Taming Theodore

I'm doing this post just for my own record as well as reference for others who might need it.

Like the usual saying - taming a horse, some babies need to be tamed as well, particularly if one has been breastfeed exclusively for more than 3 days. Theodore is no exception, not to repeat the same mistake I did with his sister Moira whom I breasfeed exclusively for 1 month and then only introduce EBM(Expressed Breast Milk) in a bottle which she refuses to drink. So this time I try to introduce bottle earlier to Theodore at 1 week old. To my dismay he refuses to drink his milk from the bottle at even 1 week old!

When we went to check his jaundice on the 5th Jan, hubby suggested that I bring a bottle of EBM (just in case he might need them). So when we arrived at the clinic and the nurse finish taking his blood sample, we sat down and there I was trying to persuade a hungry baby to drink from his bottle. One senior nurse passed-by (after sending some hospital guests to the door) and asked why the baby not taking the milk. I told her that he is used to breastfeeding. So she smiled and said - let me show you the technique how to tame a breasfed baby taking their bottle. So here's the technique - she even taught me and hubby how to handle and properly bottle feed a baby and many other tips (really glad I met her but silly me forgot to ask her name).

(Perhaps if I have time I'll do the illustration later with baby Theodore)
1. Sit comfortably on a chair.
2. Hold baby head with one hand supporting baby neck. Baby held away from body in semi-recline position. (Looks more like sitting position)
3. Hold the bottle with the other hand. Place the bottle in between the thumb and index finger and use the thunb and index finger to hold the bottle. The other three fingers should be free to move.
4. When baby open mouth, push the bottle into baby mouth with the teat 3/4 or whole-length inside baby mouth. Put the three fingers below the chin and stimulate the baby to drink the milk by using the three fingers to lift the baby chin (so that baby closes his mouth).
5. Continuously use the three fingers to encourage baby to close his mouth with the teat inside his mouth until he begin to suck.

Baby may cry a little as a show of his preference- but it's a battle of the strongest - baby or bottle-giver. Once baby accept defeat, he will suck from the bottle.

It took around 15 minutes for the nurse to tame Theodore to take his bottle. Me and hubby were so delighted when at last he began to suck (can't believe can tame a baby like that). At first I was thinking of changing the teat to wide-neck size and other shapes, but since we manage to tame him I just stick to his ordinary teat. Ever since being tamed I give Theodore one bottle-feed daily just so he remember how to feed from the bottle. After my 1 month confinement, I will then breast pump to stock -up for work. I plan to fully breasfeed at least till his 6th month when we introduce solid food to his diet (dunno if I can last that long with the frequent outstation trips I have to make - we'll see how). Huhu... I'm now officially moo-moo in the house again.