How do you get a baby to take the bottle?

[mili]

I'm desperate now. dd2 refuses the bottle. she doesn't like the taste of formule milk either.

18 hours !!! I really don't think I am made of strong enough stuff. Thanks for the info - I desperately hope DD gives in before that. I no intention of trying it while it is so hot though.

She had been particularly tanked that day and it was the 7pm 10.30pm and 7am feed she missed. So technically she slept through the night and though and missed one feed.

oh, boy! like millyh, i don't think i could do it for 18 hrs. i'll try to leave the house one day with dh to see to dd. i did manage to sneak water and ebm in a bottle whilst she was really hungry and bf. just switched breast for a bottle. she finished both but can't seem to do it again

Mine's never taken a bottle, even though I went back to work when she was 8 months...

so what did you do?

give her a cup?

Tried every teat recommended with her childminder = no joy. In the end, she gave some via a spoon, rest mixed into dinner. But I just fed her as soon as got home. She took a cup properly, ie not shaking/pouring when about 10/11 months?

are you warming the formula up so it's a similar temp to your breastmilk?

I agree that if it is an absolute must (like returning to work) you have to wait it out. It's really horrible - prob one of the most horrible things I ever had to do with dd (watch her cry from hunger but then refuse the bottle) but eventually she cracked it and never looked back. I can't remember how long it took but it seemed like an eternity!

oh, i'm feeling sick at the thought! she takes water from a spoon, but hates formula, whatever temp it is. the only way to go about it is either starving her (feel like crying) or simply just persisting, givin small amounts

Hey Mili, I have just come accross this problem myself. My DD who is nearly 10 weeks old has been taking the occasional bottle from about 3 weeks old with no problem then i didn't give her a bottle for about 2 weeks, then tried to give her one and she screamed the placed down for my mum for 2 1/2 hours but finally took the bottle out of pure desperation.

I then had to leave her all day on fri to go to a wedding and my sister just put up with her all day with the bottle but if she got too distressed she would just pour it in while she was crying just to make sure she was getting some milk at least! She finally took the bottle on her last feed at 9pm! subborn little madam!.

I was recommended to use the tommee tippee teats called nuby, which are really soft and have dimples on them and i tried her with that today and she cried for about 5 minutes but then guzzled down 3oz and was crying for more! I can't say that i have cracked it yet but hopefully its looking good!! hope it works for you. I know what you all mean about feeling trapped, i felt so guilty about saying that but now i know i'm not on my own i feel a bit better about it!

Mili - it is a very common problem!
It is just persistance, when she gets hungry enough she will take it. My dd took ebm out a bottle fine for a week then point blank refused. On a day I had to go out for work we just kept offering until she took it - took about 12 hours. She has been fine ever since.
The other thing is if you are trying to give it her yourself? Don't - she will smell your breastmilk and be confused, get dh or someone else to do it instead if you can.
On the expressing, it depends what you have tried. I could not get a drop out hand expressing or with electric pumps but the Avent hand pump is fine. Try a few different ways and contact NCT or La Leche if you feel you need extra help.
My dd does have a bottle of formula a day when she's at nursery (just can't quite express enough ) she doesn't mind the taste of Hipp Organic too much and goes straight back on the boob at home with no problems. I use the nuby teats same as cookiem
Hope this helps a bit - good luck.

have you tried DR Browns or similar bottles? that worked for DS who refused to take anything not from breast until nearly 6 mnts, I was going back to work at 7mnths and frantic! He took to Dr Browns like an angel, believe it to be because mechanism causes less air to be in liquid making it more like breastfeeding-also get someone else to do it first few times & make sure she is really hungry(sorry to repeat what everyone else has said). What formula are u using, both mine hated sma but love cow & gate-must taste more like me I guess, try varying if haven't already- GOOD LUCK, I know how u are feeling