Baby constantly refuses bottle

[Eggcellent29]

Hey everyone

I am at my wits end with this.

My baby has always refused his bottle when awake and is now 6 months old. He will only eat when he is asleep. Now that was fine when he was taking longer naps, but now we have two half hour naps and a long one, two hours apart.

So he isn’t hungry when he’s asleep but he is when he’s awake. He moans for the bottle but then pushes it away. If I persist he will scream, scratch, etc. So I don’t.

He has carabol which has helped a bit; but he will still only take 1oz when awake. He’s clearly hungry because the second he’s asleep he will drink 6oz!

I’ve tried leaving a longer gap - today he went 7 hours without a bottle and STILL wouldn’t take it. He’s down for the night and I’ve managed to get 4oz in him. Which is nothing given how long it’s been since the last bottle!

I was getting up in the night and giving him a bottle whilst hes asleep but he clearly didn’t want it, would have a few sleepy oz and just basically be disturbed for the rest of the night and I’d be awake from 2am every day. No good. If I don’t get up, he will sleep through

It’s so, so stressful. He is weaning fine and drinks water from a cup so I know he’s hydrated at least.

I am so worried about him losing weight or becoming unwell. When he was born he was BF and lost 10% of his body weight - I was made to feel like the worst mum in the world, HV called me selfish, doctor told me it was my fault he got meningitis cos I’d stopped BF, etc. I had a severe pp hemmorage, multiple transfusions, hospital admission for a week, outpatient treatment afterwards, etc and my body just went into survival mode - I couldn’t make enough milk, I could barely bloody walk. I still feel so, so awful about him being hungry. Is this colouring my view? It just doesn’t seem normal for a six month old to happily go 7 hours between bottles in the day and night.

Has anyone else been through this? I just don’t see it getting better.

@Eggcellent29 bless you, it’s so difficult when your baby doesn’t want to feed as you just want what’s best for them! you certainly shouldn’t make yourself feel guilty, you are clearly trying everything you can! That’s terrible that you were made to feel that way by your GP/HV, I think it’s wonderful that you persevered with breastfeeding despite such a difficult time after your birth and it’s the opposite of selfish!

With regards to your little boys feeding, do you think he might be suffering from wind or reflux? My boy did terribly and this would make him want a bottle but push it away in discomfort also.

If he is not, have you tried using a faster teat on the bottle? I found my boy would get bored with the slower flow and lose interest once he was a bit older.

You could also try giving him milk in the cup you give him water in? He might like feeding himself! And if your are worried he is not getting enough milk you could always add it to some of his meals too like porridge.

Try not to worry too much, it won’t last forever and will get better x

@Duran31 Thank you so much for replying and for being so so kind!

He has Carobel in his milk for reflux, but maybe it’s not enough. He’s had it for months and it has helped (he used to wake and cry) something clearly still isn’t quite right.

He has size 3 teats because of the Carobel so I don’t think it’s that.

That’s a good idea about the cup!! He loves drinking his water at mealtimes so I’m sure he would have milk from it too. I will give it a go, thank you!

I honestly can’t thank you enough for your reply, it was the boost I needed!

My little girl is now 13 month old and last year this was her.. would not take a bottle awake and hardly took a bottle anyway.. I was always crying and so scared.. was at the hospital that much I was told if I keep going social services would be involved thinking I could not look after her... I’m the end I just relaxed a little and thought she will take it when she’s hungary.. just keeep trying every hour or 2 and in the mean time give water(boiled and cooled from kettle) NOT TAP WATER and try and get some proper food in her.. carrots, broccoli, cauliflower and mashed potatoes all purée with blender... super food I do it everyday as when u do a meal freeze them for each day

mash some banana up for after
yogurts?? Do you give little one these my girl has 1 a day

I also buy the porridge in the little glas baby jars as it’s really smooth

X

also don’t give little carabel anymore it doesn’t work and made my daughter ill and in pain.. the doctor said he doesn’t like babys having it as it’s not tested in the uk.. got home Google’s it and he right it’s not.. would never put anything like that in my baby again.. also go get some number 2 medium flow teats as that what 6month old should be on and maybe change milk to a relic or comfort one which is thicker

How you getting on ? x

Reflux not relic sorry

@shazzz1xx

Sorry it’s taken me so long to reply!

He is weaned so has three proper meals a day :) Lots if veg, fruit and some meat.

Ah see without the Carobel he won’t wven dream feed :/ but he does with it! We’ve got size 3 teats, they are Tommee tippee 6 month plus so are the correct size for him atm.

I did think about the reflux formula but I wasn’t sure if the Carobel basically does the same thing - my GP said it is basically what they add to normal formula anyway to make it anti reflux