Am I crazy-putting 5 month old back on boob

So as some of you know both my boys got RSV when they were 3 months. Though I mostly pump I was BF'ing Ronan 1x a day or every two days. I tried to put him back on after he recovered and he wasn't having it. He would cry etc. I haven't tried in about a week and e has been getting about 3-4 bottles a day of pumped milk and the rest is Good Start because I simply ran out of time to pump so my supply dipped. Has anyone done this? Or should I throw in the towel and continue to pump what I can for him(and probably end up giving it up a couple of months from now

Re: Am I crazy-putting 5 month old back on boob

You are not crazy.......... I didn't get Alexa to latch until she was 7 W 5 D after being EXCLUSIVELY bottle fed

The BFing specialist we worked with said she has gotten babies to INITIALLY latch as late as 8 months of age...

It may take a little bit of practice but he knows what to do!

I HATED being a slave to that stupid pump.... I was so much happier when I FINALLY got her to latch and my supply has been going up since...

Let me knwo if you need some tips/pointers of how to re-introduce the breast... Let us know how it goes!!!

Re: Am I crazy-putting 5 month old back on boob

Re: Am I crazy-putting 5 month old back on boob

Re: Am I crazy-putting 5 month old back on boob

I have no pointers about going about it but I don't think you are crazy...I loved breastfeeding and wish I was still doing it. If you enjoy it...go for it!

Re: Am I crazy-putting 5 month old back on boob

Ok the MAIN CONCEPT with re-introducing the boob is making it a "Happy Place" and much as you want him to do you CAN'T FORCE it or PUSH HIM...... or it will make the process 1000X harder.....

This was a VERY HARD concept for me to learn.... I am stubborn as SH*T and so is Alexa... in the circumstance she wins!

This may take a few days to a few weeks.... if you are committed to doing it I PROMISE YOU it WILL happen.......

Step 1: We will call it "Making the boob a happy place"

Strip him down to a diaper ...... if he gets "overstimulated" being so naked then a diaper and onesie.....

You take your shirt and bra off... now you guys are going to do lots of skin to skin time.... Let him explore your breasts and don't force anything.... Start him up by you head and top of your chest and let him slowly work his way down to your breasts if he wants to. If he tries to latch let him... DON"T Force it yet.....

If he gets frustrated at all bring him back to the top and try again... if he gets frustrated after a few attempts STOP and try again later....

Remember the GOAL of STEP1: Make the boob a happy place...not just for him but for you...if YOU get frustrated so will he....

Ok so say in step one he latches on... go ahead and let him start to feed... if the latch is bad take him off and help him to re-latch. If her gets frustrated STOP bring him back to the top and let him explore again...


So say for a few days he really shows no interest yet in latching on him own but you have spent lots of nice skin to skin time and the boob is a happy place for both of you....

We move onto Step 2:

"Intoroducing the boob"

Same skin to skin time but this time you are going to slowly direct him to your breast and nipple and encourage him to latch... Never forcing it... but kinda like saying "Hey this is nice... try it out"... You can express a little milk on your nipples and see if he will take it..if he latches great... if not try another time.... Keeping with the concept that the Boob is a happy place...... I know you are tired of hearing it but this was SOOOOO DIFFICULT for me to grasp.... this is the KEY to re-introduction....


All of the above may take a day or a few weeks... he may have a good day and he may have a bad day......

Once you've got him on the breast the first few feedings are kind of like when you start baby food... Practice.... let him feed off both but them top him off with a bottle afterwards....
It takes a lot more jaw strength to breast feed then bottle feed so he needs to strengthen those up again and will become tired faster then he is full.....

After a few weeks you should be able to have him fully breast fed as her becomes stronger and remembers what this whole boob thing was about....


I would try and do it without a nipple shield at first..... or you are going to have to deal with weaning him off of it later..... See how it goes..

We still aren't BFing at night..... she is still too sleepy and BFing takes some focus and work so we are still bottle feeding.... I am hoping in a few weeks to get to the breast for middle of the night feedings when she is a little stronger....

If you have ANY questions please dont hesitate to FM me.... I'll give you my number and we can even chat on teh phone.... It CAN BE DONE


I did it with Alexa who on top of everything had trauma from being suctioned at birth, don't open her mouth wide enough due to torticolis and some nerve issue revolving around her birth and she is a lazy sucker.....

Re: Am I crazy-putting 5 month old back on boob

Posted by Blissful

Ok the MAIN CONCEPT with re-introducing the boob is making it a "Happy Place" and much as you want him to do you CAN'T FORCE it or PUSH HIM...... or it will make the process 1000X harder.....

This was a VERY HARD concept for me to learn.... I am stubborn as SH*T and so is Alexa... in the circumstance she wins!

This may take a few days to a few weeks.... if you are committed to doing it I PROMISE YOU it WILL happen.......

Step 1: We will call it "Making the boob a happy place"

Strip him down to a diaper ...... if he gets "overstimulated" being so naked then a diaper and onesie.....

You take your shirt and bra off... now you guys are going to do lots of skin to skin time.... Let him explore your breasts and don't force anything.... Start him up by you head and top of your chest and let him slowly work his way down to your breasts if he wants to. If he tries to latch let him... DON"T Force it yet.....

If he gets frustrated at all bring him back to the top and try again... if he gets frustrated after a few attempts STOP and try again later....

Remember the GOAL of STEP1: Make the boob a happy place...not just for him but for you...if YOU get frustrated so will he....

Ok so say in step one he latches on... go ahead and let him start to feed... if the latch is bad take him off and help him to re-latch. If her gets frustrated STOP bring him back to the top and let him explore again...


So say for a few days he really shows no interest yet in latching on him own but you have spent lots of nice skin to skin time and the boob is a happy place for both of you....

We move onto Step 2:

"Intoroducing the boob"

Same skin to skin time but this time you are going to slowly direct him to your breast and nipple and encourage him to latch... Never forcing it... but kinda like saying "Hey this is nice... try it out"... You can express a little milk on your nipples and see if he will take it..if he latches great... if not try another time.... Keeping with the concept that the Boob is a happy place...... I know you are tired of hearing it but this was SOOOOO DIFFICULT for me to grasp.... this is the KEY to re-introduction....


All of the above may take a day or a few weeks... he may have a good day and he may have a bad day......

Once you've got him on the breast the first few feedings are kind of like when you start baby food... Practice.... let him feed off both but them top him off with a bottle afterwards....
It takes a lot more jaw strength to breast feed then bottle feed so he needs to strengthen those up again and will become tired faster then he is full.....

After a few weeks you should be able to have him fully breast fed as her becomes stronger and remembers what this whole boob thing was about....


I would try and do it without a nipple shield at first..... or you are going to have to deal with weaning him off of it later..... See how it goes..

We still aren't BFing at night..... she is still too sleepy and BFing takes some focus and work so we are still bottle feeding.... I am hoping in a few weeks to get to the breast for middle of the night feedings when she is a little stronger....

If you have ANY questions please dont hesitate to FM me.... I'll give you my number and we can even chat on teh phone.... It CAN BE DONE


I did it with Alexa who on top of everything had trauma from being suctioned at birth, don't open her mouth wide enough due to torticolis and some nerve issue revolving around her birth and she is a lazy sucker.....

Re: Am I crazy-putting 5 month old back on boob

I don't think that you're crazy for wanting to try this.

I've read a lot on the kellymom.com site and Maria puts it very well. (I have no personal experience with it.) I hope that it can work for you too. GL

Re: Am I crazy-putting 5 month old back on boob

Posted by Blissful

Ok the MAIN CONCEPT with re-introducing the boob is making it a "Happy Place" and much as you want him to do you CAN'T FORCE it or PUSH HIM...... or it will make the process 1000X harder.....

This was a VERY HARD concept for me to learn.... I am stubborn as SH*T and so is Alexa... in the circumstance she wins!

This may take a few days to a few weeks.... if you are committed to doing it I PROMISE YOU it WILL happen.......

Step 1: We will call it "Making the boob a happy place"

Strip him down to a diaper ...... if he gets "overstimulated" being so naked then a diaper and onesie.....

You take your shirt and bra off... now you guys are going to do lots of skin to skin time.... Let him explore your breasts and don't force anything.... Start him up by you head and top of your chest and let him slowly work his way down to your breasts if he wants to. If he tries to latch let him... DON"T Force it yet.....

If he gets frustrated at all bring him back to the top and try again... if he gets frustrated after a few attempts STOP and try again later....

Remember the GOAL of STEP1: Make the boob a happy place...not just for him but for you...if YOU get frustrated so will he....

Ok so say in step one he latches on... go ahead and let him start to feed... if the latch is bad take him off and help him to re-latch. If her gets frustrated STOP bring him back to the top and let him explore again...


So say for a few days he really shows no interest yet in latching on him own but you have spent lots of nice skin to skin time and the boob is a happy place for both of you....

We move onto Step 2:

"Intoroducing the boob"

Same skin to skin time but this time you are going to slowly direct him to your breast and nipple and encourage him to latch... Never forcing it... but kinda like saying "Hey this is nice... try it out"... You can express a little milk on your nipples and see if he will take it..if he latches great... if not try another time.... Keeping with the concept that the Boob is a happy place...... I know you are tired of hearing it but this was SOOOOO DIFFICULT for me to grasp.... this is the KEY to re-introduction....


All of the above may take a day or a few weeks... he may have a good day and he may have a bad day......

Once you've got him on the breast the first few feedings are kind of like when you start baby food... Practice.... let him feed off both but them top him off with a bottle afterwards....
It takes a lot more jaw strength to breast feed then bottle feed so he needs to strengthen those up again and will become tired faster then he is full.....

After a few weeks you should be able to have him fully breast fed as her becomes stronger and remembers what this whole boob thing was about....


I would try and do it without a nipple shield at first..... or you are going to have to deal with weaning him off of it later..... See how it goes..

We still aren't BFing at night..... she is still too sleepy and BFing takes some focus and work so we are still bottle feeding.... I am hoping in a few weeks to get to the breast for middle of the night feedings when she is a little stronger....

If you have ANY questions please dont hesitate to FM me.... I'll give you my number and we can even chat on teh phone.... It CAN BE DONE


I did it with Alexa who on top of everything had trauma from being suctioned at birth, don't open her mouth wide enough due to torticolis and some nerve issue revolving around her birth and she is a lazy sucker.....

Re: Am I crazy-putting 5 month old back on boob

BTW- you are awesome for wanting to get him on the boob!! Many hugs and good luck.

Re: Am I crazy-putting 5 month old back on boob

no advice but i love maria's advice and i hope it works for you!!

Re: Am I crazy-putting 5 month old back on boob

Just a quick update-Declan has an earache so I wasn't able to try tonight but I will be trying tomorrow so I will update this post. Thanks again maria and to everyone else for the encouragement

Re: Am I crazy-putting 5 month old back on boob

Posted by DRMom

Just a quick update-Declan has an earache so I wasn't able to try tonight but I will be trying tomorrow so I will update this post. Thanks again maria and to everyone else for the encouragement