Help! our first nursing strike at 2.5 mos, thumbsucking involved?

[shamini]

Hi all,
So glad to find this great forum. I read Mommyhawk's post a while back about her little one who went on nursing strike when thumbsucking around 2mos.

A similar thing is happening here - my 2.5 month old daughter just refused my breast today for the first time - but took to the bottle - she has been in love with her thumb for the past week and sucks it A LOT - and I have been going back to work part-time - she probably has been getting the bottle 2-3 times/day. she has previously had no problem going from the bottle to the breast or vice versa.

Everything I'm reading says to not use the bottle to avoid nipple confusion - not sure how to avoid this when I have to go to work - what have others done? During a nursing strike, how did you feed your baby if (s)he kept refusing the breast? I don't know that I could give her a cup at her young age? should i use a nipple shield or no? do i have to do something in terms of her thumbsucking, or will that resolve?

totally lost, any advice/pointers would be so appreciated.

thanks!

[alegna]

Avoiding bottles is of course best, though very difficult if you have to work

I would totally avoid bottles when you're available. No pacifier- ever. Better if you can get your care-giver to cup feed or syringe feed and not use bottles, but difficult.

How to get milk in- cup feed, syringe feed, get an sns or lact-aid and feed at breast.

good luck!

-Angela