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Infant feeding

breast fed baby gagging when trying to bottle fed

18 replies

belinda55 · 24/02/2013 13:31

my daughter is now 7 weeks old and we have been trying to get her to take a bottle for 3 weeks now every evening. some nights are just about ok and others are down right traumatic. she starts to gag and choke and gets "frantic". she is rooting and tries to take more but wont/cant.

we have tried avent classic teats 1 and 2 and seemed happier with the 2 hole teat but then tried the avent natural with size 2 teat with not much improvement.

we are finding this very very stressful. should we just perservre ?? try different bottles teats ?? i kind of feel that after 3 weeks she really should be getting it ??

forgot to say that she also has reflux and is taking medication for this.

any advice/tips most greatly recieved.

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quoteunquote · 24/02/2013 15:10

Mine all did this, none ever took a bottle, sorry I know it no help, but I would give it a few weeks break, before trying again.

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spekulatius · 24/02/2013 15:17

I think there are some special anti-reflux bottles you can get, don't know which brand though.

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BigPigLittlePig · 24/02/2013 15:26

Oh dear, will watch this with interest as my dd has a habit of doing this. She had been taking a bottle (Avent with size 1/2 teats) occasionally but point blank refused last night & this morning. She previously would gag unless the milk was HOT, hotter than I would have though appropriate - but once hot would wolf it down. Now, she just licks the teat and gags, even though nothing has changed.

I agree with quote though - give it a break for a bit before trying again.

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StateofConfusion · 24/02/2013 15:32

just give up really. why does she need a bottle? why would you go through distressing her and yourself when you can just breast feed her. not meaning any offence here just genuinely wondering why?

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BigPigLittlePig · 24/02/2013 15:39

state if OP's anything like me - then so she can have more than 90 minutes to herself during daylight hours? Or go on a date with her dp?

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BertieBotts · 24/02/2013 16:20

Have you tried holding the bottle horizontal so that she can be totally in control of the flow?

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Zara1984 · 24/02/2013 22:59

What about a shallower teat? Eg Tommy Tippee closer to nature.? Avent teats are quite long.

Bertie's suggestion is good but make sure you burp baby very very well if holding baby horizontal. When I did this with DS (as part of failed attempts to get him to bf), it helped him take certain teats better but he got the most horrendous wind.

State, your post is not helpful.

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Zara1984 · 24/02/2013 23:00

Argh if holding BOTTLE horizontal!! Not baby! Must be time for bed Confused

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Alibabaandthe40nappies · 24/02/2013 23:01

Neither of mine would ever take a bottle. Some babies just won't.

Is there a reason you need to persevere with this OP?

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thenightsky · 24/02/2013 23:01

Both mine did this. DD eventually was ok (ish) with Avant by the time she was 4 or 5 months.

DS never got the hang of it and went straight to a sippy cup.

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ceeveebee · 24/02/2013 23:11

There is a website called kellymom which has an article on about bottke feeding a breastfed baby - talks about paced feeding ie taking it at baby's pace etc
I used nuk teats with my DD as was told they were closest to nipple

Isn't it obvious why OP wants to use a bottle? She came on here for help and advice, not to be made feel guilty because she's not a martyr

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leedy · 25/02/2013 09:16

Well in fairness to State, I think it's a prevailing idea that BF babies have to learn how to take a bottle by a certain age or they never will, or just that it's something you need to do at some stage and it's really important. I got myself into a right tizzy fretting about it with DS1 (who eventually drank one at 13 weeks, after which I think would have drunk EBM from an old sock) and it turned out he hardly ever needed a bottle for me to go and do stuff until I went back to work at 10 months. For most of the time before that his feeds had spaced out so much that I could go out and back between them and/or he'd be asleep. Obviously if OP needs/wants someone else to give a feed before that's possible then yes, bottle skills need to be learned!

I am, in fairness, hoping that DS2 (15 weeks) will go for a bottle just because I have a couple of specific evenings I need to go out for when he's 6/7 months old but I'm stressing about it far less because I know a)we could go for a cup by then and b)there is a strong likelihood based on his older brother at that age (a much worse sleeper) that he won't wake up, and if he does, won't want milk.

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belinda55 · 26/02/2013 13:23

thanks for your comments ...... especially the helpful ones !!

just tried her with TT and managed 50mls no problem then began to fuss.

i think trial and error and perserverence are key !!

i am keen for her to take a bottle so that;

  1. i can get some extra sleep when needed
  2. go out without the worry of her being hungry
    3)know that if for any reason (illness etc) then she will still be able to feed

    hope this clears things up for those that dont understand !!

    will try the doctor browns bottle too to see if that helps.
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Alibabaandthe40nappies · 26/02/2013 14:03

OP there is no need to be sniffy...

It was a genuine question. I think a great deal is made of getting even an EBF baby to take a bottle, and in a great many cases it isn't worth the hassle.

I think if she has taken 50mls and is then fussing, that I would take that as a sign of being full. BF babies often stay latched and seem to be still feeding, but if you observe carefully then they are just comfort sucking for a while at the end of a feed.
So she could well be full and doesn't want to keep sucking because with a bottle that means more milk.

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Zara1984 · 26/02/2013 14:12

well done OP! Glad you've had some success.

Was just chatting on the weekend with a friend who's trying to get her baby to take a bottle. She finds that feeding in a location where baby is not used to bf (in her case, the kitchen!) helped her DS start to learn how to use bottle.

He still fusses a little bit with her as he would prefer boob (she is mix feeding) but if she's out and DH is giving bottle the baby drinks it more easily.

Good luck!

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belinda55 · 26/02/2013 14:39

sorry wasnt being sniffy just explaining my reasons.

yes i did wonder if she was full ???

but 50mls really doesent seem like much to me and she seemed to still want more as she was rooting alot.
my partner has managed to get her to take 100ml on an evening but with a lot of fussing and then she sleeps til 2.30 then others she will take 60 and only go to 12.30.

dont know if my expectations of her are too much.

she feeds very quickly on the breast often in5-10mins so maybe she is only taking these small amounts.
she is 7 weeks old and is now 10lb 2oz and was 6lb 3oz when she was born so i guess she is getting enough !.

maybe we just stop as soon as she starts to fuss and see how we get on (less stress anyway )

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belinda55 · 27/02/2013 08:11

my partner tried the standing in the kitchen last night ............70ml from tommie tippie without too much fuss !!! result !!

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Zara1984 · 27/02/2013 08:44

That's great belinda!! :)

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