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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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Can Breast Feeding Be Stopped In A Five Mont Old Infant?

My grandson is five months old on the breast. The mother goes back to work in 8 days. He will not take a bottle. There are three different caretakers that will watch him while she is at work. The mother has tried the bottle and a sippy cup not working. What can we do. I told the parents to stop the breast, at least two feedings. They told we the baby will go into a starving mood and lose weight. Please help.
Wed, 2 Nov 2016
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General & Family Physician,  's  Response
Hi there,

I understand your frustration. It is not an uncommon problem for babies who are exclusively breast fed. The breast is not just a source of nutrition but comfort as well, and they will refuse anything else if given the choice.

Some options to try are cup feeding (try using those tiny cups for measuring syrup medication) or even spoon feeding the milk. Some people find that babies respond better when someone other than the mother offers the bottle, because then they don't see the breast as a convenient option.

It is expected that they will feed less on the first few days the mother is away, but will make up for it by feeding more at night. Rest assured that at 5 months, they have enough stores to last a few extra hours with less feeding. If they are still active in the day, don't worry.

Prepare all the caretakers by informing them of the situation. Just keep offering the milk when requested, and don't give up on the bottle or sippy either. Sometimes after refusing several times, they come to accept it as an alternative to breast.

Hope this helps, and all the best to you.

Regards,
Dr. Teh
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Can Breast Feeding Be Stopped In A Five Mont Old Infant?

Hi there, I understand your frustration. It is not an uncommon problem for babies who are exclusively breast fed. The breast is not just a source of nutrition but comfort as well, and they will refuse anything else if given the choice. Some options to try are cup feeding (try using those tiny cups for measuring syrup medication) or even spoon feeding the milk. Some people find that babies respond better when someone other than the mother offers the bottle, because then they don t see the breast as a convenient option. It is expected that they will feed less on the first few days the mother is away, but will make up for it by feeding more at night. Rest assured that at 5 months, they have enough stores to last a few extra hours with less feeding. If they are still active in the day, don t worry. Prepare all the caretakers by informing them of the situation. Just keep offering the milk when requested, and don t give up on the bottle or sippy either. Sometimes after refusing several times, they come to accept it as an alternative to breast. Hope this helps, and all the best to you. Regards, Dr. Teh