Thursday, January 06, 2005

Relief ...

Evelin's home, Celeste's been fed and bathed, and I've had a shot of tequila, El Tesoro de Don Felipe (Añejo). Technically, El Tesoro is a sippin' tequila, but a shot better suited my needs.

Around 5:30, Celeste's hunger beat out her aversion to the bottle and she downed the second 2-ounce one. (The first one had been out long enough to consider as spoiled.) She started it on the way out of the kitchen, sitting upright and propped against my chest — not an effective feeding position, so I shifted her when I got to a chair. That elicited a few protestations and I thought we were done with the feeding, but she calmed down and quickly downed the bottle.

Just as it was ending, Evelin called to say she was on her way home, so Celeste and I went out and watched the grader finish its work for the evening until Evelin got home.

I did a bit of reading in What to Expect the First Year and it did offer a little bit of enlightenment. I need to make less of deal about the feeding: If she ends up not eating for five-and-a-half hours, so be it.

For those babies who haven't been acclimated to a bottle, apparently, there are a few strategies to try, but each baby is different and not each method will work. One method is to offer a bottle after she's finished breastfeeding. That way the bottle is sort of a treat, not a threat to the usual nourishment source. The other method is to let the baby reject the bottle until she's hungry enough to take it. This seems to be Celeste's preferred method.

Next week, I just need to let her see the bottle and if she scrunches up her face at it, then I don't warm it up. If she gives the excited lipsmacking, then Katie, bar the door!

2 comments:

Anita said...

We've found that our little guy is not so big on the bottle either. In fact, he eats/drinks as little as possible to get by until the boob is back. I think that's at least one reason why he's not sleeping through the night any more. But it's nice for the boob(s) to be so cherished. I guess. At daycare, he sometimes skips one bottle, but drinks all the next. (we're having a hard time teaching them what "on demand" actually means) But if I think about that too much, I get too upset.

T. Carter said...

We're trying to introduce a bottle at some point each day, at least for a little while, in hopes of getting her used to it. But right now it's been bottle followed by breast or vice-versa (only data points are Friday afternoon and this morning). I'm guessing Celeste is going to feel a bit betrayed when that Tuesday bottle is followed by <gasp>another bottle</gasp>.