Oh what to do...

My sweet little pumpkin is a stubborn, strong-willed little toot.

Just like her momma.

Her latest shenanigan (over the past month) is refusal of a bottle.

We have tried everything, including

trying a variety of nipples,

sticking with one nipple,

using only breastmilk warmed,

warming the nipple,

having daddy feed her,

having mommy feed her,

having grandma feed her,

having grandpa feed her,

having Auntie Jodi feed her,

feeding her sitting,

feeding her walking,

feeding her bouncing gently on the ball,

doing a bottle at the same feeding every day,

doing a bottle at every feeding that daddy's home for,

trying to wait until she's reallly hungry,

offering her the bottle when she's almost content after breastfeeding,

squeezing milk into her mouth so she gets the idea,

dripping milk into her mouth so she gets the idea.

The only thing suggested to us that we haven't yet tried (because we haven't had a chance) is letting her have a little water through the bottle, oh and having her suck on the bottle nipple with no milk like it's a pacifier, which I know won't work because...

she also will NOT take a pacifier.

Oh sure, she'll let it sit in her mouth, she'll even chew on it with her gums, but will she close her lips around it and suck?

That's a big, fat, NO.

She has, however, taken 2 oz out of the bottle about 2-3 times in the past month. So I know she can figure it out. She's just so stinkin stubborn that she is determined to make this a fight, and I'm determining not to.

So, after we had 3 MISERABLE attempts at waiting her out (which is what everyone kept telling us to do), we completely scrapped that idea since listening to her scream for 4 hours because she's hungry but won't take a bottle is not my idea of a good time. Now we are simply offering her the same bottle toward the end of each time she breastfeeds when Jesse's home. He is always the one to offer it first, and she will, in about 60% of opportunities, close her lips around the nipple and (sort of) suck 3-4 times. Not enough to actually gain any nutritional value but enough to give her positive experiences with the stinkin bottle.

I don't think I would care half as much about this if I hadn't committed to going back to work 1 day a week starting mid-February, and she's just not going to be able to go 8 hours without eating. My sweet friend who is going to be watching her, offered to bring her up to me 2 times through the day, but it's about a 30 minute drive from her home each way and plus, she still eats more than twice in a 6-9 hour period. And I would never let her bring her to me more than once a day which is still a huge commitment.

Once she's on solids (I will probably start some cereals around 4 months), she will maybe be able to go a little longer and maybe by then she won't be eating as often. Still... it's stressing me out, especially since I would sure love a real date with my husband in the next couple months.

I should have known I would never end up with one of those easygoing, mild-mannered, flexible little babies. She really does have my personality...