[Loz07]

Hi

I am going back to work in 5 weeks for 3 days a week, and am just wondering if I should offer DD EBM in a bottle or sippy cup when I go back... she will be 7.5mo.

She currently has about 5-6 feeds during the day (plus any overnight wakings - 0-2, normally 1) and is on some solids - currently 2 meals a day (+/- a 'snack') but she doesn't eat a lot... aiming to get her onto 3 meals (and hopefully slightly bigger meals) by the time I go back.

She does take a bottle now (although can be fussy with it or only take a small amount sometimes), and will also drink water from a sippy cup... (haven't tried EBM). I am keen to continue BF until at least 12 months, if not longer.

I have had a read of the RTW thread, and I'm not expecting too many problems with expressing (have a good supply, double electric pump and work has a room for expressing), so the only thing I'm pondering is this bottle vs sippy cup...

Thoughts?

[strawberrypie7]

I went for a sippy cup for two reasons- she was never overly fussed with bottles and I did not want to have to wean her off a bottle at 12 months. I am still breast feeding now but down to one feed a day at night before bed.

ETA DD was just over 7 months when I went back to work 3 days a week

This post has been edited by strawberrypie7: 23/02/2013, 08:56 PM

[Stan the Fan Man]

Go the sippy cup! Just easier in the long term.

[doctorseuss]

I'm still expressing - DD3 went from a bottle to a sippy cup at 10 months. She still doesn't take much from it but eats well so it doesn't matter. She strong suck was deforming the teat so it was time to change.

I'd try a sippy cup but be aware she may not take enough.

[Loz07]

Thanks ladies, I'll give the sippy cup a go, but might do a bit of both to begin with so I know she is getting enough

[KRT]

I went straight to a soft-spout sippy cup at 5.5 months and DS adapted pretty quickly. Within a week he was having just as much from the cup as from the bottle.

I found that DS tended to have more trouble with the anti-spill cups, so you might want to try one that's a bit leaky to start with.

[CharliMarley]

I would go with the sippy cup as bottles are a pain with washing and sterilizing the things. You will be able to give her a breastfeed before you go to work, and then again when you come home and throughout the night if she needs it. Even if she only drinks water from the sippy cup during the day, the carer could put the EBM in her solids.