Help - distressed mum - 3 month old refusing bottle

[madamechocolat]

Mumsnetters (Mears/Tiktok anyone?)- need your help here. I've just been in contact with a Mum who is really distressed about her 4 month old baby refusing a bottle. She has been breast feeding him and giving him formula top ups since birth but he is now refusing the bottle. She has ended up feeding him constantly throughout the day and tells me she has only had one hour off today. She tells me he is crying apparantly hungry between feeds. She in the meantime is exhausted and desperately needs some advice - HV was spectacularly unhelpful. Over to you wise ones - thanks.

[helenainsworth]

No real gems of wisdom to add other than sympathy- my baby is now 10 months old and has always refused the bottle. Am sure it might be just a phase and trying again with a gap of a few days might do it. The feeding will settle down but it must be very hard. It is easy to assume that all the crying is from hunger (I know I certainly did)but it could be teething or being overtired. But it sounds really tough. Poor lady. In the meantime, every ounce of breastmilk is pure goodness for the baby though...

[madamechocolat]

Thanks HA - bump for any other advice?

[Diplomacy]

don't know what kind of bottles she is using but try NUK. You get them from independent chemists rather than Boots etc. Their teats are very different - one side is flat but they are the closest to the nipple and recommended by feeding clinics and special care units where the premmies often have feeding problems. Hope this helps

[Lact8]

I would say that as her baby is refusing the bottle, her milk supply needs increasing to make up for the missed bottles which is why she is feeding so much. IME it usually takes a couple of days for the body to catch up with the demand. (hope that i've made sense there!)

Does she want to continue the mixed feeding?
Is the baby under the weather at all and feeding for comfort?
Is your friend eating and drinking well?
Does she have support from anyone at home as even though it should only be a short time to get the milk supply up it is still completely knackering to have a baby attached all of the time even if it just for comfort.

I don't know if this is related but it has been posted on here about babies around this age fighting with the breast. COuld it be her's is doing this and taken against the bottle rather than the breast?

Hope everything calms dowm for her soon

[Lact8]

Was also thinking, if the baby has been used to being topped up wih formula then probably will feel hungrier as b/milk alone more easily digested

[CaptainDippy]

May be try cup-feeding? Change teat?? Poor mum!!

[madamechocolat]

Thanks so much everyone - I'll pass this on and see what gives. I'm sure there are deeper issues here but I'm not really in a position to interfere. I just felt so sorry for her .

[clairemow]

My DS started refusing a bottle around the same age - he'd been having 1 bottle expressed bm every day since 4 weeks. I just had to keep trying and eventually he gave in. It was really hard though, as he kept screaming when the teat came near him. Then one feed he just took it again and didn't stop. I can't remember doing anything specific though, apart from crying in frustration. I don't think that's much help to your friend, but do persevere. oh, and if there is a DH/DP/anyone else around, try getting them to reintroduce the bottle at one feed a day, as then the baby won't smell the breast milk from her when feeding.

Maybe she could try expressing to see if he'll take expressed milk in the bottle - might smell different? At least that would give her boobs a rest, and might help increase supply?

Hope it works...