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Infant feeding

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

Original poster

3mth old bf DS won't take a bottle. Am I going to have to bf forever?

42 replies

shoobaloo · 22/02/2008 16:51

DS is 3 mths ad exc bf. I don't mind bfing (except for the fact that I'm shattered from night feeds!), but really don't want to be exc bfing past six months. (also it would be nice to have a night out with DH and for someone to be able to give him a bottle whilst we're out if he gets hungry) However, he won't take a bottle - not even of expressed bmilk. What does this mean for me?

OP posts:
Ecmo · 22/02/2008 16:57

oooh i had this problem with dd1...unfortunately I never succeeded in getting her to take a bottle. probably not what you want to hear. Persevere though. We tried all sorts of different teats. maybe that will work for you, a different shape or hole size maybe.

soremummy · 22/02/2008 16:59

Some babies take bottles easily but others dont ..like my dd is being breast fed at 9 months and wont take from any cup/bottle any form of liquid wether it be ebm, juice, water, cows milk, choc milk i have tried the lot.

Sometimes its finding the right bottle and making sure that someone else gives her the bottle. It worked with my other 3 children but not this one so guess they are all different.

andlittlelambmakesfour · 22/02/2008 17:05

None of my four have ever taken a bottle (actually thinking about it I lie: DS took one. I went out and excitedly bought four bottles and a stash of bags for freezer and he never took another!) I started dds on cups, not non spill this was in the dark ages and they were quite proficient by 6 months! With ds I was just so pleased to have another baby eight years on I didn't bother too much but again he was drinking out of a normal open topped cup by 7 or 8 months. You could try a cup soon! I think I have some doidy cups lying around if you want to try one of those!

mamamufin · 22/02/2008 17:08

Just an idea, I found that the disposable bottles where the only one my bf son would take. The teat is very soft and more nipple like! Quite expensive (about £2 for 4) and you can only use them once. But did the trick. Good luck.

soremummy · 22/02/2008 17:13

andlittlelamb can i ask were you get the doidy cups it might be worth a try

PABLOP · 22/02/2008 17:23

hi there, I tried a few but found Tommee Tippee Closer to nature bottles great, sell in Tescos & Morrisons, teat is definetley more breastlike than the others quite expensive about £7 for 2,

andlittlelambmakesfour · 22/02/2008 17:26

John Lewis. I have only been able to find one but if OP doesn't want it I will stick it in the post!

mamamufin · 22/02/2008 17:27

Soremummy if you live in a surestart area you should be able to get the doidy cup free off your health visitor. If not you could do a google search. I have never seen them in the shops, but could be wrong.

Original poster
shoobaloo · 22/02/2008 17:33

I'm not getting many positive vibes here! Oh dear! I really really don't want to be breastfeedig excl past six months. Not sure what to do! He's taken 1 ounce from a bottle today and yesterday (with a struggle) before refusing point blank to take any more so I had to bfeed again. Is it worth perservering?

OP posts:
Glammama · 22/02/2008 17:41

Don't worry, my DD was very reluctant to take a bottle but in the end our childminder managed it. I think it would be more effective if someone other than you is the one perservering, as soremummy suggested. DD knew I had the boobs and wasn't going to take a bottle off me instead. However, we managed it and I bottle fed her until 1 yr when she went onto a cup.

Original poster
shoobaloo · 22/02/2008 17:41

Hi Pablob - have tried the closer to nature bottle - these are the ones he has taken 1 ounce from today and yesterday. ALLMF, thanks for the offer of the doidy cup - am sure have got one somewhere.

OP posts:
Original poster
shoobaloo · 22/02/2008 17:43

Hi Glammama, how long did it take for you DD to atke the bottle and how old was she when you started? DH is only able to try doing the bottle at the weekend so I'm stuck with it myself unfortunately.

OP posts:
Glammama · 22/02/2008 17:52

It was a while ago (Jan 2001) and I'm 38 weeks pregnant at the moment so my powers of recall aren't all that great She was a little older than your son, she was approaching 7 months and I think it took a couple of weeks (of me trying first and then a couple of days of CM). I had major problems expressing and was returning to work so DD had to take a bottle.

Can your DH try to do all the feeds this weekend? I've never got involved with the feeding threads before as some I've seen have really kicked off. But I saw your thread and wanted you to know that my stubborn DD took a bottle in the end so it can be done. Fwiw, I'm going to try and introduce a bottle feed along with the breast pretty early on in this one's life and I'm having a section on Thursday!!!

Good luck.

ejt1764 · 22/02/2008 17:57

I'm in a similar situation - dd was taking 1 bottle of ebm every day from 3 weeks - with a struggle, then it suddenly got so that she screamed blue murder any time she was given a bottle instead of my boob - we've bought a couple of doidy cups - we got ours off ebay - can't remember which seller we got them from though. That seems to be doing the trick. (she's now 4 1/2 months)

She will also take a tommee tippee cup which is useful if we're going to be out.

I tried every bottle under the sun - I have a huge stash of bottles - none of which were acceptable to her!

At the end of the day, I feel that I won't have to wean her off a bottle - silver lining perhaps?

pistachio · 22/02/2008 18:03

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

hbmummy · 22/02/2008 18:04

We are having the same problem with DD1 (14 weeks). Used to take a bottle every now and then from day 4 up to 8 weeks.

Nowadays, whenever offered a bottle (formula or cool boiled water), she will push it around her mouth with the tongue, not open her mouth or just start roaring!!! Dont think it is the content of the bottle, just she doesnt want the bottle.

Tried a bunch of different tricks - getting someone else to feed her, wrapping an item of my clothing around the bottle (maybe it is the smell?), feed her when she is sleepy, feed her when she is hungry, feed her lying down, feed her sitting up, feed her in the breastfeeding position, ...

Next thing is to try different teats/bottle. Bought the nuby teat from mothercare, yet to try it - doubt it will work... DH more hopeful than I am - he bought them

Really want to be able to go out without worrying DD1 going hungry or screaming the roof down!

andlittlelambmakesfour · 22/02/2008 18:16

Sending you positive vibes that he will get the hang soon!

Original poster
shoobaloo · 22/02/2008 19:03

thanks everyone - good to know it's not just me! ejt1764, how old was your DC when you tried the doidy cup? Is it a case of sterilising it, then putting some ebm in it and basically dribbling it into thier mouth? Is this the same with the tommee tippee beaker if you're out and about?

OP posts:
Original poster
shoobaloo · 22/02/2008 19:08

hbmummy, I feel for you! Just when you think you've cracked it the little monkeys do an about face!

OP posts:
ejt1764 · 22/02/2008 19:13

shoobaloo - dd was about 14 weeks when we first tried the doidy cup - and yes, it is just a case of putting a really small amount in at first, then dribbling it in ... we still only put small amounts in at a time at the moment, as she is quite fussy about temperature!

The tommee tippee cup is the same principle.

Good luck!

onelittlespeckledfrog · 22/02/2008 19:30

shoobaloo my DD is now 8 months and has never accepted anything but the boob. I was the same as you, panicing about never being able to leave her, and trying all sorts of bottles and cups. Like Pistachio says though, 7 months has been a big turning point. Weaning is going well, and DD ( a baby who had between 8 and 11 milk feeds a day) is now having 3 - 5 feeds, and can go so much longer between. I have even been out the house without her a few times now. So my advice is not to stress about it. We tried a doidy cup at about 6 months too, but DD got frustrated as could not use it on her own. She would drink from it if supported, but as hard as we tried, it was to much for her to do indpendantly. Now DD has a two handled beaker thing, and loves having water when she wants it. I am yet to try giving her milk in this as I hate expressing, but am hoping this will work if needed. I know exactly how you feel though - I thought I would never be able to leave her. It's amazing how quickly things change though.

Original poster
shoobaloo · 22/02/2008 20:25

OLSF - it's hard not to panic. DS1 took a bottle from around 2 mths and we could leave him with grandparents over night, or at the creche etc when we needed to. I'm feeling very 'tied' to DS2 as I am never away from him.

OP posts:
ejt1764 · 22/02/2008 20:33

shoobaloo - you sure you're not me in disguise?

Same here - DS was happy to take a bottle from anybody (but me, but that didn't really bother me) - DD seems to be surgically attached to me!

I have to express to give DD her reflux medication - that gets fed to her mixed into a little ebm, and she either has it off a spoon, or drinks it from a bottle top - it's the only bit of the bottles I've got any use from!

suzi2 · 22/02/2008 20:36

DS was always happy to take a bottle so it came a s ahuge shock to me when DD wouldn't! We tried numerous teats, temperatures, people etc etc and had very little success. But TBH we gave up after a couple of months. I agree that after 6 months you do need to worry less. Feeds are less often, you can offer water and a snack if necessary, sleep tends to be a bit better (though not in either of my DCs cases lol).

Habbibu · 22/02/2008 20:38

shoobaloo, my dd hated bottles, but took to the basic tommee tippee cup pretty well at 6 mo - took a few weeks to really get there, but she didn't reject it, just didn't guzzle for a while. I think she saw it as something completely different, rather than as a poor substitute for a breast.

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