My baby won't take a bottle. Help

[Rehcallag14]

My dd is 5 weeks old. She has been breastfed only so far. She doesn't have a dummy. I am struggling with the lack of sleep so my partner wants to try her with a bottle (of my milk) to let me have a couple more hours. Unfortunately she will not take a bottle. I have tried, my partner has tried and my mum has tried. We have tried nuk and Tommee tippee. Different positions have also been told.

Any suggestions?

Thanks

[dreamingofwineandcheese]

I think you just have to be persistent. My DD is 7 weeks and took a bottle a few weeks ago but since then isn't interested! I had the same with DS who in the end took MAM bottles so I'm using those again.

I try and give her the bottle when she's not too tired or hungry and ideally get DH to try although he gets a bit stressed when she gets uptight.

I'm determined to get DD to take one as with DS is turned into a bit of a nightmare but I left it a lot longer with him.

[Heatherbell1978]

Keep trying. We started DS1 at 3/4 weeks and now he's proficient with one at 11 weeks but it's taken persistence. I've tried every bottle, every teat etc and we've settled with the Dr Browns bottle but he was fine with the NUK with a latex teat. The Dr Browns one has a wide teat which is the only one he's managed to latch well without spilling everywhere. There are loads of tips out there but the best one for us was making the milk warm,really warm! He likes the milk in a bottle much warmer than mine and since we figured that out, he's been fine with it. He takes formula now too which he wouldn't touch a few weeks ago.

[milkjetmum]

We also had best luck with MAM. but some babies are just very picky. Dd1 got the hang of a Tommee tippee within a few days at 6 weeks old. Dd2 was much trickier, we tried every bottle/sippy cup/doidy cup going and only just had a breakthrough at 8.5 months! Only took a month of me being back at work for her to finally accept a bottle...

[GotToBeInItToWinIt]

We started trying at about 5 weeks and finally succeeded at about 18 weeks! We tried everything. Eventually had success with Dr Brown bottles but I don't think it was the bottle that was the issue really.

[Rehcallag14]

Thanks everyone. Makes me feel better. :) Everyone else I've spoken to seems to have had no problems.

[joanne74]

Most of my friends experienced this. I I didn't with my first 2 but did with my 3rd at 4 months old. She was given her last bottle on the Sat and it took until the Wed before she decided to take the bottle. At this age I was able to introduce some baby porridge so she was never distressed. Try to be persistent, hard to listen to and watch though. Good luck.

[Tomkat79]

Just wondered if bf lying down would help you at all? In the early days id lie down with DD and doze off a treat. DH would lie next to us to make sure she was ok in case I rolled on her!!

[AnotherStitchInTime]

Have you tried Nuk latex teats?

[Lagoonablue]

My two never took a bottle. Tried them all to no avail. Gave up in the end. You may have better luck.

[mary81]

Definitely try it warmed up....took me ages to realise that this was what was needed for my daughter. Much warmer than you'd expect, too. Basically a latte

[squizita]

Tommy tippee seem huge and hard to me - nothing like a breast! DD refused them.
I found she would take lansinoh bottles (soft, pointy teat) from mothercare. A friend found 89p Tesco bottles worked for her EBF child for the same reason!

We had to teach her though. Day one she grizzled. Day 2 she toyed with it in her mouth. Day 3 a couple of sucks.
Then in reverse of what books say, in frustration I took the bottle and said "see its mummy milk" and fed her and I swear she understood! She will now drink from a bottle from DH if she is thirsty -She gets no comfort just food I think. So in the evening she often insists on boob as well as bottle breasr milk.

Still it buys me an hour or two a day! Plus dh can take her on trips out (to the video game shop and the local no doubt!) Which is fun for then both. And I can catch up on housework or nap.

[squizita]

Mine takes the milk body temp. I heat 2 oz at a time (so none is wasted) by putting the bottle in a cereal bowl off just boiled water for 2 min.

[socially]

Dd never took a bottle. In the end I stopped trying and just bfed her.

Sorry!

[mrsmilkymoo]

Dd is almost 14 weeks and I've had no luck getting her to take a bottle. Apparently I was the same as a baby too! I've pretty much given up, it's quite flattering that only my boob is good enough for her.

[Rehcallag14]

Thanks for all the advice
All is good now, dd is taking a tommee tippee closer to nature advanced comfort bottle of formula happily very evening from OH and sleeping 6-7 hours afterwards. Managing to bf during the day though. She is 7 and a half weeks now.