"That is Not My Milk Truck!"

After many, many attempts by many different people and lots of money spent on different bottles and nipples......C will not take a bottle.  We have wasted so much "liquid gold" (aka breast milk) on our attempts.  I think we started too late and were not consistent enough.  With Z we started at 2 weeks old and S gave him a bottle every day at 11 PM.  C suffered from such bad reflux that we didn't even attempt to give her a bottle until after the meds had kicked in at 5 weeks old.  We tried it once or twice then and then life got in the way and we didn't try it again until she was 8 weeks old.  By then, she knew what she liked and didn't want her milk coming from any other source other than her momma. 

We have tried to give her the bottle when I was not home, while I was in the shower or while I was at least the 20 recommended feet away :)  The bottles are given when she is hungry but not starving and have tried both fresh and heated milk.  We have had "experienced" bottle feeders come in to try to give her the bottle, we have tried different positions, different brands of bottles....nothing has worked. 

With Z the bottle was much more needed.  He was a HORRIBLE sleeper and the only way I could get any shut eye was for S to take over one feeding.  I also enjoyed the freedom that the bottle allowed me....there were nights out with the girls, date nights with S and we even went away for a whole weekend once.  Over the last few weeks I have come to terms with the idea that for the next 10 months or so, C and I will be joined at the breast :)  I will not be able to go out until she is tucked away in bed and will not be able to go too far away.  As she gets older it will be easier to sneak out during the day but for now, she and I must stay close.  This is all okay...she is my baby and I feel that breastfeeding is a gift that only I can give to her.  Breastfeeding is not for everyone but it is natural and easy for me.  I have once again made sacrifices in my diet (no dairy, soy, caffeine, tomato sauce) but these changes are helping me to live a healthier and simpler life. 

So we have one more bottle brand that my BF bought that we plan to try and the plan is that we will keep trying until all of my frozen milk supply runs out.  At that point, if she is still not taking to the bottle, I will pack up my pump and the bottles and start planning my special night in the city.  S and I plan to get a nice hotel room and have a fancy dinner filled with dairy when C decides to stop breastfeeding.  In the meantime I will enjoy this special bonding time with my little girl because I know it is going to go by sooooo FAST!!!