He’s a boob man
I used to think that mothers who claimed their babies wouldn’t take a bottle were full of it.
(Ducks and covers while onlookers throw rotten tomatoes.)
The way I saw it, I had two kids who were happily breastfed, neither of whom were thrilled with the bottle the first few times it was presented. But by the time I went back to work when they were nine weeks old, they willingly and consistently took bottles. If I could do it (and so could my kids), why couldn’t others do the same?
Oliver accepted one bottle in the hospital, and ever since he’s turned up his nose at all the rest. He doesn’t even want the Adiri bottle that looks like a breast. This little guy is most definitely a boob man.
Granted, we haven’t pushed him to take a bottle the way we did with the girls. Knowing that I was headed back to work on a particular date gave me an incentive to introduce the bottle to them early and frequently. With Oliver, I don’t have that same incentive. There’s no deadline by which he must learn to take a bottle.
Likewise, I have to admit that I’m loathe to cause him any consternation unless I absolutely have to. That is, his sisters make enough noise already that I don’t need him to add to the racket. There’s so much crying in this house that I have to restrain myself from joining in.
And so I continue to function as the sole source of nourishment.
I’m trying to look at the bright side here. I never expected to have the opportunity to nurse another baby, and I savor the closeness. Both girls self-weaned at around five months – apparently solid food was much more appealing; breast milk was for babies. Hopefully Oliver will nurse longer, and I can put the money that I’d have otherwise spent on formula into his college fund.
But it goes to show that even if you’ve already had one baby (or two, or three, or more) that they can surprise you and challenge your assumptions. And serve up some tasty crow while they’re at it.
So to all of those mothers whose babies wouldn’t take a bottle, those mothers whom I silently and unfairly judged – I’m sorry. I’ve gotten my comeuppance, and it serves me right.
——————————
More baby blather (including photo) over at Mile High Mamas.
Thanks for your good wishes for my friend. We’re confident that he’s going to be just fine.
April 23rd, 2008 at 6:12 am
Heh. I’m having the same situation. When Alliclaus would take a bottle at playgroup, I’d hear what I then called the “self-righteous breastfeeders” tell me that they wished their little ones would take bottles, but that they just refused. Please, I thought. Don’t give them a choice and they’ll take it. Except. Now little Mimiclaus won’t take a bottle and I’m feeling a little bitchy for all the things I used to think. Glad to know I’m not alone.
April 23rd, 2008 at 6:45 am
I had the same scenario with my youngest. I didn’t go back into the office until she was 11 months old so I wasn’t really encouraging her to take a bottle and when I did I had to do a little mommy trickery (put on a Baby Einstein video) in order to distract her so I could give my boobs a break!
Yea for boob men (and girls). It does save a LOT of money as far as formula goes.
April 23rd, 2008 at 7:15 am
On the plus side, no pumping?
April 23rd, 2008 at 7:56 am
My son was the same way. I think he only took a bottle 2-3 times. Boob man all the way. At least I didn’t have to wean him off the bottle then. He went from boob to sippy.
Oliver is adorable. Happy almost 3 months!
April 23rd, 2008 at 7:58 am
Those eyes are heart-wrenchingly gorgeous, but I’m sure you know that already. My daughter won’t take anything but a bottle in the evenings. We can’t really figure out why, since she’s breastfed at every other time of the day. I guess she just wants daddy time.
April 23rd, 2008 at 8:30 am
Apology accepted! It sucks. My son never took a bottle so I would say if that’s the case, try sippy cups early. My daughter took a bottle until I had to have my gall bladder removed and had to take a 2 day nursing hiatus. I kept offering and she eventually came around to taking the bottle again 3 or 4 months later. She drank her milk out of a bottle until she was over 2 years old. Keep trying and I know it sucks as far as your freedom goes…
April 23rd, 2008 at 12:11 pm
Since I’ve had a baby, I’m mentally eaten crow so. many. darn. times. The things we think until we’ve walked a mile in another shoes, you know? I try very hard not to judge any parent about their decisions now in general (there are still some things that are never okay to me).
Good luck with the boob man!
April 23rd, 2008 at 2:10 pm
I’m so hoping to be surprised. SO HOPING. Although, I kinda hope those surprises don’t include refusal of bottle. Or binkies. Or any other mom-prop…
April 23rd, 2008 at 2:19 pm
I even bought my son a shirt that said “Boob Man” on it. He did eventually use a bottle to take enough nourishment to make it through the day when I went back to work (he was 9 months already), but he never took the bottle willingly. Now, at 16 months, he still is a boob man. Nothing satisfies like a little mommy milk. LOL! I got off track.
I have eaten crow so many times already. I have to remind myself that just because it works for me and this baby, doesn’t mean that it is this way (easy or hard) for others.
April 23rd, 2008 at 5:11 pm
I would never throw tomatoes at you. Just every one of the thousands of bottles we tried w/ Chicky when she refused to do anything but nurse for almost three months.
April 23rd, 2008 at 7:54 pm
Ha, you are me 9 months later. I couldn’t believe Sage wasn’t taking a bottle. NOT MY DAUGHTER.
I still have a whole bag full of possibilities I could send you – we stopped trying once we find that Adiri.
April 23rd, 2008 at 7:54 pm
Me use good grammar. Me speak good on no sleep.
April 23rd, 2008 at 9:24 pm
I wouldn’t throw rotten tomatoes. I’d throw my BOOBS.
So long as you’ll not start to cry with the rest of the household.
April 24th, 2008 at 8:43 am
Quinlan was the same way. When Drew took a bottle, I was shocked. Maybe Kyle wants to wear one of those man boob thing.
April 24th, 2008 at 8:45 am
Ugh, going through same thing with Baby B. 8 mos old. Will not take a bottle from anyone and is starting to refuse nursing (for anything else interesting going on). She won’t even use a pacifier… the only time I can get her to nurse good is when she’s tired – and I suspect I’m just a human pacifier
Glad to read some of the comments because I hadn’t really thought of introducing the tippy cup… she may go for that.
April 29th, 2008 at 3:12 am
Since I didn’t go back to work after my daughter was born, I never really felt the pressure to get her to take a bottle. She did for awhile but then at about four months decided she wouldn’t. I didn’t mind as I really enjoyed our breastfeeding relationship and once she started solids at six months, she was feeding less anyway. When she would hold a cup on her own that helped tremendously and I didn’t feel put upon. I actually grew happier with breastfeeding as time wore on and wanted her to nurse for longer than she did. She up and decided at 17 months that she was done and I was so sad that I cried!
Who knows what my next child will be like, I might feel differently if he or she wants to feed 24/7.
May 7th, 2008 at 5:42 am
I tried and tried and tried to get my second to take a bottle. The first time she drank my milk out of anything other than my breast was at 7 months from a sippy cup that I held. That novelty lasted all of about 2 days. I was thrilled, but by that point, the need was moot.
I had really wanted her to take a bottle just so I could get a breather. I survived those early months, but just barely.
Kellys last blog post..Five
April 20th, 2009 at 8:07 pm
[...] The boy is, and forever will be, a boob man. [...]
April 20th, 2009 at 9:27 pm
[...] Breastfeeding is a leash that keeps me tied to him (along with his stubborn refusal to accept a bottle or sippy cup). I have to consider his need for me in all plans that I make – and to be honest, I’m [...]