Need advice- starting a job- working late, 10 mo baby

[passthemanna]

My 10 month old dd still nurses to sleep and wakes up several times a night to nurse. She's never really taken a bottle, I've only tried a few times. She drank a couple ounces of water from one the other day, but didn't really know how to get the water out. It was a slow flow nipple so I'm going to buy a faster flow nipple and see if that helps. I'm going to probably be working til about 1 am a few nights a week. I'm hoping dd will drink breastmilk from a cup or sippy during the day and will be satisfied with a bottle at night- does that sound reasonable? What can dh & I do to make the transition easier for all of us? What are some other ways to get her to sleep if the bottle doesn't work? I will be able to pump at work but won't be close enough to come home to nurse. Breaks aren't always on time so it wouldn't be practical for dh to bring her to me.

[staceylayne]

I don't have any experience or suggestions...but wanted to bump this up for you in case someone else can help.

:hug

[Love is...]

How long are you going to be gone? Will she NEED to eat while you're gone, or are you more worried about comfort nursing?

She make take a bottle or sippy from your DH, but this usually works better when mom is actually gone. As in, not in the home. Some women have had success by sitting outside on the porch, telling baby bye and going to the store etc.

[ShangriLewis]

If it is just with daddy then babe may wake less, too. I would start practicing Daddy with the bottle. Just go bye bye for an hour and see what happens. I would do smaller bottles, so you don't waste milk.

I heat them up in a glass of warm water. Swirl don't shake.

I would do a meal with babe before you left with some filling food and a good long nurse.

[passthemanna]

I'm mostly worried about comfort nursing and her being able to fall back asleep. I'm not sure how many hours I'm working yet. She did take a couple oz from a bottle from my mom last night while I was making dinner :rockon

[mamacat]

It might help if you do a few practice runs beforehand and for dh to find a routine to get her settled like rocking her in a comfy chair and having the bottle or sippy to offer her

[passthemanna]

I've suggested practice runs...but it's way to cold for me to go hang outside or anything. dd is so happy/easygoing I'm sure they'll do fine. I'm thrilled she took a bottle :phew i should probably find some threads about pumping :think

[sherry]

My daughter was a bit older when I went back to work, but I think that the suggestion to establish the routines is the key. Does your husbands schedule allow for him to take over the feeds and settling to sleep for a few days running? I think the suggestions for you to be out of sight are good - but then, I think when I was going back to work it was just as hard/harder on me than it was on dd.

[mamacat]

Oh so good about the bottle.Im sure she will do just fine once everyone adjusts to the new normal.

[passthemanna]

so far everything is good. I'm still in training so I haven't worked any night shifts yet. I work from 9-5:30 on saturday & sunday- that will be the longest I've ever been away from dd...I really think I'm having a harder time than she is :giggle pumping is going well- i have at least 25 oz in the freezer & another 10 in the fridge :rockon dd wouldn't take a bottle for the girls in the church nursery and I was a little bummed because I sent 2 5 oz bottles and didn't know which she had drank off of :doh so next time I think I'll tie a string or put a rubber band around the bottles so they can take it off & I'll know which they used. Yesterday I just gave ds some of the milk and mixed the rest up with prunes and sweet potatoes for dd so it wasn't a total waste...but still 10 oz takes 2-3 days to pump!
DH has been trying to comfort dd when she wakes up if it's before we go to bed. She usually won't settle back to sleep, but she's not fussy either. I guess worst case dh will be up til 1-2 a.m. with her...at least I'm not working overnight.