Mixing breast and bottle feeding - now refusing bottles, is there such a thing as bottle phobia?

[nickleodeon]

Hi, I have a 7 week old and for the first 5 weeks I was breastfeeding in the day and giving a bottle of either expressed milk or formula in the night (so my husband could help out). My baby never really seemed as happy with the bottle as on the breast, and made horrible gulping noises. At about 5 weeks she became hysterical every time we tried to give her a bottle and now refuses it every time. I have switched to breastfeeding all the time.

Does anyone else have this problem - I would really like to express sometimes so that other people can feed, but this is now impossible!

Have tried all different bottles and teat flows but still no answer. Bit worried for when I eventually start weaning her...

Thanks

Snap - my ds is now 5 months, still not managed to get him to have a bottle - thinking that I'll just try going straight to a beaker.

He got his bottle 'phobia' at about 9 weeks.

nickleodeon, this is not uncommon....I don't know if you can call it a 'phobia', more the baby exercising and demonstrating a strong preference. It is good when babies can express things in this way - she clearly didn't like the gulping effect, and now she has worked out what to do to avoid it.

Best thiing to do is to give her a break - the more you insist, the more upset she will be. You can't 'persuade' a 7 week old baby to do/not do something.

This has no effect on weaning at all....babies wean perfectly well , whatever their bottle experience. Many babies never have a bottle, and when it comes to liquids other than breastmilk, just use a cup.

If you want to bring back bottles, you can try again in a few weeks, when she has forgotten how much she dislikes it! NCT have a leaflet 'Bottles for Breastfed Babies' which has a few things in that people have found useful.

great, talk about making our lives easier!

Thanks Tiktok, that's really helpful. I'll look up that leaflet too.

I am having the same problem. My little 6 week old girl will only take tiny amount 1/4 oz and have tried 3 types of teats now on tomee tippee the most recommended at my breast feeding group. i am used of being active and independent and have been nowhere without my baby yet. i want to be able to get out for a meal for Valentine's. I am in the same boat as you! We probably just need to try the bottle every couple of days and the mum should not feed with bottle - the partner is advised so baby not confused.

Wow,reading all this really has made me feel better! My DD took avent bottle from 5 weeks until she was 7 weeks old. My DH just gave 1 bottle of formula at night so i could go out for xmas works do but all of a sudden she has taken a real dislike to it and will cry for ages! Tried tommie tippee bottle, no avail; then a Mam, after a recommendation in M&B magazine. Neither have worked. Got to a point i was really feel depressed about it and got upset last night. I just want to go out for the evening with DH and i need to pop into work for a staff training day in 6 days time!
going to try the tommie tippee first cup tomorrow, although she is only 13 weeks now.

DS had no trouble with avent cup.

dd was the same. i gave her bottles from the start once a day. she started refusing after a few weeks. now she only refuses a botlle if its bed time or shes tired. shes 5 months now. The MAM bottles have been brilliant for us though.

Never had thid with mine thankfully but friends DD hated bottles with a pasion, she would scream blue murder if one went near her and she would take nothing all day (tried several times while friend out) until breast offered again. They ended up importing playtex bottles from the states - v strange looking things with inserts that looked like condoms.

My dd went off bottles for a while (she also had one a day). Can't remember how long it lasted but I just kept trying every couple of days and she started taking it again. Also the first one she took she had lying on her changing mat and the second she would only drink in her cot-after that she was fine again.

Have been trying to feed my 16 week old breastfed baby with a bottle for about a month now, just a bottle in the evening so I can go out for my birthday at the end of the month.
It is totally impossible he fights it all the way and cups also.

I'm beginning to get very upset, I'm a lone parent and I dont know what to do next!

Oh lumpylou, i really feel for you. It sounds like you are trying to do the same as me; although i'm lucky to share the crying with my DH.

I don't know if this helps, but i tried yesterday expressing milk (havn't had great success in the past with this... but just cracked it ) and DD actually took it in the original avent bottle i tried in the first place!!!! Think she will grow up to be a typical women going for the thing she liked in the first place . Basically it was the milk all along and not the bottle.

By the way, tried the tommie tippee first cup; mentioned earlier in thread, and it didn't work.

Now i can go on the staff training day at school, and more importantly i can have an evening out!! Yippeeeee

Good luck lumpylou, persevere; is it possible you could express? perhaps ask someone to try and give that to him. Might be like DD and its the milk...