Will my DD never take a bottle of EBM?!

[OhWhatAPalaver]

DD is 17 weeks and has in the past taken a few bottles, we got her to take the Tommie Tippie ones from about 8 weeks and she was fine until i didn't give her one for about 6 days (at arpund 3 months) and since then she's been ever more fussy. since then she took a couple of TT ones then flat out refused every day, if she was in a good mood she would push it out of her mouth with the tongue or if she was in a bad mood she would scream the house down! i persevered trying every day, tried DP giving her one and nana, all to no avail.

I have since bought a Breastflow bottle, the first 2 days i used it i woke her up after her long daytime nap to give it her and she took it fine. i was so happy but for the last 3 days she's been fully awake when i've tried to give it to her and again she's having none of it. i keep trying to time it right so she's half asleep but it's just not happening.

any advice very much appreciated as i would like to be able to go out, even for just a couple of hours, with out DD! all the other bf-ing mums i know have managed it and are going out for a baby-free curry on weds and i really wanted to go but looks like i won't be able to at the mo :(

She's old enough to use a cup now, either a free flow sippy type, or a doidy. She'll need help at first of course, but give it a go. Boots has lots of options, you can mostly ignore the age recommendations as long as you go for a soft spout, free-flow cup rather than a hard one with valve fitted.

She may of course not want milk in your absence but will tank up when you get home. Have you tried having someone else give her the bottle? A lot of babies don't like taking ebm in a bottle from mum (why would they, when the source is right there?!), but might from someone else.

I am watching with great interest palaver as I am pregnant and going back to work after 5 months (due in Sept so a way off yet, DH leave to be main carer so will bottle feed ebm) but lots of friends with children are telling me it will be a problem to go back then if LO doesn't take a bottle by then. I really hope you get somewhere with this as I can see it would be very restrictive to have to stay with your baby 24/7, no matter how much you love them!

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but my DD did take a bottle of EBM from weeks 3-8, then got a cold on week 9 and from week 10 onwards she would not take a bottle. She's now almost 24 weeks!

Hi same problem here- we stopped bottles at about 3 weeks to establish breastfeeding and she then refused. Now 6 months later we've just got her to take her first one. What I found worked was that as soon as she woke in the morning my husband took her straight downstairs and fed her. The first day she took about an ounce straight off and we've worked up to about 3 ounces. Still prefers me, but would feel confident leaving her for a while as I know she takes it when theres no other option....

Jeez I kind of hoped that if we HAD to find a way in this situation we would. If I left LO with DH and he couldn't get them to feed what would happen? They would scream all day presumably until I came home to bf....but DH will have been replaced at work by then and my replacement will have gone, so not really an easy option for me to just stay off longer. ARGH. Anyone know how common it is for babies not to take a bottle??? (Sorry to hijack your post OP, please do tell me to sod off if you want!)

I have 4mo refusing a bottle currently too. DD was mixed-fed from very early on so I didn't really expect all this palaver!

I want to use formula so, today's tactic is a different brand of milk. In case they taste different or something, then will try a different bottle I think.

• first thing in the morning is a good idea though, DH said he'll give it a go tomorrow.

ooh - I can do a sneaky live report that sma is going down well!

We've also had DH being chief-baby-carrier for the last hour or so, not sure if that has helped too.

My DD has never accepted a bottle, and I tried leaving her with Dh for increasing lengths of time from four months thinking she'd eventually give in but she didn't even at ten hours!

I started her on cups of all sorts at 6 months and she started to take a significant amount from one by 10 months.

Sorry, nor very encouraging but next time I plan to start sooner with a bottle (8 weeks?) And be more persistent. It has been hard work not being able to leave her, much as I love her.

Dd went through a phase of bottle refusing at 4 months. I bought every type of bottle stocked by mother care and nuk bottles with latex teats were the only ones she'd accept. Might be worth trying a few diff ones?

NovemberAli, i've just bought a NUK one off amazon! i hope it works, they have great reviews so here's hoping :) thought the breastflow one would be the answer to our problems but it give her loads of wind on the rare occasion that she takes it. it's also a bit leaky and DD gets all wet so not ideal!

i will look in to a cup as well i think. i have a couple but they both have hard spouts so wont give her one yet.

i've never thought about trying formula tbh, maybe as a last resort we could try it, then maybe if DP give it to her she wouldn't mind as it wouldn't be breastmilk anyway... hmmm

i will see what happens with the NUk one. won't get here till after the curry night but i'm sure there will be others! thanks for all the comments folks, i'll update soon :o)

Sounds like a range of bottles and later a range of cups, and possibly considering formula feeds when DH is all alone with baby, is going to be the way forward. GOOD LUCK to all of you struggling with this - hats off, you are doing a great job.

bah, got the NUK bottle today and no joy :( the teat is quite fast flowing compared to the others we have tried and she just kept spitting out the milk, which i really don't get as it's still breast milk it's just not coming from a breast!! will keep trying and i think i'll have to try a latex teat next as all the others have been silicone. then on to trying formula methinks....

Dd is doing this (3 months), unlike ds who did and does knock back anything vaguely milklike.
After 2 hours of screaming when I was out for 3 hours earlier in the week, and she just wouldn't take the bottle, MrNC tried just pouring some in her mouth. Presumably the gagging made her feel like this was a usual bf (I have oversupply) and she swallowed some and calmed down enough for a couple ounces, so became angelic baby again 10 minutes before I got back!

Next time he's planning on a syringe or sippy cup. I suggested the method they use for lambs and calves - dip fingers in, put in mouth, keep inserting milky fingers until you can sneak the teat in too.

Much sympathy.

i think i might have to physically go out and try to leave it up to DP or nana to figure out. i tend to get too involved when i'm in and i think she knows i'm here!
i have a fairly strong let down so maybe that might work with my DD as well! i'll try anything at this point...