Bottle refusal

[LimesMum]

My 5 month baby suddenly absolutely point blank refuses to take a bottle. She has taken a bottle since 6 weeks old intermittently, probably 2/week (of EBM) then one day bang! She just spat it out! I've now tried for over a month to get her back onto it with no joy.

I've tried every different type of teat and bottle out there including the breast flow ones and latex ones. I've also tried every type of sippy cup I can find!!

She will take a few sips from a doidy cup or a shot glass but this gets very messy and we are making no progress with this.

I've tried leaving her without feeds so she gets hungry but still she refuses to take anything and I've tried feeding her whilst lying down or walking around.

It seems to be an issue with having the teat in her mouth rather than the milk itself

I really need to leave her and can't at the moment, any advice would be amazing as I'm lost as what to do?

Thanks in advance

[Inapickle123]

No advice but empathy. My DS started bottle refusing when he was 13 weeks old and I'm now on week 11 of bottle hell.

Like you, we tried new milk, different bottles, teats, hotter, colder, sippy cup, spoons etc. to no avail. The only bottles we could reliably get into him were first thing in the morning, before bed and dream feed; all after 30-130h of full scale meltdowns.

Now, the only bottle I can get him to take is the dream feed. Lucky to get 14oz in him in a 24h period (wakes during the night but still refuses to drink). He will stiffen, throw his head back, purse lips, bat bottle away-anything to avoid eating.

We ended up weaning early, at 16 weeks, simply because I couldn't get him to eat. This may be an option? You can mix milk into baby rice/cereal/porridge (although my DS is now wise to this and refuses anything made with milk)

The other possibility-especially if you think it's the teat not the milk-is teething. Have you noticed excessive drool, gnawing on hands etc? If so, try the milk slightly colder or bonjela gums 10m before you intend to feed.

Hopefully it's just teething and your DC will go back on the milk once teeth come through. Our issue is taste/CMPI/reflux so it's not going to get better!!

[slightlyinsane]

A friend of mine had problems with bottle refusal and in the end found her dd would use one of the beakers with built-in straw.

[NorahBone]

I second what slightly says - straw cups may be the way to go. It was the only thing our 5/6 month old would drink from, apart from breasts, without a LOT of mess. Until about 7.5 months, when he suddenly started taking bottles again (it may have been because it wasn't me giving the bottles?).

[LimesMum]

Thanks for this, I'd love to know which the cup and straw is please so I can go and but one, we haven't tried that one yet!!!!

[slightlyinsane]

Have alook on mothercare website at the born free straw cups. That's an example of best sort to use, they have soft straws. I got mine from Tescos but that was a few yrs back. I'm sure they still do similar ones.

[NorahBone]

Mine was by a company called First Steps and it was only a pound, but it was from an independent shop. You might have to ignore the age recommendation- the one I got said 6m+ but this seems to vary enormously.

[LimesMum]

Thanks again, have had a look, they look to be for 12 months + so not sure how successful she will be at just 5 months, straw seems quite wide - is a wider straw easier than a narrow one? How easy did you LO's get the hang of sucking from the straw? I would imagine it's harder than a sippy cup?

Thanks

[LittlePink]

Have you tried NUK? Even the most stubborn baby has been known to take this. My LO went through a sage from 9wks until 16 wks of refusing the bottle. I tried everything on the market.

Heres what I did: Gave up trying for 2 weeks. Put all the bottle paraphernalia away and let her forget what a bottle was. Then 2 weeks later I went out all morning shopping while DH waited for her to get hungry and offered the NUK bottle with latex teat and we never looked back. You have to be out of the house though as they can smell your milk from 20 metres away. It was the only thing that did the trick.

[NorahBone]

You might well be right Limes, the 12m+ might have larger straws. these say 4m+ and look great but I think are only imported from the USA. I'd be wary of some of the no-spill ones with a valve in the straw - they might be a bit hard to suck. These Momma ones say 6m+ This is what I bought. HTH

[LimesMum]

Thanks again for the advice. I think I will order the momma ones as she will be 6 month sun enough!!

Yes I've tried nuk! Think I've tried almost everything bottle wise, she is a stubborn little lady!!!! I've also tried no bottles for 2 weeks then going back to it but no luck

[Annietheacrobat]

Playtex drop in system worked with my DD. After a few weeks she then started taking a normal bottle again

[gutted2014]

My DS3 wouldn't take a bottle from me at first, but he would from DH. I think maybe he knew my smell & knew that Mummy=milk (could be wrong on that though!) So, maybe you could try getting DH to offer a bottle while you are in a completely different room or even out of the house for half an hour?