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Infant feeding

Why has he stopped taking a bottle? Help please!

9 replies

Holymoly321 · 01/04/2008 09:04

DS2 is nearly 5 mhts and bf. We;ve been trying to get him to take a bottle for ages. Diff bottles, teats the lot, ebm, formula etc. On Saturday DH took DS2 for the day whilst I went out with DS1 so that he would HAVE To take a bottle if he didn't want to starve. He took 1 oz all day (as well as crying and screaming all day - poor DH!!)! He finally took two lots of 3 oz that eve and after bfing him during the Sunday he took similar bottle amounts inthe Sunday eve very easily without a fight at all. THought we'd finally cracked it. Then last night DS2 totally refused to take a bottle and screamed the house down again. Am at a loss as to what to do now.

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tiktok · 01/04/2008 09:13

holymoly - is there some deadline by which you need him to take a bottle?

If not, then dropping it for a while might be the kindest thing to do.

At 5 mths, anyway, babies can manage cups with help.

It's hardly ever worth the screams and the fights at this age

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Holymoly321 · 01/04/2008 09:22

We've got to stay the night away from him in a couple of months - just dont; understand why he did it fine with no probs (after a battle to get him to take it in the first place) and now just two days later is not having any of it.

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tiktok · 01/04/2008 09:43

holymoly, this happens! Big, growing babies decide for themselves what they like best!!

Then you can make it worse (sorry!) by fighting with him....maybe the resistance comes less than immediately afterwards, but it comes.

You have a couple of months to go. Why fight? He'll be on solid food by then, and can take a cup, and/or watery/milk solid foods if you are worried about his fluid intake.

Just my view - but if it was me, I wouldn't think something happening this far down the line, when things will be different in so many ways, was worth stressing and fighting about now

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Holymoly321 · 01/04/2008 12:33

I think I\m most worried about him waking up for milk in the night and me not being there to give it to him. Do babies still wake for milk at 8 months?

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MrsBadger · 01/04/2008 12:36

depends on the baby! some do, some don't

so long as someone is there to cuddle him he'll be okay

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tiktok · 01/04/2008 12:40

holymoly - that's good news, because that really is not worth a fight about

If he wakes at 8 mths - and he may well do - he will need comfort and attention more than milk. If the comfort and attention are not quite enough from his tummy's point of view (if you know what I mean), he can have a drink in a cup, or at a pinch, a banana

Do you feel ok about that?

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Holymoly321 · 01/04/2008 12:56

tiktok, i do feel much better about it all now. I think the other major thing I worry about is DS2 not getting the chance to be as close with his grandparents as DS1 because they would often take him for the night as they could give a bottle. They simply can't do that with DS2 because of the bottle situation...

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tiktok · 01/04/2008 12:59

holymoly!

He has years to get close to g/parents!

By ensuring a secure and loving attachment to you and his dad, he becomes confident and able to extend his love and attachment outwards to others.

That's how it works! Fighting over a bottle does not help this, and does not help him get close to his g/parents, either.

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Holymoly321 · 01/04/2008 13:10

I know what youre saying tiktok, and my head knows you're right - heart is diff matter though esp as their grandad is not too well...