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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

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Original poster

Stopped expressed bottle - trying to start again. HELP!

10 replies

JaneLM · 07/02/2007 17:36

Hi all,
first message as everything has been going swimmingly so far. Had DS mixing BF and expressed for first 2 1/2 months.

Then lost breast pump etc in luggage. He was away fron the bottle for almost a month. Now we want to get him back on and of course he refuses and cries his head off...

Any suggestions to get him back on occasssional bottle gratefully received! no idea what to do...

thanks

Jane

OP posts:

Elasticwoman · 07/02/2007 19:53

Why bother? In a few weeks you can introduce a feeder-cup.

Original poster

JaneLM · 08/02/2007 14:54

Thanks. Didn't think of that. Might just persevere for the moment and see what happens. He's 3 1/2 months now. What age can I introduce a feeder cup?

Sorry for being so ignorant about this!

Jane

OP posts:

Elasticwoman · 09/02/2007 15:12

I introduced a feeder cup with water at the same time I introduced solids, at about 5 months. However, since then the WHO has advised that solids should be started at around 6 months. This is because giving solids too early to the immature gut can give problems later, such as food intolerances. When I had dc1, the advice was milk only for 4 - 6 months so a lot of mothers started solids earlier than that.

Singapore · 09/02/2007 15:20

Perhaps your could try giving the bottle at the end of the feed when not so hungy Have you seen those bottles shaped like a breast? Maybe worth a try

Original poster

JaneLM · 14/02/2007 11:19

So far we've managed to get him to take the bottle after about 5 mins of BF. We were trying to do less and less BF until he is on the bottle from the start. However health visitor now says this could lead to nipple confusion!

So think we might go down the route of trying a Avent Magic Cup as it's supposed to be ok for 3 months. Tried him with a Doily cup just to see and although it was messy he took in 40ml before complaining. Hopefully something will click...

OP posts:

Original poster

JaneLM · 19/02/2007 14:21

Nothing's working now. Tried a "tough love" day today as had seen this advised. I didn't feed him since last night (11pm) and DH tried to bottle feed him. Very relaxed, only tried to feed him every hour, expressed milk, tried doily cup, avent sippy cup, but he's so determined not to take the bottle... Got as far as 1pm and gave in and BF him.

Hard to believe but did we give up too soon? Saw a babycentre posting where they went all day, and only gave an evening feed!

OP posts:

mears · 19/02/2007 14:24

I don't like the tough love approach. Try just breastfeeding him and not trying for a few days again. Are you going back to work soon? Is the pressure on?

Original poster

JaneLM · 19/02/2007 14:40

pressures not really on yet so we're going to give him a bit of a break and persist with the low key approach. We've been trying this for 2 weeks already though so don't hold high hopes. Considering the "tough love" again for friday though.

I don't like it either but do need to get him on the bottle soonish.

OP posts:

mears · 19/02/2007 14:47

I never introduced a bottle until the day before i went back to work. I have 4 children so it ranged from various ages. Only one of them objected initially so with him, I started breastfeeding him then once the milk was flowing popped him off and slipped the bottle in. I used Maws resolve teats which only flow when the baby sucks. It has a slit in the top instead of a teat.

The reason I asked about whether there was any urgency is that you could leave it until you absolutely need him to take milk from something/somebody else.

If say it is because you want to out for the day, then just go. If he is hungry he will take something. Also a few weeks can make a huge difference - he may easily drink from a cup.

I think it is cruel to starve ababy into submission when mum is around - different if she is not there for a few hours. Depends really why he has to take a bottle.

Gemmitygem · 19/02/2007 16:10

I just went back to work so had to get 4 month DS used to a bottle to have expressed breast milk. He also initially didn't want it. now he's happy on 2 expressed bottle feeds in the day and the rest morning, evening and late evening. my tips would be:

make sure it's nice and warm
(i'm assuming it's breastmilk you're trying with him, right? because apparently formula tastes funny to bf babies)
don't hold him in your normal feeding way, cuddling to you, instead try propping him comfortably on some cushions and let him clutch at the bottle as you hold it, so he separates it in his mind from bf. My DS got very upset trying to get at the breast when I held him the same way
try getting someone else to give the feeds, and disappear out of the room yourself
if he can't get the vacuum with his mouth, gently press the side of his lip to help him
say 'yum yum' and (don't know why this worked but it helped), make kissy sucky noises on his hand, my DS automatically sucked when I did this
tempt him with a few drops on his tongue

7.a, I also gave him a bit from the little bottle top cup thing, he quite liked that!

finally, keep trying.

I must say though that expressing is a pain in the arse, but as I wanted to go back to work that's my prob, but would be much easier just feeding him from the boob..

best of luck! I'm sure it will work out!

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