DS will only feed when I feed him

[Chaikolo]

Hi
Not sure if anyone has had the same problem. I use to have big problems bf at the start so my DS had to take the bottle, which he was fine with. Then after 2 mons of hanging in there, I finally managed to bf again and have loved it since and fed exclusively as it was a lot easier and quicker for the both of us. However, he is now 6 months and is not keen to hit the bottle. He cries and pushes the bottle away and you really have to keep at it....sometimes he's so angry and only bf will only do. At first I thought he could smell my milk, so DH and my parents tried without me around, but he gets more angry with them. Sometimes he will take the bottle from me (only me so far), but only after I coax him for ages - or when he's so starving having refused the bottle for hours! I feel bad now as I need to leave him with people now and then and he never eats until I get back :( so I feel like a bad mum leaving him when there are unavoidable things I need to go and do!
I'm feeding him a bottle every evening now so he can get use to it again, but he doesn't always take it and when he does, he seems to only do so when I feed him (which defeats the whole purpose!) Happy to still bf, but having visions of doing so when he's way too old for it!!
Anyone in the same situ? Managed to fix this kind of thing?

[Tigresswoods]

Aah yes I and my mates experienced this. For DS it was as simple as he didn't want to be held so we propped him up between our legs on the floor. Other friends never found a solution and just carried on BFing every feed.

Someone else will be along in a minute with suggestions I'm sure.

[Jojay]

I don't want to be the voice of doom, but my DS2 would never switch happily from bottle to breast. Bfed until 9 months, then after months of trying we went cold turkey and ditched the boob. After 6 hours he cracked and never looked back, but when there was a 'choice' he was never going to take the bottle.

[KittyintheCity]

I had the same problem with my first DD. It was incredibly frustrating but just took a bit of perseverance. I just kept offering the bottle to her, once or twice a day, every day, for about 2 weeks and eventually she took the whole bottle (she had refused even a mouthful before this). Are you expressing or using formula? Expressed milk may be easier at first because the baby will be used to the taste, then you can transfer onto formula (if you want to). If he prefers it from you, let him get used to it like that and just get him used to having a bottle and being happy with that, and then after a week or so he will be happy for anyone to feed him, I'm sure. Key = stay relaxed and don't get stressed about it. Good luck!

[mumeeee]

DD1 wouldn't take a bottle. But from about 6 months she would take milk from a sippy cup. Could you Mum or DH try that.

[Mezby]

Hi DD1 would never take a bottle from anyone which meant I couldn't leave her for long periods at a time but as she slept all evening from 8 weeks old and fed four hourly from being a few weeks old I figured it didn't matter too much. I kept offering the bottle to her as I was goin back to wirk when she was 8 months but she wouldn't take it so expressed and sometimes she drank it from a cup but more often than not she wouldn't drink at all and would feed from me when I got home. DD2 also wouldn't take a bottle but as I knew that it wasnt really a problem with her sister I didn't really try too hard and again it has worked out fine. I would try with the bottle for a few weeks but if it doesn't work please don't get stressed, you will both find a way around it. P.S. Both self weaned when they were 16 months and 14 months respectively.

[Octaviapink]

I wouldn't bother with bottles at all - go with milk from a cup. Unless you're going back to work all day and he HAS to drink from a bottle I wouldn't worry about him going a bit short when you're not there. At six months he's getting purees and so on and they're mostly water so he won't get dehydrated. Also there are a variety of opinions about 'too old' for breastfeeding! DS 10 months has given up his daytime breastfeeds now (I'm having a day in London tomorrow hurray!) but still has one morning and evening and about four overnight.