Is this nipple confusion? Working mum, baby fussy with breast? Anyone else? Advice?

[ecarroll2]

Hey all,
Is anyone in this situation, or been in this situation..? What have you done/did you do to cope?
I work during the day (and have since the baby was 2.5 weeks old), go home at lunch time to breastfeed, also breastfeed after work and during the night. I pump during the day and also at night after feeds if I am engorged (usually am). My mom takes care of my lil girl, and she is doing an outstanding job and the baby already coos and smiles, is calm and is developing perfectly (91st percentile for weight, 98th percentile for length). Baby has started sometimes fussing at the breast and crying when offered the breast, though she would take a bottle.. When she is sleepy she has absolutely no problems feeding at the breast. I am wondering if what I am describing here is nipple confusion as we introduced a bottle so early.. Or is this just a stage.. She is definitely going through a wonder week now, it's amazing the skills she learns each day.. I so wish I could stay with her, I wish we'd never started the whole bottle thing, but I had no choice..
Have you been through something similar?? Any advice?? What do I do? Thank you.

 

[missk1989]

I havent been through this but all i would say is to keep offering the breast as much as you can when your home. Babies do often prefer bottles as the require less work to get the milk but can be persuaded! Sound like your doing a great job.

 

[Perplexed]

It's possible for the fussing to be related purely to wonder week and not nipple confusion. My LO is fussing a lot at the breast these days and sometimes outright refuses to nurse... I've given her a bottle of expressed milk before but it was several weeks ago so I don't think there's a relation.

 

[supertabby]

There is a bottle called Medela Calma which imitates breastfeeding - the baby has to make a vacuum and same tongue motions as at the breast otherwise the milk doesn't come out. It can reduce nipple confusion. We've got one but haven't tried it properly yet as lo hasn't got a perfect latch anyway right now due to lip tie.