Ah, don't you just love how babies let us know they want their mammas close
by, all the time!

My first two refused the morning bottle I left when I went to rehearsal.  At
first, with baby #1 (Anna), I panicked and thought for sure she would end up
starving, but then I realized that there were other options.  I settled on
finding a caregiver who lived a stone's throw (literally) from my workplace.
Anna was never 4 hours without at least a visit from me.  I went back to
work when she was 3 months old and the really hard part was until she was
around 7 months old, when she started having her daily solid meal (she only
wanted one a day until after her 1st birthday -- another way she let me know
she was "driving!") with the caregiver.  

Baby #2 (Simon) would occasionally take about 1/2 an ounce from a bottle,
but only if my 4-hour absence was extended (rarely).  Neither baby would
ever take my milk from anything other than my breast.  I am not sure why...I
tried everything with Anna but with Simon, I knew I'd get over any hurdles
and wasn't really motivated to mess with breastfeeding while I was home on
maternity leave.

Baby #3 (Gabriella) has been an anomaly from day one (in all the best ways)
and now that I've gotten my out-of-the-home work down to a veritable science
and I barely have to separate from my baby anymore...she takes a bottle, no
problem.  She takes 3-4 bottles each week.  I use the "Breastflow" bottle,
but I doubt that has made any difference.  I think the fact that I'm much
more relaxed, she's got an easygoing personality, and she's with me, all
over town, all the time have been helpful.  I'll admit that with Anna and
Simon, the resentment and upset that I felt upon leaving them was palpable
-- I think their refusal to accept feedings from anywhere but me was somehow
related to my extreme displeasure in having to offer feedings any way other
than at my breast.  Both children continue to be quite sensitive.

I know you were looking for concrete answers about convincing a baby to take
a bottle, but hopefully a step back to look at the bigger picture of why
baby is demonstrating a preference is also helpful and maybe the mother you
are helping might be willing to explore outside-the-box options to meet the
needs of her baby.

--Diana in NY

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