How often are you away from your breastfed baby? Will it take a bottle?

[Wnt2beAMom]

Hi,
I'm just wondering if its weird that I don't like to be away from my 6 month old baby. He won't take a bottle, feeds on demand, and won't eat solids yet. He's a big boobie boy...he's actually on the smaller side so I usually offer to feed him a lot (probably every hour) because I worry about his size too. He also nurses to sleep and we bed share, so if I go out at night I worry he'd stay awake until I got home.
I left him for 3 hours the other night and he did fine, besides not going to sleep for dad, until he saw me. Then all he wanted was a long nurse and to fall asleep with me.
I think it makes my family upset that they can't babysit him, but I am just so anxiously worried about him when he's not with me!

So I'm wondering, is it just me and my anxiety/worry? Maybe he would be fine without me for a while, but I just have the impression he needs me.

 

[ladders]

I'm the same the longest I have left my 6 1/2 month old is and and this has been with dh and only a couple of times. My dd has always refused a bottle and while she is now taking three meals a day she still bf on demand so hard to know times of when to leave her. Dh is very supportive but I think friends are getting annoyed and mil going on and on about babysitting but I'm just not comfortable leaving her yet and I feel like you that they would be upset to be away too long but I'm sure it's only me that would be upset!

 

[mkyerby16]

It's not weird or wrong, only you know what works best for you! However, maybe you'd like to work towards being able to be away from him for a longer period of time (mommies need breaks!) and most relationships could benefit from a date night every now and then. I just recently had to stop bf'ing, but before then I had to go back to work when DS was 8 weeks. We were lucky and he took to the bottle right away. I knew he'd have to take it so we introduced it around 5 weeks or so. I only work 3 days a week (nights actually) so it wasn't too bad and he did just fine with my DH or mom.

Have you talked to your pediatrician about LO's eating habits? At that age they should be able to go 3-4 hours in between nursing and should start solids, especially if he could use a few more calories. Only you/ your dr knows what's best though!

 

[noon_child]

My LO was 9 months old before we left her for an evening. Even then I had to get her to sleep before we left. At 20 months I started a college course and had to be away one evening a week and although she wasn't reliant on the nutrition of breastfeeding she was still often awake when I returned at 9pm because she wanted me. Slowly over that year she got used to DH putting her to sleep more and more. At 27months she self weaned and although she prefers me she will accept family putting her to bed. Although she's four now, because family aren't nearby she is still wary of too many occasions without me there at bedtime and we've not even tried a non-family babysitter.

I think it is normal though. Children are wired to attach to a primary care giver and at 6months not only is she emotionally reliant on you, she is still nutritionally reliant.

Maybe, if you want to make your relatives feel included, you could book some kind of special night out for when she is around 10months old. She won't be as reliant on milk for food/drink then and so although it is an emotional bond you won't have to worry she is actually hungry/thirsty without you. Up to you though. If you are happy and she is happy e wry one else can do one....MIL had her opportunity to make her choices, now you get yours.

 

[noon_child]

Have you talked to your pediatrician about LO's eating habits? At that age they should be able to go 3-4 hours in between nursing and should start solids, especially if he could use a few more calories. Only you/ your dr knows what's best though!

I have to disagree. Every breastfeeding relationship is different and every breast produces milk at a different rate, so it may be that to get enough milk to thrive, LO needs to feed more frequently than 3-4hours.

Also at that age a baby's gut is able to extract far more calories from breastmilk than they can from food. Introducing food at this stage is a good idea as it teaches the skills required for later on when food is needed calorific ally. To much food early on can dampen a baby's desire for milk and actually contribute to weight loss.

OP- unless he is underweight for his size, losing or failing to gain weight, I wouldn't worry that he is small. Some of us just are!

 

[Wnt2beAMom]

Thank you for all the replies they have all addressed my concerns

We have been trying baby led weaning and DS nurses on demand/ whenever he seems cranky or hungry.
In my opinion, my son's weight is fine. He gets weighed at the health clinic when he gets his shots and also at his Dr check ups. At the doctor's his weight chart is so irratic because of the inconsistency in their scale (my opinion) but at the health clinic he has stayed along the 25%tile curve since birth.
At his last Dr check up the Dr demanded that we spoon feed him to get his weight up. It infuriated me because her scale weighed him 10oz lighter than the health clinic. Plus, I believe bm will be more beneficial to weight gain than food will be. Food before one is for fun
So even though I didn't specify this to begin with I was very relieved to read your comment noon_child. Thank you