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Helping baby transition when I return to work

post #1 of 8
9/15/11 at 11:33pm
Thread Starter 

DS is 4 weeks old, and I'll be going back to work part time in about 3 1/2 weeks.  I have found a ton of resources on pumping and bottle feeding expressed BM (DH will be home with DS while I'm at work).  But I would love some thoughts/resources/advice about other ways to help DS transition to not having me at home.

 

Right now it seems like DS wants to be nursing all the time, so I worry what he'll do when I'm not around? DH is great at soothing him and staying patient while DS cries, but sometimes he just won't stop crying for anything except if I nurse him... and many times he doesn't really 'eat' as much as just comfort nursing. Should we get him used to using a pacifier? Or is DS just going to have to adjust to not having me around in his own way? I've been told that it's harder on the parents than the babies, so I hope this is the case with us!

 

Any thoughts or advice would be greatly appreciated!

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post #2 of 8
9/17/11 at 8:28am
It can be hard on both. This is the time you start pumping what you can and storing. Also you need to find the right nipple that he will take. My girls actually refused to take a bottle for quite some time. This is not the case for many. My husband and brother were at home with DD1 and figured out that if they held her against their chest she would take a bottle. And she would only take it from my brother. Talk about close family. With DD2 our home daycare provider had LOTS of experience with infants who nursed and actually asked me if I would be uncomfortable if she tried skin contact when giving her the bottle. This worked wonders. I know many people might not be comfortable with that, however it helped so much.

So...

Find a nipple he will take
Start pumping and storing
Have someone other than you give him the bottle. Someone with patience.
I would consider a pacifier, though sometimes they do find other ways to sooth themselves when mama isn't around.

Good luck
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post #3 of 8
9/18/11 at 4:49am

I think PP said everything I would have said :-)

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post #4 of 8
9/18/11 at 10:01am
Thread Starter 

Thank you both for replying. I am starting to pump more often because I realized that I don't get much out at a time, so I better get my body accustomed to it. It's definitely tough, though. My LO wants to eat all the time, sometimes every hour, but I'm just going to pump, pump, pump! 

 

As for bottles/pacifiers, I just bought a few different kinds of each online last night, so we'll get some practice in soon. DH will be caring for him while I'm at work, so we figured that while we are doing "practice" bottles with DS, I'll use that time to get out of the house for an hour or two.   As much as I'm nervous about it, I am really excited to have some non-baby time to myself out of the house! 

 

Thanks again for your replies. It's tough but helps me to know that so many other moms do this successfully!

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post #5 of 8
9/18/11 at 3:40pm
Good luck! And if DH is going to be with baby most of the time, skin to skin will really help
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post #6 of 8
10/8/11 at 6:04am

Sorry to hijack this thread, but it seemed relevant.

 

I have similar questions. Luckily, DS will take a bottle. But he hates his pacifier. We use Aventi Soothie. Anyone have success with other pacifiers?

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post #7 of 8
10/8/11 at 8:01am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Partaria View Post

Sorry to hijack this thread, but it seemed relevant.

 

I have similar questions. Luckily, DS will take a bottle. But he hates his pacifier. We use Aventi Soothie. Anyone have success with other pacifiers?



I gave both my kids Nuk pacifiers (no special reason - that's what came from the hospital where I delivered lol). I gave DS1 his for the first time around 6 weeks old and he semi took it for a couple months and then totally refused it. I gave DS2 the pacifier from the night he was born and he was really attached to until around 18mos or so when we started losing them...they were all lost since February and jsut recently we found some and he saw them but he didn't really seem interested anymore. It was REALLY helpful that DS2 took the pacifier, but, I am sure it did not help with milk supply...I am probably going to avoid it as much as possible with my next one for that reason (will probably try and instroduce later along with "practice bottles" and let her use both strictly at daycare - but not anytime when I am around...

 

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post #8 of 8
10/15/11 at 6:18pm
The only bink my son would take was the playtex "most like mother" binky, but only the one with the latex nipple, i messed up and bought a silicone one one time, and that did not go over well, lol. the latex ones can be hard to find sometimes though
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