Absolutely refusing bottle of expressed milk for 7+ hours! Any suggestions?

[azulpear]

My 7 month old DD was EBF to 6 months. She would occasionally take a bottle of expressed milk until about two months ago when she started totally refusing to take a bottle. She is mildly interested in solids but doesn't eat much.

We've tried different makes of bottle and teat, warm/cold milk, using a sippy cup, adding rice powder to make the milk thicker, trying to feed her in the house, out of the house, different people feeding her, different times of day... flat out screaming refusal (which obviously is so hard to listen to).

Yesterday she held out for 7 hours until I came home and breastfed. I am returning to work and need to travel for 5 days in a month's time. My husband is terrified she will lose lots of weight while I am away, though we both know that she will not starve and will eventually take the bottle, but the process of getting there could be awful.

If anyone has any ideas to get her to accept expressed milk I'd be so grateful to hear them!

[DonkeyOaty]

Have you tried ready made infant formula?

[azulpear]

No, not tried that, I just assumed that as she loves boob so much feeding her expressed milk was most likely to work. But I am heading out now to get one more brand of bottle and teat (last resort) so will get some ready made formula. Thanks for the suggestion!

[jobrum]

My dd exactly the same. She would go all day at nursery (her longest day there atarted before 8 and I picked her up at 6) with no milk. She started at 8.5 months. If your dd drinks water and is eating enough solids not to get ravenously hungry she will be fine. She might want more of a night but I made sure my dd had a big bedtime feed and got up in plenty of time to allow a big feed when she woke in the morning

[azulpear]

Good to know I am not alone! She's really not that interested in solids or water, that's what worries me. She does have a big evening and morning breastfeed, but obviously won't get that when I am away. I guess she will just have to give in at some point...

[LotsOfDots]

I've had 2 bottle refusers. They did eventually give in after a lengthy battle, and both drank out of Nuk bottles with silicon teats. DC1 two days before I went back to work when she was 7 months and wouldn't drink water out of a sippy cup and DC2 when she was 8.5 months at the same point. I was much less stressed about it second time round...

[azulpear]

Thanks Dots, I am trying to stay calm, but it's hard when she is seemingly intent on starving herself (even though I know that's impossible). Nuk silicone was what she used to take. I'm going to give Tommy Tippee a go.

[LotsOfDots]

My gut feeling is the bottle doesn't matter? It's just how long they can be stubborn for!

[azulpear]

Yeah I think you are right! But that doesn't stop me trying, I just bought a cup with a silicone straw. This is how baby product companies make so much money out of us - we get desperate!