My bf baby WILL NOT take a bottle, any advice?

[Lucypearl]

My dd is 14 wks and refuses to take a bottle. I love bfing her but she feeds about every 2 hours & I really need to have some time to myself now. Also my partner would love to be able to feed her. Any advice from people who've been through the same? Have tried both Avent and Tommy Tipee bottles so far.

Is it the Tommy Tippe breast to bottle you've tried? we eventually succeeded with that one with my DD, try leaving the room/house while partner feeds.. if she can see you or knows you are around she will want breast

are you trying expressed or formula? if you want to move on to formula it might be worth trying expressed milk first, so dd is not having to get used ot a new flavour as well as a new method of delivery.

keep trying, maybe leaving a few days between trys, they get there eventually!

No magic solutions, but here are the things I've been told (by my HV) to try in the past: here's hoping one of them works for you.

-Get someone else to give her the bottle, and leave the room while they do it (she can smell your milk, and will be confused as to why you are not bfing her).

-Wait until she is REALLY hungry. (So, delay a feed for a while)

-Squeeze a little milk out of the bottle so that she can taste it when you brush it over her top lip.

-Keep trying every few days. Babies' habits change, so don't give up. One day she will surprise you and accept it.

-Try giving it first thing in the morning, when she is hopefully in a happy mood and ready to try new things. Alternatively, try it in the middle of the night when she is barely awake, as she might fight it less.

Best of luck - TIAIC

Go to Quality Save or similar discount emporium and find the cheapest latex teat possible (may come with narrow neck bottle for approx 69p). Could work. Tip from SCBU nurse.

If not, source narrow silicon NUK teats from internet. Could also work. What my girls have (only after establishing bottle feeding in the cheap latex teats).

Lucy, try (or ask your partner to try) with a little cup, such as an egg cup. Babies can manage ordinary cups, with help, from about five months. Or, a spoon and a cup can work ok, too.