So yesterday was my first day back at work, and Reed was at home with the sprocket all day. He's there all month on paternity leave. Yesterday did not go well.
Once a day, every day, we have given Betsy a bottle just to be sure she remembers how to take one. You scoff, I know, and think "How hard can that be?" Keep in mind, you're not a baby who is still trying to figure out how to use her hands and you can remember what you did 3 days ago. The little ones need a bottle EVERY DAY in order to remember how.
We thought this once-a-day bottle would be plenty of exposure. She takes it happily every night. We've gone out on dates and Reed's mom has given a bottle while we were out. She's done it at home. She's done it at her house. Betsy WILL take a bottle almost anywhere in our experience. Um... well, she USED to take one anyway.
Yesterday, Betsy established that a bottle every meal for 3 meals out of 8 per day is NOT acceptable. How did she make her feelings known? She screamed. She screamed for more than an hour at a time. She screamed until she was so exhausted she slept, then she woke up and screamed some more.
I went home early and she was pitifully hungry and ready to nurse. We nursed as usual all evening trying to get enough calories into her. Then came her late night bottle. She screamed at the sight of the bottle. God.
So, what with one thing and another, we established she had some gas, and we established she WAS hungry, and mommy the food truck soothed her down a little. She took her bottle, because she was hungry after 5 hours of sleep without food but she wasn't happy about it. I left just as Reed was about to feed her again this morning. Poor Reed. Maybe she'll remember she just had a perfectly calm bottle, but I think that's a little optimistic. I think my presence is mostly required.It's good we're doing this now, because at 3 months most patterns can be broken in 3 days. That's as far back as the baby can demonstrably remember.
And then I realized: Other people make their fucking DAYCARE workers deal with this stuff. OH. MY. GOD. How cruel is that to everyone? Betsy is unhappy about the bottles during the day, but they're given by someone she knows in a place she feels safe. I can only imagine what happens when you drop a baby off in a strange place with a strange person and even the food doesn't come in the right package. Oy vey! The poor daycare worker has to just let her cry while she deals with other children. Not my poor little sweetie. Daddy and Grandma will at least get her used to the food first.
Anyhow, this doesn't please me any. I can't DO anything. I think that's the worst part. Bah.
Posted by karen at January 3, 2003 12:00 AM