Bottle refusal - what can I do?

[Eva3]

I am so depressed. My DD, now 12 weeks refused to take the bottle for the first time in the night with my twice-weekly night nurse. She has already refused with my friend and with my DH a few times but not fussed much, and I used to give her a bottle myself at night but she refused from me about a month ago and I caved in and fed her instead. I have been using Avent bottles and will try with other bottles this week, have been hunting around half of London for NUK bottles...My guess is that because she has only had 2-3 bottles per week, she so prefers the breast and has decided she does not want bottle at all. The irony is, she went straight back to sleep at 4am even though she had had no milk (from 7pm). My strategy now is bottle or nothing at. night so that may stop her waking at night (she is a good 14lbs) But what can I do to be able to leave her during the day. What if she will not take any bottle at all.... DO I just have to persevere ?

Eva3 - I certainly would not give myself a headache over it. I wouldn't expect a 12 week old baby to sleep all night, whatever the weight was. I went back to work at 14 weeks and my ds got his first bottle the day before I went and took it fine. I only ever gave a bottle of EBM when I was at work which was 2 nights a week. If you want to leave her during the day, express milk and go. If she is hungry she will take it because she has taken a bottle before. You won't have to be the one worrying about it. If she doesn't feed, she will have a good breastfeed when you get home

my dd also didn't take a bottle and I remember tearing my hair out! It was awful and I can sympathise with you. I tried every bottle on the market and every soft cup too. Every nipple ( teat) soft flow, variable flow, big ones little ones... I think we decided at the end that she was just stubborn and liked breastfeeding far more than a bottle. This went on for a few weeks - she did take a bottle eventually. It couldn't be from me (smell) and I think my dh had the first success. The bottles she sometimes used when I wasn't around had the NUK nipples.
Sorry I'm really not much help to you after reading this all again
hana

My DD also does not take a bottle , BUT will if starving and has not has the Breast first . It is impossoible to give bottle of expressed milk as top up if my supply seems to be insufficient ... she screams and screams .

By the way.,I always feel that even though now 10wks down the road thta unless the breast is firm , that there is not enough milk ... II am thinking of introducing a bottle of formula to make sure she gets enough....Any recommendations ? and for which feed ???

Cords - please don't make the mistake of judging how much milk the breast has by feeling it!

A hard, firm breast may have a little bit more milk in it than a softer breast, but not much....a soft breast does not necessarily have nothing in it. As bf becomes established (as it will be at 10 weeks) a lot of the fat that gives the breast its shape when we are not pg or lactating is replaced by milk making and storing tissue (this is the main reason why women who bf long term then feel a bit 'flat' when they finally stop....it takes time for the body to replace the fat). In addition to this, the tendency to over-produce that Nature allows us in the early weeks (if bf is going well and is effective) tends to diminish, so you can get a situation where you rarely feel very full, but are perfectly happily nourishing a growing baby.

Only ever feeding when you feel firm is a sure fire recipe for reducing your milk supply. Giving formula instead of a breastfeed ditto. This is how women wean - fair enough if you want to wean, or if your child is naturally reducing breastfeeding. But if you want to maintain a supply for a 10 week old, then you need to 'tell' your body to make the right amount....and you can only 'issue the instruction' by removing the milk (ie feeding) as often as your baby asks.

When judging whether you have enough milk, look at the baby's behaviour and his growth and health....not your breasts

Eva, good to hear from you! We were in labour on the same night and had our babies on the same day, so I was looking forward to chatting to you on the 'August babies' thread. (used to be neen99). You've not been around for a while, sorry to hear about probs re bottles. Not much useful advice to give I'm afraid as ds2 is bottle fed, but your dd sounds like she's doing really well weight-wise to say she's bottle-fed. A lot of the other 'August girls' breast-fed babies are on the lower percentiles, although thriving.
I would have thought as long as she is feeding well in the day from you, she'll be fine, ds2 started sleeping through about 10 days ago.
If she's really hungry, she'll take the bottle, or like Mears said, make up for it later in the day!

I have the same problem Eva3. Mears I am determined to go to my works Xmas do in two weeks. 11 week old still refuses bottle I know I can rely on you to tell me to leave him with a babysitter and a bottle of EBM. So if you could just tell me that again just to give me the confidence to do it, thanks. Also I can't seem to express more than one ounce I assume that I only make just enough for baby and no more. Do I have to express daily and at the same time to boost the supply or am I doing it wrong?

thanks Tiktok .... DD is growing well so, I guess I must have enough. I do however give her expressed milk of around 2-3 oz at last feed (6:30ish) to make sure she has enough, then more boob to help satisfy her sucking needs .

Thanks everyone for your stories. I find it really difficult to be away knowing that she will probaly not feed much or at all. Then I will feel the need to feed her even more at the other two feed and suply-demand does not work that fast.

Mears - if you are right in saying that if she is hungry she'll eat and she always refuses a bottle at night, then she may well be waking out of habit or just for cuddles and not because she need the food. The one time she slept from 7-7, she woke early and very hungry. At all other times, I have to wake her. If it is a habit, should I not try to break it sooner rather than later?