5.5 mo DD on hungerstrike at nursery -what to do??

[maisiebabe]

HELP!!!! Happy (but stubborn) little BF DD is at nursery 3.5 days a week and with her dad the other 1.5 days- she won't take a bottle or cup of EBM or formula. The nursery has managed to get her to take maximum 2 oz in a day on and off. I know she should be taking about 16 oz or so. She doesn't like water or baby juice either.. When I see her after work she feeds for hours and makes up for all night as well. Am knackered, but more worried that she'll get ill/ dehydrated/ never take a bottle/ cup of milk.

Want to do BLW (not long to go now) but have started on tiny amounts of purees just so that she will eat something... any advice?

Have tried all teats/ spouts/ positions/ people. She's a devoted boob girl!

[FrannyandZooey]

Aw bless her! There is a whole section of links here on Kellymom about how to encourage breastfed babies to take a bottle. Just have a look down the bottom of the page.

I hope it works out for you!

[TheArmadillo]

don't have any advice except keep at it.

Ds was the same when I returned to work. It took several months to get him on a bottle, but he did it eventually.

TBH I found that there wasn't really much point in the end in trying all bottles/teats etc (after spending a fortune on them ) because it didn't make any difference.

Ds used to feed constantly when I was home as well (that was exhausting).

SO no advice, but you're not the only one who has been through it and keep perservering she'll do it in the end

[WanderingTrolley]

Many babies do this.

She will be fine. You will be knackered.

Best for nursery to try 'playing' with the teat on her mouth and give up as soon as she gets the hump. Let her mess about with empty bottles - on the floor, in the bath etc. Some babies develop a bit of a bottle phobia, let her see them hanging around as a normal object. Put beads/rice/dried pasta in one and make a rattle out of it.

If you're worried about her getting enough EBM you could try to make one of her meals a very sloppy EBM and puree soup. Will she take EBM from a spoon?

Second Armadillo about not bothering to try every teat on the market. I'd recommend Playtex disposable ones or Avent. Former supposedly good for mixed feeding, most 'breast-like' teat allegedly, latter easiest to get hold of in shops!