DS will only feed when I feed him...

8 replies

Chaikolo · 06/10/2011 20:23

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?

OP posts:

beckieperk · 06/10/2011 20:33

Strangely my Lo....who is ff since 4 week old is like this sometimes. Now me and dh take it in turns to do the bedtime feed whether I'm there or not. He cries a little for me sometimes when he's overtired or over hungry.....lots when his dad tries, but he's getting better. This is since I went out for the first time a little while ago and cried my eyes out leaving him. Hopefully will make life easier all round and stop dh feeling rejected too?!

beckieperk · 06/10/2011 20:36

Ps I know this is a different situation to yours as you're bf, but similar in ways. Fwiw, when I stopped breastfeeding he was like this too for a short while, but he grew out of it rapidly. I guess that's because for us it was bottle or hunger, which was never our plan.

NotAnotherNewNappy · 06/10/2011 21:57

I don't know the answer as I can't even get DD2 to take a bottle, grrr. DD1 switched from bottle to breast easily but DD2 just won't have it, it really does depend on the child.

However, if he's 6mo then surely you will be starting weaning soon and he will be able to go for longer periods without milk and begin to drink water from a sippy cup?

Original poster

Chaikolo · 07/10/2011 11:51

Thanks guys
I have started weaning him, but to be honest, hardly worth calling it a 'meal' as yet as he's still just tasting a couple of teeny spoons (if that). So he's very much reliant on me for his food. I guess I just need to stick with it and hope in time things will get sorted. I struggled to get him on the boob to start off with, I never once thought I'd struggle to get him off them! :)
I have also tried sippy cups / first cups etc but he just plays with them or refuses....... :(

OP posts:

JiltedJohnsJulie · 08/10/2011 18:01

Chaikolo are you wanting to stop bfing or are you just concerned that he won't have enough to fill his tummy if you have to leave him?

If its the latter, you really don't need to give a bottle at this age, have you tried a sippy cup?

It is also perfectly normal for him to want his Mummy. He associates you with comfort, warmth, food and love. Why would he want a bottle when he can have that?

Beamur · 08/10/2011 18:03

My DD would never take a bottle, but would sip liquids from a cup from 6/8 months instead.

Original poster

Chaikolo · 08/10/2011 19:22

I love bfing so not trying to stop that as yet, but would like the guilt free opportunity to leave him for a bit if I have some chores that need doing etc or if I just want to go out once in a blue moon! (If that).

Do they drink enough from a sippy cup? And if so - is it milk or other liquids? When can they start to drink juice etc?

OP posts:

JiltedJohnsJulie · 10/10/2011 12:38

At that age I would feed them before I left then and leave them with either a carton of formula or some ebm (was never very good at expressing though) and some solids.

No they didn't always drink as much as they would if I was there and no they weren't always happy but they have both survived.

Glad you are enjoying the bfing so much too.

As for the juice I really wouldn't bother. They will drink water if they know there is nothing else on offer and DS will thank you for it when he's a teenager with lovely teeth. Same for the bottle too really. They should be off them by 12 months so not much point getting him used to it now, you might as well try cups.

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