Breastfed baby refusing the bottle - help!

[MamaMiaisaur]

DS2 is nearly 5 months. He is exclusively breastfed. He used to take expressed milk from a bottle fine. About a month ago he gradually started to refse th bottle. A couple of weekends ago I had to leave him for my hen weekend fo two nights. DP managed to get maybe an ounce down every now and then, he took no more than for ounces in two days. Last week I had to leave him for 24 hours again and this time he took nothing.

I have tried a number of different teats and a doidy cup but don't know what else to try. I really need to be able to leave him with other people.

Any suggestions gratefully received!

We had exactly the same problem at about 5 months, although possibly worse than you because I could not have left her for 2 nights, she would have starved!
We just tried lots and lots of teats and the ones that eventually worked were MAM teats, which a lot of people had recommended. NUK teats are also meant to be good - we sort of half got her to feed from these but it was the MAM ones which really worked.
Also get someone else (not you) to do the feeding. he may smell your milk and refuse the bottle for that reason.
Distract him while you are putting the teat in his mouth - eg try feeding him under a bright mobile, make a lot of noise at the same time.
Perservere persevere persevere.
I feel for you - it was a very very stressful time as I had to go back to work full time.
DD is now 2 and I am about to have another; this time I plan to introduce a daily bottle and stick with it!!!
Good luck!

Hi,

my DS had no bottle for about 6 weeks after having EBM fairly regularly with no probs.

Then when I gave him a bottle at 5 months he refused!. Eventually we worked out that the temperature seemed to be crucial and he liked it just lukewarm. Also warmed the teat up.

Given a daily bottle now to keep him familiar with it.

Friends seem to rate the Mam and Nuk teats as well. Distraction also worked for them- not let them see the bottle can appparently be helpful but how you do that?

best of luck.

I've tried the NUK teats (but only once). I'll keep trying (or rather get somone else to). Thing is I'm not comfoatbleleaving with him with anyone as I know how hard it is. I'm supposed to be goign into wok on Tuesday but reluctant to be so mena to my Mum!.

Did you even try formula - I wonde if it's the taste of the EBM as it smells different once frozen or ben in the fridge for a while.

bump

I'm going out tonight and wondering whether togo and buy some formula for the babysitter....

Why would you but formula? Leave expressed milk that can be given by spoon if need be.

A hungry baby will take milk if needed.

I usually find that they will take a bottle if you hold the baby facing away from you and walk around. It seems they suck as they are distracted.

Just worried that the expressed smells/tastes different to the fresh milk? It does to me.

No desire at all to switch to formula or even mix the two as no need.

Agree about heating the teat. I did not give any of my babies a bottle when I was at home but they took EBM out of a bottle when I was at work no problem.

Perhaps you should stop trying the bottle for a while because your baby is reacting negatively.

Just reread your last post BTW. It is a real shame to give an exclusively breastfed baby formula because it can disrupt the lining of the gut which can let allergens through.

I tend to find that babies reject the bottle when they are being offered feeds they really don't want.

Hiya,

We got dd to take a bottle with a size 2 NUK teat, the size was important.

Also we had to use EBM or SMA Gold ready made formula out of a carton, she just refused the powder.

I got dd to take a bottle by laying her down on the couch, propped up a bit and put the baby channel on the tv for distraction. I know tv for babies isn't great but it was the only thing that worked. After a few times doing this she'll take it anywhere, but never the powder formula.

Oh also we only did one bottle a day to start with, at the same time each day.

My dd is usually and still is bf.

Good Luck

Mears, I didn't know that about formula, that really sucks.

I can't seem to express much and am back to work part time so i need to give formula.

Bother.

OK -It seems as if there's no need to try formulr instead (I hve a reezer full of EBM!).

It's definitly not a case of not wanting it. He's definitley starving my the time I return to him!

Maybe I'll try not offering the bottle for a while and retry the cup.

Sushipaws - I also go back to work in a few weeks so need to resolve this before then.

Sushipaws - expressing is a case of mind over matter. The baby can get the milk out - so can you. Collect any small amounts that you can, they soon all mount up. Express a small amount every day. Best to try when you are full - will flow more easily. I never expressed after feeds - just used to express of a couple of ounces a few times day - whenever baby was sleeping.

I also didn't use a pump - did it by hand which was much quicker.

MamaMiasaur - hope you manage to crack it with your DS. My friend had success with TomeeTippee teats for wide bore bottles.
I used Mam resolve teats which had a slit instead of a hole which allows the baby to regulate flow.

DR Brown's bottles are meant to be good too. HTH.

I've been lurking on these "baby refusing bottle" threads for a while as my LO was doing the same and screaming the house down everytime anyone came near her with a bottle. Anyway tried most of the tricks I've seen here without much sucess, and panicking as I was back at work on 14 wks. Two comments I'd make, firstly for anyone going back to work and worrying, the creche were much better at getting milk down her than we were, as they reassured me it's their job, they;ve seen it all before and they don't get so tense about her refusing it which I think helped - they just kept offering her really small amounts and we were getting by with her drinking 30-40 ml a time - she was hungary in the evenings but we were coping and it was gradually improving. Anyway the step change that got her taking bottles well came about when she unfortunately got gastroenteritus (sp?) and the doctor told us to give her ORS, she did her usual pursed lips and wail when we grought the bottle, but as soon as she tasted the sweet water loved it, gilped down 200 ml in one go and 500 over 6 hours (we'd never got more that 60 down her in one go) She still doesn't like bottles but will at leats now feed adequately from them (touch wood she doesn't change her mind again!)

I know this probably isn't the case but are you using a teat with too slow a flow? (I'm a poet!) By 5 months your little one will no doubt be glugging it down fast... Just a thought

Hi MamaMiaisaur

I feel for you!

Same thing happened with my bottle-rejecting DD - when I went back to work at 6 months, she wouldn't take any EBM all day at nursery. I'd got her to take some from a cup, but at nursery they tried bottles again (all types, teats etc). No joy.

I wish i'd stuck with my instincts and persevered with the doidy cup, because gradually she started taking milk from it. Now, at one, she still doesn't have a huge amount, but copes by BFing in the morning and evening.

Once your DS is eating solids, they can mix EBM in with food (DD has it on her cereal).

If the doidy cup doesn't work, can you try other sorts? A friend had success with those tomme tippee ones.

Sorry I don't have much advice except to perservere. It got better for us; I hope it does for you too.

Oh, and the words of my HV might help: "your baby won't starve, she will adapt. Eventually.".