Introducing Expressed Breastmilk Bottles - Never Enough for My Girl!!!

[naschaka]

Hi all.  I was wondering if anyone had any advice on introducing breastmilk bottles.  My daughter (10 weeks old) will now, after much screaming, crying, and fussing for the first week, finally take a bottle comfortably from her Dad as long as I'm on another floor of the house.  When she's done she's content, relaxed, full, and generally happy.  However, the SECOND I walk in the room, she screams pitifully for more food.  I can't keep feeding her after the bottle since 1) I have just pumped and she just fusses on the breast when there's no milk (or if I haven't just pumped she drowns and is fussy due to a too-full stomach); and 2) I'm going back to work soon so she can't expect to have both bottle and boob! 

Help!  Dad feeds her a bottle in the AM then needs to go to work and it's just torturing me to hear her cry for me, as well as as soon as he has to hand her off to go to work she's crying and rubbing her face in my shoulder until her poor little cheeks are red!  I don't know what to do!  I know it's just a desire for comfort sucking (since she never has wanted a pacifier she's always just comfort sucked on me), but I feel like it defeats the point of getting her used to taking a meal in a bottle.  Am I wrong?  What have you done?

[PatioGardener]

it helps to remember that nursing is about so much more than food.  if your baby wants to nurse, and you are there, then if i were you i would let her nurse.  here is a great read by a pediatrician that really explains the need to nurse, I think: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Dr-Jen-4-Kids/195291585574#!/note.php?note_id=162106522337

if you aren't there then she can't nurse, so she won't be confused.  but imagine how awfully confusing and sad it would be to have the thing you loved most in the world and made you so happy right there, so close you could smell it, and you can't understand why you can't have it.

your breasts are never empty, they always make some milk, and the milk left after a pump or feed is very rich and often soothing, so why not try to put her to the breast?  it is what she needs, and great for your supply too.

for bottle nursing, why not let your partner read this: http://www.kellymom.com/store/freehandouts/bottle_feeding.pdf it is really good info for breastfed babies taking a bottle.

Welcome to mdc!  Congratulations on your sweet little one and breastfeeding her!  Hope to see you around!

nak