Getting LO to take a bottle...I know this has been done to death but

[sillysow]

Hi all

I have a 9 week old that is breast fed. That said she has accepted the odd bottle of expressed body temp milk up until 2 weeks ago. Suddenly now she just wont accept it, and will scream her head off if you try her with it...... give up and put her to the breast and she is straight on.
Trouble is my toddler is likely to be having more surgery in a week or so, and I could really do with being able to "detatch" myself - certainly for the time that the toddler is in recovery.
Has anyone got any suggestions.... I really cant understand why it is suddenly a no go now?

TIA

[sneezecakesmum]

Its because she is aware enough to know the difference and frankly knows enough of her own mind to reject the bottle in favour of the breast!

Not helpful, but have a word with the HV, she may suggest cup feeding in the short term, a bottle with a nipple shaped tip (not much good imo).

It might be that if there is no alternative and she gets ravenous she will have a go at the bottle, but thats not much help to you, but if you are not there as an alternative she may take a bottle from someone else.

[sillysow]

Thank you sneezecakesmum, I have already tried getting other people to feed her - the last time being when I had nipped out to do some food shopping.... the result was screaming and then going back to sleep. That said she should not have been ravenous at that point to be honest.

I think cup feeding is worth a bash..... but not something I have ever done before.

[sarahloula]

Which bottles do you use? I use Tommee Tippee bottles which are supposed to be ideal for combination feeding (so it says on the box) as they are supposed to mimic the shape of the breast.

[sillysow]

I have got Yoomi ones which are very similar in shape to tommee tippee - have also tried Dr Browns too.... wont take either :(

[suzym1984]

Hi sillysow my DS did this at about 10 weeks too. I managed to get him back onto a bottle by using Tommee tippe CTN bottles, and I let him play with them first, so he got used to holding them, having them in his mouth etc. ALso, experiement with expressed milk and also formula, someone once told me that if they smeel the breast milk then they get confused as to why it is in a plastic bottle.

Good luck! Just keep persevering and you will get there :-)

[HandMini]

Medela Calma has been recommended to me as a teat to try for mixed bottle and breast feeding.

[sillysow]

thank you both - HandMini - thanks also - have just ordered one - anything is worth a try!

[sillysow]

Just to let you know last night I managed to get DD to take 1 oz from the Medela Calma.... work in progress x

[watto1]

My ds wouldn't take a bottle either. I found that breastfeeding him for just a couple of minutes first and then slipping the bottle in worked a treat. He was happily feeding from just the bottle within 2 days.