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

[shoobaloo]

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?

Shoobaloo, I hope I didn't sound patronising or unhelpful.. I guess I had no benchmarks or expectations with DD, and therefore just resigned myself to her being surgically attached for the first 7 months, which made it easier for me. Also being my one and only, I have no other demands on my time, and don't have to leave her for any reason, (although obviously there were times when I really fancied a bit of freedom, and had to make do with just an hour or two.)It has dramatically improved for us now though. I guess it just depends on whether you can wait it out.

My dd, who had been happily sipping for a cup (a bit) for a few months, has just decided no fluid will ever pass her lips in what ever form ever again....very frustrating - I have tried milk, water, juice, beakers, bottles, cups and even teaspoons but she won't have any of it. Wally. What can you do?

OOh they can be little buggers can't they! Just wondering, this 6 month mark, a few of you lovely ladies have said that the feeds are less (fantastic) and that you can give water and food instead etc. What are you giving the water in then if they won't take the bottle for the milk?

I was going to make a thread about this, but thought I'd check if there was one already!

I'm another who's now glad it's not just me! My 5 month old girl will only breastfeed. She used to take a bottle occasionally when she was teenytiny, but it got gradually more and more of a struggle, and eventually we just stopped trying.

Now, I have to go back to work 3 afternoons a week after April, and am thinking I should try and get her used to the idea again, but nothing seems to work.

It doesn't help my guilt that her monopolising of my breastmilk means that her twin brother, who takes bottles happily, gets fobbed off with one when my supply is low.

Hi, shoobaloo - was thinking about you and everyone else in the same boat on this thread. Just wanted to say hi and ask if soremummy would like doidy cup if you are sure you don't need it. It is sitting on my desk looking for a new home as my desk is too disgracefully messy for any self respecting cup .

Hi allmf - you can pass on the cup to soremummy with my full blessing! Thanks for the offer . anyone got any answers re the question of how you are getting your non bottle drinking bubs to take water? What age do I need to start thinking about that anyway?

have not read all posts so apologies if been covered but nct sales sell doidy cups as do john lewis. My daughter drank really well from one from about 7/8 months and still drinks out of it now and my son 5 months likes holding it as a toy!

my non bottle drinking DD takes water from a two handled beaker thing. Having tried her with a doidy for ages with no success, she could use this beaker independantly in a day. She started drinking water at about 6 months.

Have just tried to get DS to take a bottle again and he really is just having none of it. He screamed the place down and as soon as I got my boob out he calmed right down. THis is really getting to me. I don't know now whether to carry on trying or just give up. DH is out at work all week so it's down to me to try and get DS to take the bottle but he just won't.

If it's any consolation, my ds, who happily took a bottle from dh, refused point blank to take a bottle from me ... when I went back to work after having him, I ended up just going back and taking lots of spare breast pads / clothes with me, and expressing when I could.

I would recommend that your dh (or at least somebody who isn't you) tries him whatever you decide to use, be it bottle or cup ...

Good luck - it's not easy, I know ...

Hi ejt, thanks for the support. Unfortunately DH doesn't get back from work until DS is in bed so can't help with the bottle situation - which is a major bummer! The times he has tried at the weekend, are not really any diff to when I have tried!

I was talking to a friend about this... she told me that when her daughter was 5 months old, she wouldn't take a bottle either. But then my friend became ill, went into hospital (with the baby), and had to take medication that made her breastmilk unsuitable for her daughter. So, unwillingly on both their parts, her baby went from 100% breastfeeding one day to 100% bottle feeding the next.

I asked her what it was like, and how hard it had been (as sometimes I worry that if I went under a bus tomorrow, my daughter might just starve to death rather than take a bottle!!) She said "it was HELL... she was screaming, my breasts were leaking, the nurses tried everything to help... the baby could smell my milk, but couldn't get it..."

But she did say that within 24 hours, the baby was taking the bottle. Still, I don't think it's something any mother could endure unless there was no alternative - I crack like an egg and breastfeed her after 2 minutes of screaming at the bottle!

Anyway, I don't want to give up breastfeeding, I just want her to take an occasional bottle so I can go away for the day! But perhaps she never will unless I just bite the bullet and leave her with her dad, a bottle, and no choice. Do I have the heart? To do that to her... and do that to her dad, LOL!!

shoobaloo I've decided to skip the other posts and just concentrate on the OP.

This is something we get into our heads about a lot of things, but seriously most adults are well adjusted and not doing baby things. There is a turning point to everything and you are talking about twice baby's life away, a lot will change. Just like my life has changed from being 13 to being 26 and yours has whatever age you apply it to.

At this stage don't worry about what will happen in three months time, most likely he will be eating solids and wanting to copy you when you drink from a cup.

How are you doing night feeds? Are you getting out of bed, picking him up, sitting with him till he falls asleep, putting him back, going back to bed etc? If you are there are alternatives. If you are happy to cosleep then that's great because you don't have to wake up much and neither does he or your DH. If you would rather not cosleep then get DH to bring DS into bed when he wakes up that way you don't have to wake too much and neither does DH. If you give a bottle at night it's going to tire you out even more because you have to add making a bottle into your normal routine.

If you really want to try EBM feeds then try with a syringe or cup - either a doidy or something like a Magic Cup.

Don't worry, the end is in sight.

Just a quick addition to the list of teats to try - Nuk. We had exactly the same problem as you and discovered that Nuk is the only type of bottle he'll take. And even then, only the smaller sized bottle. So don't give up, keep trying the different teats till you strike gold.

Otherwise I really agree that you shouldn't worry too much about six months right now. They change so much all the time, it may well be a different story then. Hard not to worry I know, especially when sleep-deprived, but this bit will all be over before we know it and they won't give two hoots for our boobs any more.

I have also been trying to get my 3 month old DS to take the occasional bottle of ebm. Have tried different teats and cups. I think the problem in our case is that I am only trying to get him to take it occasionally. My SIL got her DD to take bottles but only because she was going back to work and she persevered at every feed and her HV even came and helped her out! I'm not going through that palava just so he can have a bottle every now and then so tbh I have now given up and feel much happier. It would be nice to have a night out though...! Let us know if you crack it.

dont bother with a bottle and go for a cup. a lot of bf babies wont entertain a bottle as its just so alien to them but for some reason a cup is just fine. Tomee tippe ones with a single hol and a flip lid seem to work the best for some reason. that or a small open cup. they like to lap the milk.
I never even bothered giving ds a bottle of anything and went to a cup from about 4 months. My friend found the same thing too.

Latest update is that DS still wont take a bottle. Kateri, I'm the same as you, it's not that I want to formula feed DS, it's just that I'd like to have a life too so would like him to take the occasional bottle. I too crack - only it's more like 30 secs than 2 mins! I'm a SAHM so it's not essential that he takes it, but it would be nice. I may try the TT beaker cup thingy in a months time... in the meantime, will keep trying with the bottle. It's a struggle though and the night feeds are getting to me even though he is very good and goes straight back to sleep after a feed - I would LOVE a proper night's kip! Esp after I'd been able to go out and get plastered! ha ha!