Anyone managed to get a bottle refuser to take a bottle?

[Ironwife]

DD is 8.5 months old, breastfed and well established in solids now. She has always refused to take a bottle or soother ... She has a high gag reflex and really hated anything other than a boob in her mouth when she was small. I've tried different bottles, teats, my milk, formula etc.

I was wondering if anyone on here managed to solve this problem and if so how? I am returning to work soon and also have a few social occasions coming up...id love to be able to leave her confident that she would drink and settle

[StrangeDream]

We're getting there. Slowly. Mam bottles with a 4 month + teat and warm formula (I have problems expressing). DS will take a couple of oz now. Don't know why he's suddenly started entertaining the idea...we do offer him a bottle when he's upright in his bouncy chair (not bouncing! ) and this seems to suit him better rather than being held.

You have my sympathy, it's a bloody hard place to be

[Ironwife]

Thanks StrangeDream. How old is your DS?

Yes it's seriously tough....second time around for me, DS NEVER took a bottle but it didn't really matter as I didn't go back to work until he was older and I didn't have anything else on really. Plus he would go to sleep at 7 and sleep til 11 or 12 or later so I could get out for dinner or whatever....DD is another story!

[StrangeDream]

He's four months. How I'd love to be able to go to Tesco alone pop out for half a day!

[twolittleboysonetiredmum]

Yes! 2 bottle refusers out of 3dc here. The only teats they'd ever consider were the nuk latex ones, initially run under hot water to soften up. Formula needed to be hotter than you'd think And I had to feed them pretty much sitting up watching tv for the first few feeds until they would take one. And a couple of weeks persevering. This was at approx 6 mths each time and never used expressed milk, just formula

[doleritedinosaur]

At 8.5 months why don't you try a cup/beaker?

We skipped bottles & at 5 months gave DS a cup with water & he has all his drinks in that.
Munchkin do one which has the sucking similar to breastfeeding without tears etc.

[doleritedinosaur]

Teats* not tears!

[Gracey79]

Mine would have one in the car seat or pram as long as he wasn't being held he seemed to do better with it

[Frolicacid]

You have my full sympathy iron. Ds is 8 months and refuses any kind of milk from any kind of vessel other than fresh from the boob. I have tried everything. I found it really stressful thinking that he wouldn't drink when I was back at work.
In the end I gave up trying and concentrated on gently reducing day time feeds. He has taken really well to solids and eats loads and will also drink water from a sippy cup. I've now been back at work for 3 weeks and we're managing well with just evening, night and daytime feeds.
This might be an option if you want to carry on feeding.

[Ironwife]

Thanks all.

doleritedinosaur - she feeds to sleep, which is part of the reason I can't leave her. I just think a bottle at bedtime might be more comforting than a cup/beaker.

Frolicacid - I do think she'll probably be fine 9-5 when I'm working but I'll need to be away til late or overnight at times.

twolittleboysonetiredmum - Did you try every feed or just one feed a day?

[twolittleboysonetiredmum]

I just went with one feed a day - one I knew they'd be hungry at. Generally before my lunch/their nap. Always stuck with the same teats too. Probably had a week or two of them just chewing on it.

[BertieBotts]

Have you tried brown latex teats? Onlt thing which worked for a friend of mine.

[twolittleboysonetiredmum]

Like pp have said, they'd probably cope with not but for me I want them to have the comfort of a bottle of milk. Mine never got beakers etc and I rely on feeding to sleep a lot. I also wanted them to not be as physically attached to me when I went back to work and psychologically for me that means not breastfeeding at all. And I think it helped them too as I wasn't their only source of food/comfort

[furtivefeline]

Mine first took one at about 8 months, refusing all attempts before that. He sounds a lot like your DD as had major gag reflex issues and hated dummies, also struggled with solids for quite some time.

I just tried most days, letting him play with it/chew on it etc. What worked in the end was giving it in his highchair - I think it allowed him to associate it with eating rather than as a replacement for BF. After that he would also take it when held on my lap but sitting upright and facing away. The NUK latex teat with very warm formula worked for us. I only rarely give him a bottle now, and he takes max 2-3 ounces but it's good to know he can do it!

Good luck!

[Coconut0il]

I feed DS2, 9 months, to sleep. He's never taken a bottle either but will drink water from a sippy cup. I have managed to go out a few times as DP has settled him either in the bouncy chair (when he was smaller) or more recently by pushing him back and forth in the pushchair. I fed him before I went out then when I transferred him to bed when I got back. We wouldn't do this every night but every now and then it's ok.

[ANiceSliceOfCake]

Watching with interest. I've got a 9 month old bottle refuser. He seems to hate the taste of the formula too. He looks quite disgusted by it. I tried him on a sip of cows milk out of a beaker the other day and he seemed OK with it. I know they can't have it till 12 months but I'm going to offer him tiny sips to get him used to it. Then hopefully he will take that at 12 months. Hopefully!

[Becomingmom]

Mine refused consistently until she just didn't. I use the mam self sterilising bottles and bought a carton of each formula ready made, eventually she took hipp organic. She likes it warm because that's what she's used too and won't take it if she's being held lol I wanted to stop because I've gained 7kg breastfeeding but I haven't got the heart, she's 6 months now so I'm introducing solids and my weight gain has at least plateaud.

[Redhead79]

Yes, but it took nearly 2 weeks and a lot of perseverance and patience. I was going back to work so there was no choice, but DH found it very frustrating and stressful. He kept offering warm breast milk using the same teat (Nuk) using small amounts to minimise waste and overwhelming her. She's been happyily swiching between bottle and boob for nearly 3 months now but still won't take the bottle if the milk is cold or if I'm around!

[doleritedinosaur]

My DS goes to sleep with his, in fact he kicked off a few nights ago as it wasn't ready.

The other teats sound like a good idea. Just trying different options.