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Infant feeding

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

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Original poster

4 month old refusing EBM bottle

12 replies

cityangel · 09/01/2011 16:25

He took the bottle a couple of months ago but we seem to have left it too long to try again. Now he's outright refusing it just when we're starting to get our lives back and have 2 options to go out looming.

I expressed straight into the bottle and both myself and dh tried. Different positions, singing, not forcing etc.

He is teething and has a cold, but also refused it when this wasn't the case :(

I am really upset as we have tons of EBM in the freezer and now leave near my parents with babysitting options. Last night I took him with me to a baby shower and kitchen party but he's too old/ aware now to go with us

OP posts:

japhrimel · 09/01/2011 17:15

Maybe try another teat?

NinkyNonker · 09/01/2011 17:36

Watching with interest, have never managed to get 5 mo DD to take one.

bessofhardwick · 09/01/2011 18:37

It could be the type of bottle. We use breastflow first feed because they are the only type DD will take. They have a double teat and the outer one is soft silicon. As the name suggest, they are designed for breast feed babies. They are a little pricey at £6, but totally worth the money.

deec01 · 09/01/2011 18:46

Hi there, This post has brought back memories of my neice and nephew. Neither took the bottle as my sisters were advised by the midwifes not to introduce the bottle until BF was established.

Methods we tried were for someone else to give the bottle. For mum and dad not to be around. We also never gave it when baby was really hungry. I have to say neither took the bottle and one sister weaned my neice early and introduced a small basic easy cup. The other sister gave up trying the bottle and just persevered until he was fully weaned but even at that she still needed to do the night feed and then go out.

I hope someone out there has a success story for you because I find it a shame as we all felt useless and my sister was demented.

I personally breastfed all 3 of my kids for 1 yr but a bottle was introduced at 1-2 weeks with my health visitors advice who herself was an experienced breastfeeder. I think with great advice and knowledge you can successfully combine it and Good Luck with that bottle!

bessofhardwick · 09/01/2011 18:58

I was told not to introduce a bottle until 4 weeks, but before 6 weeks. (Not sure of the reason for the short time scale.) We started trying when DD was 4 weeks and it took us a while to establish, but once we found the right bottle she was fine.

mousymouse · 09/01/2011 19:01

unfortunately this is quite normal.
dd would never take a bottle, but take mild from a spoon or a sippy cup. ds never liked bottle teats but had no problems with the avent magic cup soft teat.

nowonthepill · 11/01/2011 16:25

I have 3 kids, all breastfed, and had no luck introducing expressed milk from bottle. My friend who has had success reckons it's because you need to do from about 2 weeks old. My youngest is now almost 5 months, so am going try expressed milk from a cup soon. I've been fairly strict with feeding times, so mine has feed and bed at 7pm and then I don't feed her until after midnight, she is used to this now and means I can have some evening. You could try this?

NovemberAli · 11/01/2011 19:15

I have been having this exact same problem (DD is also 4 months). Went and bought Breastflow, NUK and Dr Brown's bottles from mothercare on Sunday after outright refusal of Avent and Tommee Tippee from both DH and my mum (she had been taking Avent fine before Christmas).

Have since had some success with NUK, I fed her first and then she took an ounce on two occasions. I make sure the milk is nice and warm as well. Now I'm just going to try giving her a bit from a bottle every other day or so as I want to make sure she's happy with it before I go back to work.

Don't know where to keep all these bottles now

nowonthepill · 11/01/2011 19:39

Yeah we spent loads on bottles, got every variety going! One that even looks like a boob! But dd wont be fooled, pain that she is! I'm just going to wean her asap, going back to work when she is 8 months so hopefully be able to have milk from a cup by then and from breast at night. We'll see. When do you go back to work?

runningrach · 11/01/2011 21:05

Am interested you had success with NUK NovAli, I've been trying a NUK teat this evening with my dd, who has used avent and yoomi teats before as well as bf with and without shields, but she couldn;t get a drop of milk out of the NUK teat!

It's definitely the right teat for the milk (it flows when I squeeze it) and I''m definitely offering it the right way up!

mears · 11/01/2011 21:12

It isn't true that a baby won't take a bottle unless it has been regularly form early on. They are all individuals.

A hungry baby will take milk. I think they are often put off by being 'forced' to take a bottle. I didn't give a bottle to my babies will just before going back to work which was 4 months for 1 of them.

Cityangel - I would go out and leave baby with EBM, bottles and babysitter. If he is truly hungry he will take milk.

I personally used a Maws Resolve teat which had a cross instead of a hole so baby regulated flow. I don't think you get them now?

I had success with my sisters reluctant baby by walking round holding her facing away from me. The EBM was quite warm and I heated the teat too.

mwahmwah · 11/01/2011 21:45

(They're selling those breastflow bottles in tk maxx just now for pennies, just incase anyone's interested!)

We had the same problem with DD who's now 4. Eventually we tried those really old fashioned beige coloured teats, probably the cheapest you can get in Boots and she took to them no problem!

DS is 15 wks, and we've been trying to get him to take a bottle at 10.30 (just to see if we can get him to sleep a bit better). He'll fight the bottle loads if he's not hungry, and usually only takes about 4 oz. The fact is though, he has taken 8 oz on occasion so I know he'll take it if he's hungry.

Just a by the way, he was given a pill cup in hospital when realy tiny, and fed very well from that - they just lap it from the cup like a kitten would lap at a bowl. Needs to be a very fine lip on the cup though. It is messy, but well worth the effort if a bottle just isn't happening!

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