Bottle refuser - is it possible he doesn't know how to suck?

[Newrowsees]

Please can someone help? I'm becoming increasingly desperate.

I return to work in exactly two weeks, and my 5 month old DS will NOT drink from a bottle. He hates the bottle being anywhere near him, and doesn't seem to know how to get the milk out of it. Is it possible that he just doesn't know how to suck? And if so, how do we teach him?

Do all babies instinctively know to suck once there's a (non-boob) teat in their mouths?

I use bottle as shorthand for bottle / sippy / doidy cup / training beaker etc because I think we may have literally tried every brand and type going. Also my DP is feeding him while I stay out of the room, as I had been told he wouldn't drink from the bottle if he could smell me. And we're trying both breastmilk and formula (or a mix) in the bottles - we get the same reaction to both.

Does anyone have a little known tip that might help us? I'd really like to keep BFing (while at home) for a good while longer, and I thought switching to mixed feeding would be straightforward, but this is a nightmare!

Don't know the answer but bumping for you!

I'm absolutely no expert, but wanted to answer your post. My 8mo ds is the same - although not had to go back to work. He does take some from a Doidy now.

The few times when he was younger I did leave him with my Dp to go into town for a break or whatever, he didn't take any from a bottle untill he was REALLY hungry - I think 4 hours later! I was back soon after - but was wondering of a trial run might be useful? I didn't feed for an hour or two then went out for an hour or two and he eventually fed.

I can't lie, it was quite hard for me to do this!

I could be really wrong on this, but perhaps worth a try before you go back to work, just to see what happens? At least you will be able to come back soonish if your lo refuses it?

Good luck

Sorry just to clarify, my ds seemed not to know how to suck - he would either turn his head away or just chew the test a bit . . But the time he was really hungry he knew what to do.

These are the only times I've got him to feed from a bottle.

Ah thanks thumbtack (and for the bump, Meringue).

Unfortunately I have had a day away from him already, well from 10am until about 6pm, as I had a Keeping in Touch day on Friday. No joy. I imagine he must have been REALLY hungry at some point, but still wasn't able to drink from the bottle. He just made up for it by BFing all night afterwards.

How can it be this hard!? This should be classed as one of those parenting things no-one ever tells you might happen.

Ah well, I shall continue in my fog of despair for the next two weeks, hoping something 'clicks' in him. But please keep any advice coming!!!

Oh wow that does sound like he is being a bit of a pickle'
Hope something works out for you

Just wanted to update this, in case someone else has the same problem. We thought we'd tried every brand of bottle, but we hadn't used MAM! Their teats are quite a different shape - flat rather than round. Turns out that's the only thing my son will put in his mouth other than boob. It still took a while but he will now drink a few ounces from the bottle if I'm not around, which is huge progress!

I think it is going to be really, really tough on your son. If I was you, I would call one of the big london nanny agencies that specialise in maternity nurses, and get someone to come and help you. (The nurses are based around the country).