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Infant feeding

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

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Original poster

12 week old baby wont take bottle anymore, why??

10 replies

jamjar84 · 14/02/2021 17:44

I’ve been mostly breastfeeding, and expressing the occasional bottle for my husband to help feed which ds took the bottle brilliantly for the first few weeks. But the past couple of weeks he’s been offered the bottle just once in the week cos dh has been busy at work and ds has been plainly refusing it. Why has he suddenly stopped taking it? Is it cos he’s been so used to the boob for so many days in a trot? I’m using MAM bottles, do I need to change to the next size teat? Don’t think it’s that really, he just won’t take it from the start.

OP posts:

Superscientist · 14/02/2021 23:03

My lo did this, with her she developed reflux and was then a pain to feed and she stopped taking the bottle.

I stopped trying for a couple of weeks then I offered her a bottle after every feed for a few days. It had ~1oz in it, i wasn't fussed by her drinking it just wanted her to get used to the bottle again. She had a set of vaccines so I gave her a few days off and then restarted within 2 days she was taking it without a fuss.

Ohalrightthen · 14/02/2021 23:10

DD did this - took a bottle like a dream at 8 weeks, we were lax about it for a fortnight and she literally never took one again.

Breastfeeding is just so much nicer for them, i think, and at that age they realise that if you wait they give in. I went out for a KIT day when DD was 10 weeks and she refused the bottle for 12 hours. She was feeding every 90 minutes at that point! She took a grand total of 15ml, and just waited for me to come home and feed her, which of course i did. We kept trying with bottles, but she was having none of it. Eventually drank water from a sippy at 7m, and now has cows milk in one absolutely fine. But zero bottles past 8 weeks. They're just not as good as boobs, even if the milk is the same!

justasking111 · 14/02/2021 23:15

Breast milk comes out a lot faster, more holes than a bottle. The midwife told me to heat a needle stuck into a cork until it is super hot, then make two extra holes which are a good size by wiggling needle around so baby takes milk from three holes. It worked beautifully. I think you can buy special teats as well.

Ohalrightthen · 14/02/2021 23:19

@justasking111

This isnt true - milk flows faster from a bottle than from the breast, which is why babies who are combi-fed usually end up exclusively bottle fed within a few months.

Babies who only get the odd bottle here and there get used to the closeness and comfort of breastfeeding, on top of the milk, and prefer it generally, as it's much more than just food.

Original poster

jamjar84 · 15/02/2021 07:44

Great... so what’s gonna happen when I go back to work in 6 months if he’s not gonna take the bottle again? Try other teats etc?

OP posts:

BrokenLink · 15/02/2021 08:01

When you go back to work your baby will be able to eat food and can survive fine without bottles. Many mums breastfeed in the morning before work, then again when they see their baby in the evening and before bed.

Ohalrightthen · 15/02/2021 08:31

@jamjar84

Great... so what’s gonna happen when I go back to work in 6 months if he’s not gonna take the bottle again? Try other teats etc?

He'll be on solids by then, so you can tank him up in the morning and feed lots overnight.

DinosaurDiana · 15/02/2021 08:33

@jamjar84

Great... so what’s gonna happen when I go back to work in 6 months if he’s not gonna take the bottle again? Try other teats etc?

Feed him food and offer milk from a sippy cup.

bluebluezoo · 15/02/2021 08:41

Great... so what’s gonna happen when I go back to work in 6 months if he’s not gonna take the bottle again? Try other teats etc?

Yep, it’ll be fine. My first was a bottle refuser and i got really worked up trying all different teats etc. My second I didn't even bother with bottles as it was easier just to bf.

Went back to work with both at 6m. They were fine. Nursery gave them a yogurt or piece of cheese at bottle time, and they bf when I picked them up.

They added an extra 9pm bf for a while, but about a year dropped to just am and pm.

Twizbe · 15/02/2021 17:37

My youngest was a bottle refuser. She loved food though so by 9 months she was down to only 3 feeds a day.

She'd also happily drink from a cup. You don't need bottles at all. If dad wants to help he can take baby for a walk while you sleep, do all the housework or cooking, play with baby while you do something. He doesn't have to feed baby to help with baby.

When you wean make sure to introduce a cup of water at the same time

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