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Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Infant feeding

I just can't get him to take a bottle, please help, I can't take anymore!!

21 replies

Fotherespie · 17/08/2011 15:27

I need to get my 6 and a half month old to drink from something other than me, I've tried expressing, tried lots of formular, cups, bottles, cutting the ends off, poking new holes in, hot, cold, me, someone else. The most he'll do is about half an onze of actimel out a cup before throwing it on the floor and screaming. Please can anyone suggest anything I haven't tried, I need to leave him at nursey for the first time in 2 weeks and I've been at this for MONTHS now. I just want to cry.

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Nagoo · 17/08/2011 15:29

How long will he be at nursery for?

What does he eat?

Will he drink water from a cup?

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BertieBotts · 17/08/2011 15:32

Have you tried latex teats (the brown ones) rather than the clear silicon ones? Have you tried going out and letting someone else try him with the bottle?

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Fotherespie · 17/08/2011 15:55

He is going to be at nursery for one morning and one afternoon on different days. I dont know how I can leave him for more than 2 hours now. Also I'm just so tired and need a break but can never leave him. He's been entirely breast fed but also on solids for two months. It was so hard expressing milk as it took ages and then he wouldnt take it so I just switched to using water or actimel just to get him used to cup / bottle. I've tried getting my husband and mum to feed him but he just screams so they give up and wait till I come back in. I havent tried the brown teats, are they widely available? arh!

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MigGril · 17/08/2011 16:03

I would just stick with one type of cup so not to confuse him. Sometimes the one's with a straw work better.

I wouldn't worry about leaving him for a morning or afternoon the nursay will be used to dealing with babies and if he's been on solids that long I don't think they'll have a problem with him. Mite have been more of an issue if it was all day.

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BertieBotts · 17/08/2011 16:10

Agree with Mig - he won't starve even if he does refuse milk for the morning/afternoon :)

You can get the brown teats in most places, especially if they tend to have more old-fashioned sort of things, like the long thin bottles rather than short fat ones. Try a small local chemist, or corner shop type place, but somewhere like Boots or a supermarket will probably also have them. Breastfed babies sometimes prefer these as they feel more like skin than the silicon ones do.

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DaveGrohlsgirl · 17/08/2011 16:14

I feel your pain OP............DD refused anything other than me for 7 months, even expressed milk.
The way I got round this was to dream feed with a brown teat (as previously mentioned) to get DD used to it.
I started off with half bottle and then finishing on me, and then one night just kept going with the bottle.
It did take a couple of weeks........but I persevered and it did work.

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Fotherespie · 17/08/2011 16:41

Thanks I will try that. I will pop to the little chemist on the way to pick my other half up tonight and see if they have them. He does dream feed so I'll give that a go. I thought we were making progress with the cup as he took a little every afternoon last week but this week nothing! Maybe nursery will be able to handle it better than me as at least they wont get so emotional about it.

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BeehiveBaby · 17/08/2011 16:45

He will be absolutely fine. Babies can go 10hrs at night without anything at 7mths so 4/5hrs with food and water will be fine.

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RitaMorgan · 17/08/2011 16:47

I wouldn't worry about one morning and one afternoon - my ds did the same at 7 months and I just fed him before and after. While he was at nursery he had a meal and a snack, plus water.

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SuburbanDream · 17/08/2011 16:52

I tried every type of bottle and teat with my DS2 and the only ones he finally took where the old fashioned brown ones others have mentioned! They are the thin type that come with the thin bottles, usually from small independent pharmacies rather than the big branches of Boots etc. He was over 6 months when he finally decided to take the bottle, and then he stopped wanting to breastfeed shortly after and finally moved to the bigger Avent type bottles.

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EmmaVincent · 17/08/2011 18:42

Neither of my 2 would take a bottle either, I can totally sympathise with the panic of having to leave them and feeling you have to be at their beck and call for months on end in case they get thirsty! I have been most successful with Hipp Organic formula and personally think it tastes a little sweeter than other brands and therefore more similar to breast milk. I have cupboards full of different types of bottles, teats and cups but have discovered a double handled cup from Tommy Tippee for 4month+ with wide soft opening that needs very little pressure to allow drink to flow. It has taken lots of practise but my 7month old can drink from it fairly well. Unfortunately the only way he would try a cup was if he was hungry so had to cut out a feed. I also find he is better when out and about, sitting a buggy- maybe he realises there is no way he can get access to my breasts! Hope this helps.

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Nagoo · 17/08/2011 18:57

He'll be fine, there's no problem with that length of time.

Enjoy your break :)

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BenRoo · 17/08/2011 19:58

It will all be fine!
My DS went to nursery at 6mo, totally refusing any bottle/teat/ebm/formula. I was bricking it! Crying every day!
He went without milk for a while then caught on that I wasn't going to be there and one day suddenly started using a cup the nursery had supplied.
As pp have said your LO won't starve and the nursery will have encountered this problem before so will have distraction techniques.
Plus your LO will observe what the other bubbas are doing and more than likely submit to peer pressure
Our little monkey now uses a cup with us but given a choice would always have boob
Try not to worry, your LO will find their way eventually
Good luck!

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phoebebouffet · 17/08/2011 23:29

How warm is the milk? My DS wont take a bottle unless it's really warm, I'd love him to take it at room temp but there's no way, DS1 would no problem but he was ff from 3 weeks, DS2 is bf and will take a bottle if it's really quite warm so much so that by the time he's had a couple of oz and it's cooled down a bit he refuses the rest, warm it up again (I know probably shouldn't do this) and he'll finish it.

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Fotherespie · 18/08/2011 15:53

Thanks so much for all the support with this. I think as someone mentioned its the panic of whats coming that gets me worked up. I hate to think of him distressed but as its been pointed out he can do 7 hours at night so he wont starve. Still no joy finding the brown teats, been to two local chemists so tomorrow it's into town to hit the big stores... we will see...

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Fotherespie · 18/08/2011 15:59

just looking on the net, are they the playtex nipples?

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Nagoo · 18/08/2011 22:56

I wouldn't bother with trying to find a 'you' substitute. He'll be fine for the few hours you are gone and if he wants to drink he'll drink from a cup.

Don't worry. Breathe. :)

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1catherine1 · 18/08/2011 22:58

I saw the brown teats in Tesco today... tesco basic brand.. idk what bottle they fit though, I guess their own.

And you have my sympathies too OP. I'm in a similar position as I return to work in 2 weeks and will be leaving LO (who will be 23 weeks old) for 8 hours a day and she is still refusing every attempt at feeding her EBM. It is that bad that HV agreed it would be best to start her on solids now as she is keen and it means she will at least have something while I'm out. Thankfully she has really taken to solids and loves meal times. :)

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lilham · 19/08/2011 04:39

OP how did it go with the brown teat? You have my sympathy too as I'm in the same boat. Im not going to buy yet another bottle because I think she recognises the look of them The thing that really annoys me is that I started mine on a bottle from 4wo in preparation for returning to work. She never liked it and would scream if she was in a bad mood. From 4mo on she steadfastly refuses the bottle With all the effort I wasted on expressing and sterilising, I might as well not have bothered. I'm returning ft and am hoping she will take a cup at nursery seeing others drinking from it.

Good luck.

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Fotherespie · 20/08/2011 22:46

Update! I ended up getting the playtex bottle with both the slow and rapid flow brown teats off the net as I couldnt find anything locally. And he drank it!! At 4 o'clock today he took 50ml then at 6 tried him again and he took 100 finishing the bottle (he threw most of it up in the bath later, but that's not the point) I couldnt believe my eyes, a few practice slurps then he just latched on like it was my breast. the bottles seem really clever to use too with smart little inserts and no bottom to the bottle so it can just be dropped in hot water. Very impressed!! Thank you for the suggestions!