Desperate - 5 month old won't take a bottle

[FTM85]

Hi all

I know this a common issue but I'm just wondering (hoping) there is someone who can help me.

My daughter is 5 months and EBF. All in all breastfeeding has been great and my daughter and I have an amazing bond. Since she was 2 months old I've on and off tried to give her a bottle of breastmilk with no luck. Tried all the tricks, warm milk, cool milk, me doing it, daddy doing it, my mum doing it. Not having any luck. We just tried again and she just chews on the nipple and then gets upset until I come back in the room. We've tried SIX different bottles.

I've got a gig booked next weekend, it's my favourite bands LAST ever gig. I really want to go. My daughter sees my mum 3 times a week and they have a fabulous bond, I'd be leaving her with my mum but I am dreading the idea of her crying for hours for me. This breaks my heart 😰 but I really need this space. I am starting to feel a little depressed and can see that spiralling out of control. I just want to know I can leave her if necessary, I'm certainly not bothered about making a habit of nights out. Even just to go to the gym, get my haircut, go for a walk, anything.

Can anyone advise ANYTHING? Is it worth trying a free flow cup? If so, any recommendations?

Thank you

Have you tried the minbie bottles? Dsis used them for her baby and really recommends them

What worked for my daughter was putting her in her bouncy chair to have a bottle... She wouldn't take it if she was being held

I had exactly the same problem 2 years ago with my youngest - was due to go on a hen weekend and had been stock piling expressed milk in the freezer in preparation for the little terror to not even take a whiff of any bottle I tried. Hen weekend cancelled and duly stayed at home to feed and was very fed up. It was then that I found lansinoh bottles on Amazon and thought I'd try them. The teats are designed to imitate a nipple for breast fed babies and it worked a treat
for my son. Might be worth a shot?

Thanks cantdothisagan2017 - just obviously a bit nervous about getting yet another bottle!

At 5 months I'd try a doidy cup or just a normal Tommy tipee.

Thanks beela - doidy just ends up with a lot of mess on the floor. Is there a particular tommee tippee you'd recommend?

Dsis thought they were great. Havent used them myself but she did combination feeding no problem with them. The reviews are good so may be worth a try. If not cup feeding or syringe feeding may work ? Good luck

My DD was the same. I had a daytime event to go to when she was 5 months old and she wouldn't take a bottle. In the end she took a bit from an open cup, and we had some success with the tommy tippee cup with a silicon spout. She would chew it rather than suck though. In the end my mum made up some very milky baby rice and she scoffed loads from the spoon. My mum thinks we carried on with solids after that but we actually waited a few weeks to start.

www.tommeetippee.co.uk/product/transition-sippee-trainer

This is the one we found best.

I had exactly this problem when I returned to work; DS was only 5 1/2 months but I'd started maternity leave early due to ill health. DS point blank wouldn't take a bottle. Whatever we did, he refused. We tried all sorts of cups/ bottles but in the end we basically had to go cold turkey. The HV ssid after a couple of days he would give in but he didn't. He held out and waited until I got home. Our back up plan was that we started weaning slightly early so that we could give him something during the day. I used to make my own purée and add extra water to it so he wouldn't get dehydrated.

I thought he would be screaming the house doen and so upset when I was at work but he was fine.

I sympathisE, I too had a 5 month old ebfer who wouldn't take a bottle

Is there any way your mum could drive so you could feed him at the midpoint of the gig? Failing that (or some logistical magic), I would say just spoon or syringe feed EBM. It's only a one off. If she can get 40-50mls into him with a syringe you needn't worry.

If she is just chewing on the test then a fast flow test may mean the milk comes out and when she realises she may then suck. I combination feed and use Mam bottles which have different teat flows. What bottle brands do you have at home?

I do feel for you, my baby daughter is 2.5 months old and if I didn't combination feed I'd go insane.

I could have written this post!

DD is now 11 months old and we tried pretty much every brand of bottle and all the teat sizes. She still refuses my breastmilk expressed but will take formula milk from a cup. We got a Doidy cup and she sips it, she doesnt have as much milk as she would nursing but it settled her for a few hours!

Oh and I only had any luck with a mid flow teat, slow flow she got frustrated with and fast practically chokes her as it comes out considerably faster than from the breast.

Hi!! I've seen this post and I know it was a while ago but I am desperate and I hope you found an answer/solution back then?

My beautiful baby girl wont take a bottle and I am exhausted. Just dying to get out for a few hours but I dont want to leave her hungry!

Thanks again!!