Please help me get DD2 to drink milk from a bottle/cup!

[ChirpyGirl]

DD2 is 17 weeks and I really need her to take some eBM for various reasons but she just isn't getting the hang of it.

I can't afford to buy huge amounts of different types of nipple/bottle and have them rejected and have so far tried a bottle with a newborn teat, a sippy cup and an open top cup, it just gets pushed out of her mouth again.

Any ideas or hints/tips for me to get her to take milk? She isn't refusing to drink it, she gets the milk in her mouth but instead of swallowing it just comes out the sides!

[whomovedmychocolate]

Sounds like you may be putting too much in at once. Have you tried cup feeding with a small cup (like an eggcup) or spoon feeding?

Another option which we found worked for us (horribly unorthodox) we got a Nurofen syringe - and used that to squirt EBM into DDs cheeks and once she'd realised what it was, she was happy to take it.

[lulalullabye]

keep perservering, same time each day, same temp of milk, and she will eventually take it. It's hard but keep trying.

Also found when having ebm, my dd liked it really hot !

[whomovedmychocolate]

Oh and make sure you get the milk at the right temp too.

[ChirpyGirl]

I have it at body temp at the mo, well, so I can't feel it on my arm but having not given a formula bottle ever I have no clue what I am doing when I do that.

Will try warmer and see what happens, she won't take medicine from a syringe, that gets pushed out as well, so might leave that as last resort

I had forgotten what a bloody faff expressing was as well! and it upsets DD1 as she thinks the pump is stealing DD2's Beeboo!

[ChirpyGirl]

Sorry, meant thanks for advice, shall let you know how that works!

[callmeovercautious]

I too found DD wanted it a bit warmer than body temp. Perhaps BM is warmer than skin temp as it comes from inside you?

I got DD to drink from a cup by giving it to her as a toy so I always reccommend new Mums give them one to hold/feel etc. That was mainly for water once I weaned her and it worked.

As for bottles, I used the slowest teat and made DP give it while I was out of the room. We started much earlier though as I needed a break every now and then.

Another option is the lid of the bottle, it is small enough not to be threatening iyswim? and they can see through it as well. Persevere and it will be fine. At 4m if she misses a feed she will make up for it when you get back, she may throw a bit of a strop but if it is an emergency/must go out and do type situation it will be OK.

This is all my own experience, I am not qualified in any way except I have fed DD for 16m now so we must have got something right along the way If you bump this a bit Hunker or one of the others who are more qualified will pop in and give you their words of wisdom, listen to them rather than me(especially Hunker she is great )

[ChirpyGirl]

I have to have teeth pulled so daren't feed when I get back as I get really drunk/groggy and won't be with it, plus I have to go into the office for 8 hours, so I need her to take at least one feed from teh bottle.

Shall try the lid, is a good idea that won't cost me!

DH started DD1 at 2 weeks on a bottle and she was fine and dandy but I couldn't be arsed with a ll the expressing this tiem round so haven't bothered until now!

(bumping again!)

[whomovedmychocolate]

Honestly if it is for just one day, why don't you just go with a syringe. You'll get enough down to keep her going and she'll be so grateful when you get back (although if she's anything like my DD she'll have a three hour milk marathon to remind you of your role on your return ).

Are you having a general for your teeth? If so you need to check with the anaesthesiologist how long you need to pump and dump for. I just had a local and it's apparently not an issue - but you have to be quite hardcore for that - root canals while awake are not nice

[ChirpyGirl]

Don't really need teeth pulled, slight overstatement, but have 2 temporary fillings to be replaced as they were too wussy to do real ones when I was pregnant.

She just spits out medicine from a syringe though, would that not be the same with milk? Shall get DH to try it tomorrow anyway....

I know what you mean about milk marathons, I left DD1 for 5 hours when she was 5 weeks old, and apart from the fact I had to express twice while I was at out, she was attached to me for the rest of the day even though DH had given her 2 bottles!

[whomovedmychocolate]

So you are having a general for fillings? Wow! nitrous oxide or the full kit and caboodle?

Medicine doesn't generally taste as nice as bm.

[ChirpyGirl]

No, just a local but just having my mouth played with makes me really spaced for some reason. Its more going into work I am worried about as I am not going to be able ot come home to feed her as I will be 50 miles away, so want to use dentist as a 'taster' as it were.

And good point about medicine, brain freeze meant i hadn't thought about that!

[ChirpyGirl]

Would love nitrous!

[gigglewitch]

someone else has said it too, but my DD liked the milk distinctly warm - to me it was HOT!
you need to get rid of any plastic/rubbery smell off the cup [easier said than done etc] but as far as i know it puts baby off cos they cant smell the milk. we put our new ones in the dishwasher - repeatedly. oh, and cup-wise we were given tommy tippee cups by sure start, and even though we had all kinds of cups and stuff, the TT were a huge hit. Actually I've still got a brand new one of these in a packet in the cupboard, which i'd happily post to you... we have three kids so never got round to using all of the cups we were given at every development check

[ChirpyGirl]

I have a hoard of tommee tippe cups, if you mean teh ones with the flip top spout?
I had to stop using them after DD1 worked out how to pry the lids off and chuck water everywhere!

[whomovedmychocolate]

Ah yes the 'clunk, splash' TT cups, remember them well

[gigglewitch]

these ones have no flip-top, no spill-proofing and no bells/whistles, just v. bog standard cup with spout. Thus a hit with very little ones. They will dribble if tipped over, but no way a lo could get the lid right off (mummy is sometimes too crap at it and has to ask daddy)

[ChirpyGirl]

I meant these but assume you meant these ones, the orange spout ones?
I have one of those around as well!

[callmeovercautious]

They are the ones I gave DD to play with. They are good because they have no valve so if you are BFing are a more natural conversion to a cup. If you can't get any from a clinic thay re only a £ or 2 in Tesco. Tesco also do a relly free flow one which is in thier value range for less than £1. It is Blue with a red lid, but be warned it does pour out on your carpet if it tips up!

[littleducks]

try in a medicine cup, the ones they give you tablets in when you stay in hosp

[gigglewitch]

yes, second one
worked for us. not a clue why / how
good luck

[ChirpyGirl]

Bugrit, DH tried syringe, lid, and heating milk up, it all got spat out.
Shall get some new teats tomorrow and a tommee tippee cup thing and try again (but want it noted that I resent spending money on this!)

Any suggestions for teats I can use with a normal wide neck bottle?

[pendulum]

bottle refusal thread

Hi ChirpyGirl
I have a thread on a similar note- see link for discussion about teats

(Still no success so far!)

[ChirpyGirl]

Ooh, thanks, shall have a read through that later!