Breastfed baby refusing bottle

[SazMcStan]

My LO is just under four months and up to now has been exclusively breastfed. I'm going back to uni in September and he'll be starting nursery.

I'm trying to get him to take expressed milk in a bottle but he is just refusing it. I've tried giving it to him, his dad has and other family members and each person he just refuses it for and doesn't settle until he's back with me. I've tried different times of the day, when he's not hungry, when he's really hungry or when he's almost due a feed. I've got Avent bottles and the Avent breast pump.

Can anyone offer any advice? Any idea of better teats that will fit Avent? I am just persevering at the minute in the hope that he'll eventually get used to having a bottle. I'd prefer not to have to buy new bottles but if I have to I will.

I have a few weddings coming up so would like to have him taking a bottle as soon as possible and I'm beginning to get stressed that he's not going to take on by September (I know someone due back in work next month, has been trying her LO on bottles since four months and she's now nine months and still won't take one!)

[CityDweller]

Have you checked your milk tastes ok before you give it to him? Sounds bonkers, but I had an 'excess lipase' issue that means mine can't be kept for long. There are ways round it - lots of info online

Otherwise, try being out the room/house when DH or someone else tries. Babies are no fools - why bother with a bottle id the source is right there? And we had more joy with an open cup (doidy cup) than bottle to start with. I assigned DH the challenge of getting DD to take expressed milk - he took her downstairs each morning, but her in a bouncy chair and made it all a game (lots of clapping and laughing, etc). Took about 3 or 4 days until she 'got it'. She was about 4.5 mo.

Good luck!

[CityDweller]

In fact, now I come to think of it, DD never 'got' bottles. We got her used to drinking expressed milk with the doidy cup and then switched to a basic sippy cup.

[Janethegirl]

Once your baby is slightly older, he may take milk from a feeding beaker. My dc never took milk from a bottle but would from a beaker or spoon.