Unfiltered Story #257583

My sister-in-law has breastfed my niece since birth, which our whole family admires her for. When she eventually had to go back to work, she started pumping. Apparently, there was a little difficulty getting the baby to accept a bottle but only a little. I didn’t even know about it until they told me much later because, whenever I’m around her, she enjoys her bottle with zest and zeal.

Hence my confusion on a recent visit when my brother starts to hesitantly hand his now 10-month-old daughter a bottle, groaning, “Let’s see if she’ll take it this time.” He puts the nipple in her mouth, and, to my further confusion, instead of drinking it up like she’s in a race to finish it like she always does, my niece pushes it away, her face wrinkled up in an unmistakable look of pure disgust. He keeps trying, but she keeps pushing it away, turning her head away, trying to wriggle free, making it very clear she’s not going to let what’s in that bottle near her mouth. When she starts crying and screaming, he finally gives up.

The explanation? It’s not breast milk in the bottle; it’s formula. They’ve been trying to transition her to it. I guess pumping is getting to be too much for my sister-in-law. Understandable, but try telling that to my niece. She hates it! She can taste the difference, and she won’t accept it.

I tell my sister-in-law she should be flattered — highly paid scientists with years of education and experience spent years researching and experimenting and spending who know how many dollars to design this concoction, but it can’t compare with hers. She says it looks like she’ll have to go back to pumping. I just say (honestly) that I admire that because… I don’t have any better ideas.