exclusively breast fed 9 week old won't take the bottle...

[Ellieo]

We're trying to get our 9 week old ds to take one bottle of formula in the evening before he goes to bed, so my partner can do some of the bedtimes. Up till now he has been exclusively breastfed, which has been going really well, and he is gaining weight nicely. However, both myself and my partner have tried giving him a bottle (tonight has been about the 6th attempt)and he just screams the place down, sometimes to the point of making himself sick. Strangely the very first time we tried he took 2oz, but since then has got progressively more angry every time we try to give him the bottle and hasn't taken any at all. Has anyone got any ideas as to how we can get him used to the bottle? I really want him to be able to take one bottle a day, and I haven't really got time to express as I also have a very demaning 2-year-old boy to look after as well! Any advice would be much appreciated.

Would also suggest giving EBM in a bottle rather than formula. Dont think formula tastes too good to breastfed babies.
And yes why not ask your DH to help with other things than feeding the baby, such as bathing/reading to your 2 year old.
Perhaps easier to do this than stressing loads about giving your DS a bottle...

My LO is also 9 wks! He wouldn't take an avent bottle but is doing fine with the tommee tippee closer to nature ones. I agree with what the others have said try ebm, try different bottle/teats my ds1 only took boots orthodontic ones! stay out of the way so he thinks your milk is not an option and if dh isn't strong enough to perservere then i have a friend who enlisted the help of her SIL to get the baby taking a bottle. It might be easier for someone less emotionally attatched to battle with your lo! Another friend skipped bottles and went straight to cups! Hope you find something that works for you

I also had trouble with my DD but eventually discovered Playtex bottles and their laytex teats which are meant to have a 'nipple like' action !

I agree about changing the time of the feed to earlier in the day when DS is less tired, buy loads of different bottles/teats and persevere.

Good luck!!

I had the same problem - total nightmare as I was a bridesmaid and needed to be away on a hen night.

I tried lots of bottles but this one worked in the end - it is very breast like. Took a few goes to get my dd to take a full feed but much better than the total refusal of all the others...

www.naturalnursery.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=664

Breast bottle nurser. Not cheap but it worked.

I'd second the flow thing... with my first child we struggled on with a newborn teat and EBM until I had a brainwave and tried a 6m plus teat. Funnily enough watching the milk pour/spray out of me when expressing hadn't switched the lights on for some time... He was getting frustrated with the slow flow...

I do think you might think about starting with EBM too and then mixing with formula later once he's used to the bottle? You can gradually shift the amounts as he gets used to the taste.

A different viewpoint here. It is a shame to upset an exclusively breastfed baby by 'forcing' them to accept formula for a bedtime routine.

Having had 4 children myself, I far preferred my DH to help out with the older children while I sat on my bum and breastfed.

Who is this bottle really for? Is your partner feeling left out?

I always gave the baby to DH to cuddle after a feed in the evening. Please don't be trapped into feeling that your DH has to be able to give a bottle to help - he can do so many other things.

I am not sure if you know that giving formula to a totally breastfed baby can lead to allergies and eczema as well as colic. Not all babies will be affected but you don't know in advance the ones who will. Better to give EBM instead of you really want to give a bottle.

Sounds as though you are getting down about something that is totally unecessary, upsetting both you and your baby.

Just wanted to give you a different viewpoint. HTH.