Trying to leave EBF (no bottle) baby for an evening?

[nukuspot]

So I never really tried hard with dd to give her a bottle. I didn't see the need for it, we are very much attachment parents, I am now a SAHM since I had her, etc. We tried it once for fun at about 10 weeks and she loved it, so I thought it would be easy to re-introduce it later if needed. But I was wrong! At 5 1/2 months old, I really really want to go to see my favorite band who is touring from the UK up in Seattle next week. If I nursed dd to bed, left her with DH, snuck out and drove up to the show and snuck home back into bed, I think I would be gone about 6 hours, most of that would be after she was asleep.

So we really didn't think it would be the issue it is becoming!

Since she always wakes a few times in the night, we wanted her to be able to take a bottle from DH to satisfy any hunger, thirst, suck needs. But she totally refuses. During the day she will play with the bottle, suck maybe an ounce out, but at night she will not take it for anything. We've been "practicing". She instead screams and cries until DH puts her back at my breast, then she immediately falls asleep.

I guess we messed up by not "conditioning" her to the bottle earlier. But we never saw the need before, KWIM? What would you do? I don't see a way that I can go to the show, unless someone has a good idea for us to try. Sippy cup? Or would this all be too overwhelming because it is at night?

[ms.shell]

does dh like the band? is there any chance he might go and and ya'll could leave the baby with a grandma? if baby's grandma isn't nearby, maybe someone else's is....
ime, bf babies might not take a bottle from daddy when they know mommy can nurse them instead. but at a grandma's when there isnt any other choice, and they are hungry they will take the bottle just fine. grandmas usually have lots more experience giving bottles than daddies.
that said, when we did this (leave baby w grandma to attend a concert an hour and a half away), i nursed him before i left and he went to sleep soon after and slept soundly until we returned and the bottle wasn't even needed or used.
enjoy the show!

[mysticmomma]

She may be ready for a soft spout sippy cup.

[nukuspot]

I tried the sippy cup the other day. The was Ok with it but I don't know if she managed to get anything out. But that was in the middle of the day. What about when she is sleepy at night?

Ugh...It looks like I am not going. For the last 2 nights my little sleeper (who normally only nightwakes 1-2 times) has woken 10 or more times! I'm not kidding. Does she know I am planning to go? Or is this teething? Either way, pretty bad timing.

[nukuspot]

And no, absolutely no way would I leave her with any grandparents.

Even if it wasn't for the fact that one lives across the country and the other one in a different continent...DH's mom is stuck firmly in the CIO camp and my mom doesn't listen to any of my parenting wishes...I wouldn't trust it! I'd come back to a neurotic crying alone baby or my mom would have given her solid food or a paci or something to try to make her sleep.

[LadyCatherine185]

Have you tried letting your DH rock/bounce/walk her back to sleep instead? DS would never take a bottle at night (or during the day either..) like that either, but he will let DH rock him or walk him around to soothe him. I think she is probably old enough now that she knows all sucking comfort comes from Mama, and won't take comfort from a bottle. I agree with PP's who suggested a soft spout sippy, he could try giving her a few sips from that first to make sure she isn't hungry/thirsty and then try rocking her or whatever if she refuses.

At that age I couldn't leave DS that long/late.. Hope you can figure out something.

[foreverinbluejeans]

You could both go. Hope the baby falls asleep in the car and sleeps through the concert. Your husband can read in the car, you go to the concert. He can have some milk just in case. A medicine spoon might work. The kind you get at the drug store that you put liquid medicine in that holds 10cc I think.

If the baby wakes up he can drive around, walk with stroller, walk with carrier, be creative. I take care of my breastfed grandbaby and do a variety of things to keep him happy when my DIL with the magic milk is gone.

As you can tell my family has done unusual things so people get to do what they want/need and everyone get taken care of. This way you would only be gone 2 hours.

I know what it's like to want to go to a concert. I like James Blunt and have seen him in LA, Vegas, and Tucson where I now live. He isn't touring right now and I miss seeing him. There is a casino in Tucson that has cheap concerts with big name bands. They think you are going to drink and gamble. We get to go to a lot of concerts.

[Bluegoat]

Why not try a few shorter evenings out, where you stay closer in case your dh needs back-up. If she will try the sippy, he may have more luck without you at home. And it might be rocky at first - they will have to work out their own arrangement, but they probably will.

[itsajenism]

Are you in the same room when he's trying? If so, that could be [part of] the problem.

Maybe putting her to sleep like normal, then sleeping in another room/on the couch and allowing your DH to try to get her back to sleep would have better results...?

My DS was over 12 months when I first left for a few hours, but "practicing" this way worked for us and helped ease my mind that DS wouldn't completely freak out about not having the breast. If I was anywhere in the same room, DH was not successful at all.
We didn't use a bottle or anything. DH just rubbed his back and spoke softly/sang him back to sleep.