Moving from breast to bottle - what am I doing wrong?

[Mimixx]

Hi everyone,

My boy is 25 weeks and he's a happy and healthy baby. I have been breastfeeding him since birth, with the occasional bottle and everything went well, but he had a cold about a month ago and now refuses the bottle completely. THis is getting a bit problematic as I am going back to work three days a week and I need to get him used to taking a bottle. I started introducing solids a couple of weeks ago and this is going well, and he drinks about 2-3 oz of water a day from a beaker.

I have tried so far:

• Three types of bottle (Avant, Timmi and Playtex) and he won't drink from any of them
  
• Expressed breast milk and formula
  
• having someone else to give him a bottle, at different times of day
  
• he doesn't take dummies either
  

Any tips? Tricks?

Many thanks!!
Mimixxx

[elliott]

have you tried formula/expressed milk from a beaker?
I went back to work at 6 months with ds2 and he only ever had a bottle with an avent soft spout, not a teat. but he often drank very little of that tbh. Heinz baby basics beakers are also nice and soft for little ones.
Failing that, just push the fluids (water if he won't take milk) with the beaker and make sure his food has a high liquid content. He'll survive for the time you are at work

[redstarfalling]

I know this won't help but..........been there,been there, been there !! Had a bit of a dicky fit on here about two months ago for exactly the same problem. Carried on feeding DS morning and night and persevered with a NUK latex teat in the day at nursery. Now 7 weeks down the line he will take a feed of about 6 oz from it, IF he feels like it !! Tried starving him of solids so he was hungry enough for milk but wasn't having that just went on hunger strike and lost a bit of weight. Started him back on full solids ( he just loved his solids ! ) Worried about it for a week or two then just thought stuff it if he's hungry / thirsty he'll drink and also I knew he was having a good feed from me morning and night Now all OK piling weight on. Don't think this helps at all really does it ? but at least you know its not that uncommon, or at least thats what I found out from my thread I'm sure sombody will come along with real advice soon !

[peaches27]

We had a lot of success with Dr Browns after bf ceased.

[louismummy]

my ds preferred taking his nuk bottle ( bought every sort!!!!) when he was lying down. ie not holding him ????? who knows why? or go straight to a cup?

[jamiesam]

sorry, I have hopeless memory, but I think I eventually cracked similar problem with latex teats (just bog standard boots or mothercare ones). They are very soft and sort of brown colour - think the texture/softness is what appeals to some babies.

However, neither of my ds's were drinking from a bottle when I returned to work - at 4 months and 6 months, they both went cold turkey at nursery - though it was ebm. They both gave in and drank from a bottle before lunchtime!

If your little boy is really obstinate, as elliott points out, he could cope just for the time you're at work - although could mean some serious breast feeding when you're at home - or in the night - sorry!

[Eeek]

try heating the milk a bit more so it's properly warm when you test it. Don't know why this should help but it has with a couple of babies I know

[DettaJnr]

Having similar problem myself with number three. No 1 didn't care if his milk was formula or breast milk , came from an old boot, boob or bottle! What a surprise when no 2 refused bottle. Unfortunately, my milk dried so she had to take formula from a bottle only to find that we couldn't get her off the bottle! No 3 (8 months)refuses bottles, thinks they are for chewing! Decided to bypass bottles. She will take water/juice from sippy cup but not milk. The key, I think, is to persevere as they eventually realise this is how they get it. They wont go hungry, it's against nature.

[JezC]

My son (3 months old) wouldn't take ebm or formula from a bottle at all, so I tried Tommee Tippee 'Closer to nature' bottles/teats and he loved it! These teats/bottles are designed to be a close to breast feeding as possible. The soft silicone teat is stretchy like a real nipple with ridges on it and the design is of a similar shape to the breast. The best bit is that they claim that the baby can use the same latch on technique as with breast feeding so avoids 'nipple confusion', so it's excellent to combine this bottle with breastfeeding.

[BetsyBoop]

I was recommended Mam teats by a friend as it had worked for her & bingo! Have since recommended it to another friend & they worked for her too.

(You just need the Mam teats, not the fancy bottles, they fit wide necked bottles such as Avent etc)

before that had tried just about every other make of teat without success....