Breastfeeding - 5 months not won't take bottle

[podywody]

Help, I have bf ds who is now 20 wks, i gave him a bottle of formula a few times when i went out for a night but not very often and have not done so in the last 6 weeks, i want to start introducing bottle feeds but ds totally refusses to let bottle in his mouth, have tried it with breast and formula milk but no luck, any advise ???

[cruisemum1]

try tommy tippee closer to nature teats, my ds will only take thsse (he is 23 weeks btw)

[Azure]

I had the same problem and tried various bottles and teats - I was most successful with Nuk latex. As I was completely giving up breastfeeding we eventually had to have a day or two of tough love when the bottle given by DH was the only option for DS2 - I always made sure he had a good feed at the end of the day, though. After he accepted the first one (afternoon feed) the rest followed ok.

[podywody]

am using the tt closer to nature teats but he just likes to chew on it, he wont suck, i think i might have to go with you Azure and just keep trying

[shish]

Podywody, I had the same problem. I had been battling with ds after he stopped taking the bottle gaed 2 weeks!!! I tried everything you can imagine - every bottle on the market, breast milk, formula, different people, in between feeds, when starving hungry - but nothing worked. He knew how to take the bottle, but just refused. At 4 months I also started to introduce beaker with water - still didn't get anywhere. I stepped up trying the bottle again at about 18 weeks - this time with the help of a different HV - still didn't get anywhere. I finally gave up about 6 weeks later. He had settled into a routine (at last!!) and the feeds ahdd really reduced. He still wouldn't drink from the beaker, but was eating 3 meals a day.

Then about 3 weeks later, in my desperation to get him to drink water I put some in his MAM bottle - you won't believe it, but he pounced on it!! I then introduced milk and kept on giving him one bottle a day and slowly increased it over the next few days. I was still giving him one breast feed in the morning, when last weeks he decide he didn't wnat it any more. He'll be 8 months tommorrow and I no longer breast feed him.

I'm sorry the message is so long, bu I guess what I'm trying to tell you is that it will happen when you least expect it and when you aren't stressing bout it. Everyone gave me this advice and as hard as I tried, I just couldn't relax about it. When I truly didn't care anymore ds decided he wanted to drink from the bottle.

I'm sure everything will work out just fine in the end. You could try the MAM bottle, but you may well find that if your ds is anything like mine then it's not the type of bottle that he doesn't like, but just the bottle itself.

Good luck. I really do understand where you're coming from xx

[cruisemum1]

shish - I am currently weaning ds from bf to ff but he hates the bottle and alwasy roots around for my boob! How much milk ar they supposed to consume once thye are being weaned (ds has been eatingsolids for around 3 weeks - he is 23 weeks)

[caygill132]

My dd refused a bottle from 12wks, we didn't give her it for a few days & then she decided she didn't want it any longer. I have tried every bottle, teat, cup in the shops & nothing..she just wants boob what can I say. My mum & mil will feed her milk from a spoon when the look after her & now whe is 7 months so is on solids too. She will take a small drink of water from a cup so hopefully in time she might take milk also. Either way I have come to the conclusion I will be bf till she is at least 12months, unless she decides to give up sooner.

[cruisemum1]

caygill - i did intend to stop at 6mths but I guess if ds will not take milk from anywhere else then I shall have to re-think. I love him and love bf so I will do what is best

[podywody]

thanks guys for all your advise, it sounds like me ds is like yours just wants the boob now he is taking baby rice and is starting to get more content, so maybe once i have introduced more solids my milk supply will be ok, it justs means that i can't go out without him.

[maisiebabe]

I go back to full time work in 3 weeks and DD is going to a nursery- huge problem (apart from the fact that I will miss her horrendously) is that she won't take a bottle/ cup/ anything apart from the boob..Have tried everything and it's hanging over my head and spoiling the time I have left on maternity leave. will she starve at nursery...help!! (piteous moan)

[cruisemum1]

maisie - she will not starve. The nursery staff will be used to this. Enjoy your time together. how old is she btw?

[Gemmitygem]

pody, had same problem, solved it thus:

(only EBM though, no formula)

1. kept perservering and being very positive
2. Sit him up on a cushion turned a bit away from me so he doesn't think it's a breast feed and try to get at the breast

Also get him to hold onto my hand, the one holding the bottle, they really like something to grab onto while feeding

1. get another person to feed him at first (Dad?)
2. make sure the milk is nice and warm
3. if he can't get a vacuum with his mouth, gently press the side of his mouth with your finger so he can get a vacuum.

best of luck!

[podywody]

thanks for advise gemmi i will keep trying this starting today, i'll let you know how it goes

[maisiebabe]

She's 16 weeks. It's up to DH to try bottles with her as she won't take anything from me. He's getting upset at always having to do as he thinks that she now associates him with bottle stress....perseverance I suppose....but it is a nightmare.

[shish]

Hi cruisemum. So sorry I haven't been able to get to the computer all weekend. At 23 weeks milk is unfortunatly still most important. They are getting used to the solids. By 6 months, once your ds is more established on solids and able to eat 'real' food, the milk consumption should be around 20oz per day, inclusive of cheese, yoghurt and any milk that goes in cereal. You've not got very long to go now..

[Pavlovthecat]

The only bottle my LO takes is MAM, i guess because it is so awkward and fiddly! She will only take max 5oz at a time, at 7.5 months old, and only for max 3 per day but usually 2. She wont drink from a bottle if she is a)very tired b)very hungry c)not very hungry d)teething e)feeling poorly. Currently she has today had 5 oz all day. I am scared to withhold feeds (told she will take if hungry) as she is a small LO as it is (16lb). It has taken me since 4 months to get this far, along with different bottles, different formula, EBM. It has been hard and stressful, so I do feel for you. However, it will happen.

I found that resting her against my knees propped up, facing me, holding a finger works best, if anything is going to or facing outwards, cuddled in to me.

[Pavlovthecat]

shish...is that right about milk intake...i wondered what it was...so 2 x 5oz bottles, plus three good BF per day is enough if eating 3 meals per day? currently my LO has 5oz plus BF top-up, but going back to work so trying to stop daytime bf...

[shish]

Hi pavlovthecat. Sorry I haven't got to the computer again.. I have been told this several times by HV. My ds at 8 months still doesn't drink large volumes of milk from the bottle either(maybe up to 14oz on a very good day), so I supplement with cheese and yoghurt, as advised. Milk in cereal also counts, of which he probably has about 3-4 oz..

You're doing fantastic as far as I can see

[Pavlovthecat]

thanks for this shish.

She most likely is getting enough then. Her growth is slow, although steady so I always worry about her weight, esp when trying to change to bottle feeding. She loves cheese, esp philly on toast, but does not do pureed food very well. If she cant feed it to herself, she does not want it!

[shish]

That's great progress. It means she's moving on really well. I hear of babies who never want to feed themselves for such a long time!! REally, I think you're doing really well