12 week old DD will not take a bottle

[Kentmummy]

Title says it all!
I've expressed milk and formula but she gets so distressed. I've waited until she's hungry and have persisted for half an hour despite her screaming. I've settled her and tried again but she's having none of it. She eventually fell asleep after crying herself to exhaustion I think.
I don't want to distress her but I want to try and start preparing her for my return to work.
I've tried different teat flows too with no success.
Any ideas... I'm desperate!

Perhaps try when she isn't quite so hungry/distressed? Maybe bf her first and then offer? And ideally get someone else to offer it rather than you. Breastflow bottles? Warm the teat? Errrrmmm.... I probably shouldnt be making any suggestions as my 12 week DS won't take a bottle either, but these are things that I have tried. Good luck.

When I ad the same problem some suggestions were:

• get someone else to offer the bottle
• try in the dark/at night
• try different types of bottles (a friend lent me those NUK bottles which i had some success with, or the breastflow bottle)
• try BF then slipping her off and popping bottle in, so she's not very hungry when you try
• keep trying in lots of different situations/times of day but if she's getting distressed don't push it for long, stop and try again a few days later. Limit the amount of EBM you use to 1-2oz each time so you don't waste a lot.

HTH

x post!

Don't wait until she's hungry. She doesn't understand how to get the milk out of the bottle as she's used to a boob and the technique is different - and trying to eat when you're starving and not being able to is incredibly frustrating (imagine someone putting a delicious meal in front of you when you're really hungry, but the rule is you're only allowed to eat it with one chopstick - you'd probably cry too!) Offer her the breast first but not a full feed, so she's settled and not starving but perhaps still a little peckish. Make sure the milk is warm enough (not too hot obviously) - it needs to be body temperature. Make sure the bottle is fairly full as too much air in it will make it harder for her to suck (this does mean you will end up wasting lots of milk unfortunately if she refuses it, but it can't be helped). Shake the teat gently into her mouth so a few drops come out and she understands there's milk in there. And it may help if someone else feeds her - she can smell you and your milk and she will probably refuse if she knows you can deliver the real thing. Some women find they can't even be in the house if they want baby to have a bottle. Try DH or someone experienced in bottlefeeding, get yourself well out of the way and get them to hold her in a similar position to the one you use will breastfeeding. When are you returning to work? Soon she will be ready for a cup and she might accept that more than a bottle.

NUK bottle
breastflow bottle
(Not necessarily the cheapest place to get them but just to show you)

How old will she be when you return to work?

Thanks for all the advice. I won't ge going back to work until she's 6 or 7 months which I know sounds ages but I'm worried if I don't sort it now I won't be able to go back or she will starve.
I will be weaning her soon I suppose but I don't know much about it although been told that milk is still their staple diet so she will have to take it eventually I guess. Im so worried she won't though and then I've no idea what we will do!

My 6/7 months she can have milk from a cup or beaker during the day, or even just have solids and water and then breasfeed in the morning, evening and night.

By not My.