I hate that term.
Nipple confusion.
Ruby is not confused. She knows exactly what she wants. She wants the nipple from a bottle, and putting the breast in her mouth makes her ANGRY.
I have asked and asked for advice and help. I have spoken to numerous lactation consultants. Other breastfeeding moms. Internet websites. Anything I can find.
There are two schools of thought on nipple confusion.
1. We need to stop bottle feeding altogether, and move to cup feeding or some other alternative feeding method.
Or
2. We can quit breastfeeding altogether and move entirely to pumping/bottle feeding.
Honestly, both of those options make me want to cry.
Cup feeding means that Brock will have to get up in the middle of the night and feed Ruby out of a cup. I can only imagine one or both of them getting incredibly frustrated, and giving up. I feel like it is a lot to ask of them. In the middle of the night when they are already tired, frustrated and struggling together.
Exclusive pumping means I give up breastfeeding. That I love. That I have waited so impatiently for. That I was so excited to get to do again. Something that I will only get to do a very limited number of times in my life. Something that is gone all too quickly already.
I keep sitting back and hoping this will magically fix itself. That she will suddenly stop pulling off at the breast, biting down on the nipple and getting angry. I keep hoping that she will remember how wonderful everything was before I went back to work, and our nursing relationship will return to what it was.
I keep wanting to cry.
I don’t really know what else to say, other than I had to get some of this out. Please just keep us in your thoughts. I don’t know how things will work out, but I hope they do.
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Ruby is 9 weeks old.
