We Are Not Bottle People

During the entire year that I breastfed Tali, I never once gave her a bottle. I tried, but she refused to take a bottle from me. She would take it from others, but not me. So now that I have to give Eli a bottle for the next week, I am in unfamiliar territory. His first bottle experience wasn't too bad, but his second reduced me to tears.

I prepared his bottle before bed so I would be ready to go as soon as he woke up. I was so tired though, that H had to wake me and tell me he was crying. I went into his room and shut the door with the hand holding the bottle. Some of the milk spilled onto the floor. Ugh. I got Eli out of his crib, changed his diaper and sat down to feed him. The rest of the bottle spilled all over him, me and the floor! Precious breast milk wasted! Eli started screaming because he got wet and was hungry. I was so upset that I had somehow screwed up something as simple as a bottle. So I rushed him downstairs, put him in the swing and defrosted more milk. I triple checked the bottle to make sure it wouldn't spill and put him on my lap to feed him. Eli had other plans. He wanted to breastfeed. And, just like his sister used to do, he turned towards my chest every time I put the bottle in his mouth. I eventually got him to take the bottle. And after some choking and a number of breaks, he finished the bottle.

After the bottle was done, I took him back upstairs to change his pajamas and dirty diaper. I swaddled him, put him down and he started crying. Why was he crying? I hav no idea. Did he not get enough milk? Did he swallow too much air? Was it something else? It's been 15 minutes and he is still crying. I am pumping so I cannot go to him. After I am done pumping, I have to wash everything then prepare the next bottle. This whole thing takes well over an hour. Breastfeeding takes 15-20 minutes, including a diaper change.

Whoever said a bottle is easier must know some sort of secret. Clearly, I am not a bottle person.