Boden had his 9 month check up this past Monday--I had a million questions for my pediatrician, most related to his stubbornness at refusing bottles (or preference to exclusively dine with his mother, if I try to be more positive). He gave some suggestions--some of which I'm willing to try (different bottles, warming the nipple,...etc) and others I am not (quit nursing him cold turkey--gasp!).
Right now, I feel incredibly guilty for trying to change Bodie--he's found a "system" that is working for him...it's just not working for me. Everyone who has offered advice at work (a large group of dietitians who are pro-breastfeeding but not as wacky as some of the lactation consultants I've encountered) has been well-meaning, but I think their memories are a little fuzzy. I can't tell you how many times I've heard "I had the same issue with two/both/one of my kids. I just [insert oversimplified "miracle" strategy: gave them a straw at 2 months old /taught them to drink from a sippy cup when they were 6 months old/spoon fed them breastmilk for a year/changed bottles/dealt with it] until they self-weaned at 1 year/18 months/2 years. Hmph...really? It was that easy? Silly me.
Next on our agenda is trying a new bottle--the adiri nurser-- that is supposed to replicate the breast like no other. I had to take out a loan to purchase one bottle but if it works, it will be worth the price. The testimonials on the site give me hope but I'm prepared for it to be a big fat failure. The bottle actually came with a multi-page instruction manual--apparently replicating the breast and its functions is extremely complicated.
I feel like I'm expending all this energy on this one thing that affects such a short period in Boden's life...in the next 6 months, Boden will (hopefully) be drinking from a cup like a pro and weaned and this bottle ordeal will be over. Then I'll completely downplay the situation for future mommas who come to me with the same woes. I'll be telling them "My son started refusing the bottle around 6 1/2 months--it was no big deal, though. I think I tried a few things, but he eventually weaned himself. We even bought him his own dairy cow and he learned how to get his whole milk straight from the source all by himself. It was pretty easy."
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