Bottlefeeding breastfed baby

[MumofBees]

TL;DR My 7 month old is refusing bottles, and I'm not sure what to try next.

My 7 month old daughter is breastfed. We tried bottles of expressed milk with her when she was 1-3 months old, and it went fine. Then lockdown happened and the need to give her bottles disapeared. I never for a second thought she would later refuse bottles, no health visitor, NCT person or friend warned us that it could be a thing, and we just didn't realise as she'd been good at first!

I now need to start doing KIT days, with a view to returning to work (thanks to covid we need the money from me working) but no matter what we try she will not have a bottle.

We have tried when she's not hungry, is hungry, me feeding her, my husband feeding her, feeding her in her bouncer, highchair and carrier, feeding her when she's sleepy, feeding her in the position I usually breastfeed... and probably everything else inbetween...

We've tried different teats (MAM).

She is quite independent, and will take the spoon from me when feeding for example, which I think is fuelling the problem.

Does anyone have any magic solutions or ideas?

I had the exact same problem from 3 months (took bottles of expressed fine from birth). I was due back at work at 6 months and it really stressed me! In the end, after I spent a small fortune on every bottle under the sun, my DD reluctantly took to the original Avent bottles while at nursery. I found from 6 months on she breastfed morning, evening and overnight and was offered bottles the rest of the time and slowly she started to accept them. Having been in your position my advice is don't let it worry you and they'll get there and survive ok.

I do feel your pain, I had no idea they could refuse bottles if they took them ok early on!

Long time since I was in a similar position but what eventually worked for us was:

Latex teats - much softer and more malleable than silicone teats even mam ones. Nuk are on amazon

Don't know the name but short fat bottles rather than long ones

Initially me not even being in the house! If I was it was like she could sense it and she wouldn't even attempt the bottle.

My milk dried so it was essential she took the bottles.

We had several attempts with different milks too as the first few made her ill but I think you may be using expressed milk? Although sometimes they don't like expressed milk from a bottle but will take formula - fussy wee buggers

Thank you so much for the suggestions!

Have you tried a cup?

My youngest was a total bottle refuser. Wouldn't take milk from anywhere but the breast so he just did without while I was at work but he was a bit older (9 months), taking plenty of solids and would drink juice from a cup so it was fine.

This happened to me. Tried lots of bottles and cups and DS would take milk from the free flow Ikea sippy cups from 6 months