Soon, you'll be going back to work. This means you'll be less present at home and less available for your baby's feedings. However, there's no question of stopping breastfeeding. Your solution? Pumping. In fact, you're already prepared. You've bought all the equipment: a breast pump, breastfeeding bottles, and an adapter ring to express your milk directly into the bottle. The problem is: your baby isn't ready and is completely refusing pumping. Before you panic and change your plans, discover our 10 tips to help you turn things around.
SUMMARY :
- 4 technical tips to make pumping and breastfeeding easier
- 2 methods to keep baby occupied and improve breastfeeding
- Moms, 3 other ways to overcome pumping and breastfeeding difficulties
- Bonus 1: Cooking with your breast milk
4 technical tips to make pumping and breastfeeding easier
When a bottle of breast milk is introduced to supplement breastfeeding, your baby may initially resist and refuse to drink from anything other than your breast. However, with patience, kindness, and a little ingenuity, you will gradually increase your chances of getting your baby to accept bottle-feeding .
Gently warm the expressed milk
Breast milk is at the same temperature as your body, around 36 degrees Celsius. So, to help your baby adjust to pumping, warm the milk you've expressed or ask the person caring for your baby to do it. The easiest way to do this? A bottle warmer .
Offer a bottle of fresh breast milk
If you're new to expressing and breastfeeding, you might not know this, but expressed breast milk that has been refrigerated or frozen can develop a different smell and taste , leading to breast milk refusal. How can you tell if this is the problem? Offer your baby a bottle of freshly expressed milk and see if they notice a difference.
Testing different breastfeeding containers
Of course, switching from breast to bottle is a big change for your child. Their refusal to pump may therefore be directly related to a problem with the feeding container. Sippy cup, bottle, needleless syringe, spoon, cup, or supplemental nursing system (SNS ) – to understand why, try feeding your baby in a different way.
Did you know? From birth, babies are able to lap up small amounts of milk offered in a cup. A supplemental nursing system (SNS), on the other hand, is a thin tube connected on one end to a bottle of breast milk and on the other to the nipple, allowing the baby to suckle through it while breastfeeding. This device is often used to induce lactation in cases of insufficient milk supply, or for premature babies who have difficulty latching on.
Trusting the physiological and sensory baby bottle
Compared to the breast, most baby bottles are rigid, smooth, and cold. These are unpleasant sensations that your baby isn't used to.
To address this issue, and for all breastfed, partially breastfed, pumped, or bottle-fed babies, Élhée drew inspiration from the mother's breast to develop its physiological bottle . Made of 100% safe, medical-grade silicone , soft and supple like a mother's breast, it also features a physiological teat equipped with an anti-colic valve .
Compatible with Medela and Avent breast pumps , as well as with the bottle warmer of the same brand thanks to its two adapter rings , the BibROND reproduces as closely as possible the sensations of breastfeeding for a smooth adaptation.
2 methods to keep baby occupied and improve breastfeeding
If warming your frozen breast milk or offering your freshly expressed milk doesn't change anything, try to attract your baby's attention away from their milk-based meal.
Pumping while on the go
As you've probably noticed, babies love to be held, rocked, and cuddled . In fact, when you're waiting, you might instinctively rock yourself gently to keep your little one occupied. This soothing movement can also help if you're having trouble pumping or breastfeeding. Try, for example, giving the bottle while walking or rocking, until you 're getting used to this new routine.
Moving around also allows you to offer your child other perspectives and sometimes, to take their attention away from their meal.
Pumping to music
Reading aloud , listening to music , telling your baby a story , or simply talking to them could also help. Babies are indeed very sensitive to soft, melodious sounds and musicality, which capture their attention and often soothe them when they are upset.
Once you've successfully transitioned to pumping and breastfeeding, your baby will also need to adapt to their caregiver. So, share all the tips and tricks you've tried (especially the ones that work) with your partner, nanny, or grandparents, so they feel less lost when it comes to your child and their bottle.
Moms, 3 other ways to overcome pumping and breastfeeding difficulties
When pumping and breastfeeding become truly difficult, outside help can be invaluable. This is normal. Taking a step back is often essential for parents to fully understand the situation.
Delegate meal preparation temporarily
If your baby refuses pumping, it might be even more difficult to establish this with you, who has always breastfed . To facilitate the transition from breast to mixed feeding to exclusive pumping, delegate bottle feedings as early as possible to clearly differentiate each stage . Once pumping is established, you can gradually resume breastfeeding with your baby.
Share your emotions with your child
Even though he's still very young, your baby understands you . Facial expressions, the musicality of your voice, and even emotions: in his own way, he understands everything. If you feel overwhelmed by the situation, if you're not sure which strategy to try, choose a calm moment, when your child is receptive, and talk to him about your difficulties. It's not a magic bullet, but it's always helpful.
Also, open up to those around you . Tell them about your difficulties with this refusal to pump and breastfeed, and share your fears and doubts about your decision. Your parents, partner, or friends can offer support, ideas, and a few moments of respite.
Letting go
Often the hardest advice to follow is to let go. Pressed by time and external demands, you want to be sure your child is getting enough to eat while you're away, and we understand. That's why we developed the physiological bottle as a supplement to breastfeeding , designed with the well-being of all babies and their parents in mind.
If your baby is refusing to breastfeed, one of our tips should eventually resolve the situation. You probably need some time to find your rhythm, and your baby will need time to find their new routine. Weaning a baby from breastfeeding doesn't happen in a few days and requires patience, understanding, and gentleness. In any case, during this transition, try to relax about the amount of milk consumed or feeding times . Simply focus on your baby's well-being .
Bonus 1: Cooking with your breast milk
Finally, if the transition from breast to bottle coincides with the start of weaning , or if your child is already eating solids, try yogurt, cakes, or even pancakes made with breast milk . A lovely way to continue breastfeeding a little longer.
Furthermore, for children who eat or are starting to eat like grown-ups, did you know that the BibROND Élhée can also be used as a baby food jar ? And that the training cup is just as healthy as a bottle for learning to drink water?
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