Tips for Avoiding Bottle Refusal?

[PenguinsAndPolarBears]

I'm currently expecting baby #2 and it's looking likely that I'll need to return to work when he or she is quite young. #1 was a total bottle refuser and going back to work was a nightmare because she hardly drank during the day and then spent all night catching up, so I'd really like to avoid going through that again. Does anyone have any tips? I had a good milk supply with #1 and she had no problems latching or anything, so with hindsight I wonder if I could have got away with introducing a bottle earlier and giving more of them, for example.

I don't think it makes any difference. If they're going to refuse bottles they seem to do it whether they've had one before or not. Likewise if they are laid back about it it doesn't matter if you've given one early or not. The only way to guarantee they won't refuse seems to be to totally bottle feed!

Agree with PP. My DD had at least a bottle a day from about a week old and would finish then happily, but started drinking less and less from about 2-3 months and ultimately refusing altogether.

In my (limited!!) experience.........Ds1 fed well from the start. I followed advice to leave at least 6 weeks before I toddling a bottle. He ever took to it. I expressed, got others to offer, offered the bottle myself . He just never took it . I returned to work when he was just shy of 9 months and worried a lot (he was fine, but idon't have been happier if he would have had some milk in the day!) It basically meant I only left him when I was working, 3 days a week. I did all night feeds and wakings etc.

With Ds2 who was born when Ds1 was 19 months , I was determined he would take a bottle. He took to be as well as his brother had and had his first bottle of ebm at 5 days old. He was offered one bottle a day most days, and at 8 months still has one bottle a day at bedtime. It means I can leave him with someone if I need to or want to. His dad does his bedtime while i do his brothers

I was hospitalised when Ds1 was 7 months old and given medication which meant I couldn't feed him for 24 hours . It was awful. No problems like this with ds2

So, id suggest if be is going well, offer a bottle early and daily.

FWIW I didn't offer DS a bottle until he was 8 months old and he took it straight away They are just all different.

If you do end up having issues one NCT friend found latex teats worked for her son.

Mine were ebf but due to work commitments I needed them to be willing to take bottles of ebm for whole days at odd times. This is what worked for us:

Introduce the bottle at about 3 weeks old (based on my experience and that of everyone else I know who did this the nipple confusion thing seems to be a total myth).

Give a bottle as often as possible from 3 weeks on (1 a day ideally but no fewer than 3 a week). Best if you're out of the house while it's being given otherwise baby will hold out for the fresh stuff.

Put some effort into finding out baby's preferences if they don't seem happy (try a few different teats, figure out baby's preferred temperature and preferred position e.g is baby happier taking it while held or in bouncy chair)

Stick to it (or rather, insist whoever is giving the bottle sticks to it)

I had to go to work when DC1 was 4.5 months old. Had given occasional bottles here and there when I had gone out in the evening but not regularly. About a week and a half before I returned, I had someone who was NOT me (i.e. dad, grandma, caregiver) give a bottle while I stepped out of the house. This was after realizing baby would not take a bottle when the fresh milk on tap was present!

With DC2 (coming soon) I am planning to give one bottle each night from around 3/4 weeks.

My DD2 has been having a bottle of ebm since day 3 when we were readmitted to hospital for weight loss. I was worried it was too early but as we had no choice (she couldn't latch initially so needed it another way) I just went with it. 6 weeks down the line and she has one every evening, directly bf the rest of the time.

From what I've heard people have more issues introducing the bottle later and subsequently having a bottle refuser than offering the bottle early and having nipple confusion - I know far more of the former.

Mine would only take bottle from someone other than me, and only if he knew I wasn't around. If I tried to bottle feed him not a chance. Every baby is different though.

I think every baby is too different! Saying that I think early offering is most likely to help IF s/he is going to take it at all.

We started at just before he turned 6 weeks but we’d been using a dummy since 4. He gets (usually) two bottles at the weekend, sometimes the 2-4 am feed but usually the 6-8am feed so I can sleep in.

He took to then really well from the start but he didn’t have any two weekends ago as my OH had a chest infection and was sleeping 12 hours a night and still feeling awful.

It then took three consecutive days of a bottle feed before he would take them properly again. The first two he did take it but only after a lot of screaming. So for us a couple a week seems to be enough but less than that and he gets out of the habit.

I don’t have to be out of the house, but it’s better if I’m out of sight and hearing.

Thanks for all the advice everyone! It sounds as if we do need to try a bit harder a bit earlier this time round, but I won't be beating myself up if it doesn't work either. Good to hear that nipple confusion hasn't been an issue for most people either.