effectively prevent breast engorgement and a decrease in milk production, allowing breastfeeding to continue better. The expressed milk can also be stored so that the baby does not have to worry about not being able to eat breast milk. If the workplace does not have refrigeration equipment, mothers can prepare a mini refrigerator to temporarily store it, and let the baby eat it as soon as possible after returning home or put it in the refrigerator for refrigeration.

Step 3 - Storage

Leave some space in the container of breast milk, do not fill it too full or close the lid too tightly to prevent the container from freezing and bursting. It is best to divide breast milk into small portions (60-120ml) and freeze or refrigerate it, so that family members or nannies can feed according to the baby's appetite and avoid waste. Label it and record the date.

Precautions for storing breast milk

1. Clean your hands before handling breast milk, and be sure to express milk in a clean and hygienic room, otherwise the baby is prone to gastrointestinal diseases.

2. In order to provide the baby with abundant breast milk, the mother must have enough rest in her life.

3. Mom should not drink carbonated drinks or alcohol, and should drink more boiled water regardless of whether she is thirsty or not.

4. Keep a happy mood.

5. The benefits of breastfeeding are self-evident. If conditions permit, it is best to continue breastfeeding until the child is one year old.

Tips:

1. Breast milk can be stored at room temperature: it can be stored for 24 hours at room temperature below 15 degrees; it can be stored for 10 hours at room temperature between 19-22 degrees; it can be stored for 6 hours at room temperature of 25 degrees.

2. Store in refrigerator: 0-4 degrees can be stored for 8 days.

3. Cryopreservation: 3-5 months

Freezing breast milk is only for backup, fresh breast milk is always the most nutritionally valuable.

Babies who have been breastfed by their mothers need an adaptation process to switch to bottle feeding. During this process, we can use the following methods to help babies adapt to bottles as quickly as possible.

What should I do if my baby refuses to drink the bottle while my mother is at work?

1. Choose a high-simulation pacifier

The touch of the pacifier and the mother's nipple is extremely different. In order to let the baby adapt to the bottle as soon as possible, it is recommended to use a silicone pacifier with high simulation. At the beginning, you may wish to prepare several to find the pacifier that suits the baby best. At the same time, you should pay attention to adjusting the size of the hole on the pacifier. If the hole is too large, it is easy to choke the milk, and if the hole is too small, it is difficult for the baby to suck. These will become reasons for the baby to resist the bottle.

2. Feed your baby when he is hungry

Babies are more likely to accept a bottle when they are hungry or drowsy. It is best to choose a time when the baby is in a good mood for the first time. Never try a new feeding method when the baby is crying or sick, so as to avoid the baby's aversion to the bottle.

3. Mom should not be present

For babies who are used to breastfeeding, if the mother is around but feeds them with a bottle, it is really a torture, which will only make the baby more resistant to the bottle. Therefore, when trying bottle feeding, it is best to let a family member who is close to the baby feed him, and the mother should not be present.

4. Divert your baby’s attention

You can use sound toys or singing to divert your baby's attention. When his attention is not on the bottle, he will be more receptive. But be careful not to make your baby laugh while feeding, so as to avoid choking.

5. Pay attention to breastfeeding posture

The postures for bottle-feeding and breastfeeding are the same. It is best to sit and hold the baby in your arms, with the baby's head resting on your elbows and legs on your thighs, in a 45-degree lying position. Then hold the bottle in your other hand and gently touch the baby's lips with the nipple, and the baby will immediately open his mouth to suck.

6. Filling bottles with breast milk

If you are switching from breast milk to formula feeding, you can first put breast milk in the bottle to let the baby get used to the bottle before switching to formula. If the baby is obviously resistant to formula, it may be that he doesn't like the taste of formula. You can try changing the type of formula until you find one that the baby likes.

7. Pay attention to the temperature of the milk

Whether it is breast milk or formula, you must pay attention to the temperature of the milk when feeding with a bottle. It is recommended to choose a milk warmer, which makes it easier to control the temperature. You can scald the nipple with warm water before feeding, which makes it easier for the baby to accept it.

8. Add complementary food

Some babies don't drink from bottles, not because they don't like bottles, but because they have reached the milk aversion period and have temporarily lost interest in milk powder or breast milk. At this time, you can start adding complementary foods to your baby (generally recommended to start adding complementary foods at 6 months), such as iron-containing baby rice cereal, to help your baby slowly get through the milk aversion period. When adding complementary foods, pay attention to gradual progress, don't add too much at one time, and the types of complementary foods should also be gradually increased.

9. Prepare in advance and proceed step by step

To help your baby get used to the bottle, you should not rush it, but do it gradually. Mothers can start letting their babies learn to use bottles one week before going back to work, and divide the baby's feeding time into three periods: morning, noon, and evening. Try it in the middle period first, as the baby is more likely to accept new things at this time.

10. Stand firm

When you first start feeding with a bottle, the baby may get angry and cry, make a fuss, kick and hit. At this time, the mother must stand firm and not compromise just because she sees the baby is uncomfortable or is afraid that the baby is not eating enough, because compromise will only make all previous efforts in vain and make the baby suffer longer.

For babies, the bottle is a new thing, and it takes a process to accept it. During this process, mothers must be patient. Generally speaking, most babies will start to accept the bottle after 24 hours.