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Infant feeding

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

Original poster

HELP - my 4 mo bf dd won't take a bottle

8 replies

screamingtheplacedown · 30/10/2008 11:14

Any advice gratefully received. My dd took a few bottles of ebm when she was tiny then we went on holiday for a week and didn't offer her one. Now she flatly refuses when offered either by me or my dh - she screams as if we are trying to kill her. I really need to get out for a couple of evenings and leave her with dh, not to mention it would be nice if he could do an early morning feed or two!

We've tried Breastflow, Tommee Tippee, Nuk, Avent bottles. Tried ebm and formula.

Please help as I'm tearing my hair out and I hate seeing dd so upset!

Thank you

OP posts:
pudding25 · 30/10/2008 13:04

Keep trying,even just for a min each day. She will probably get used to it again.

In the meantime, could you try giving her milk from a cup? That way, you could get a break.

Perseveranc with the bottle is the key. It took dd about 3 mths to start taking a more than a couple of ounces from a bottle but now, she will happily go from bottle to breast feeding with no problem.

CalE · 30/10/2008 13:24

Hi!!! Much, much sympathy for you, i have EXACTLY the same problem.

My DD has been taking one bottle of BM each night from her dad since 5wks of age. Now she's 12 weeks and for the past couple of weeks has got more and more fussy. Last night she completely refused too.I've been trying to give her small amounts during the day because i'm so worried about it, but she keeps clawing at the breast and screaming her head off. The only way I've got her to take anything is to offer her the boob and then sneak the teat in once she's started sucking!!! Hardly an ideal scenario and one that requires me to be there for all feeds!!!! Have sent husband out today for some alternative bottles. An additional problem (that i'm sure you've experienced) is that we keep wasting precious BM and i'm finding fewer and fewer opportunities to express. AAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRGHHHHHHHHHHH!!!

UmMwahahahaaaaa · 30/10/2008 13:38

Hi there, ds (3 months) is exactly the same. He just doesn't seem to know how to suck. Anyway I have all but given up, since I noted he will drink from a Tommee Tippee first cup or a NUK training cup (both my older dd's). Going out is over-rated anyway

Original poster
screamingtheplacedown · 30/10/2008 19:32

thanks everyone. CalE, I totally sympathise with the waste of BM - it's awful to spend time expressing only to have to throw it away - every drop feels so precious!

A friend has suggested we try going cold turkey - leaving dd with some bottles and her dad for a day and see what happens. But I'm not sure I can bear to do that! Maybe the cup is the answer.

OP posts:
CalE · 30/10/2008 21:01

I know, it's a nightmare, tho can understand your concerns about cold turkey, and THINK about how much bleeding BM you'd have to express!!!! If you do go for the cups, let us know how you get on. x

tiggyhop · 30/10/2008 21:10

I really sympathise, I had exactly this with DS 1 (now 5) - he had been taking a bottle occasionally then at 3 or 4 months just flatly refused - basically we fought and fought but eventually ended up getting a cup, taking out the valve, and just pouring it in...sounds awful but it was the only way to get it down him. In those days you introduced solids at 4 months so then it was on to purees with loads of EBM mixed in when I wasn't around to feed him. It was ok for the odd time I had to leave him (we had a wedding when he was 5 months old). He never took a bottle, I stopped BFing at 6 months and he went straight on to a cup.
(I vowed I would never have the same problem again, didn't with DS2 then had a nightmare with DD...they are all different...)

fairylights · 30/10/2008 21:10

much sympathy - my ds refused to take a bottle til he was 10 mo by which time it was a bit pointless!
BUT to encourage you: a friend of mine who was going back to work FT was obviously desperate to get her ds to take a bottle - she tried and tried and tried and it got to the weekend before she had to go back to work and she just left her ds with her dh and a bottle for A day (as you suggest yourself) and it DID work - wasn't pleasant for any of them, especially as she had to go back to work with full boobs (iyswim!) but he was fine with a bottle from that day onwards..
all the best to you

fairylights · 30/10/2008 21:11

sorry forgot to say - my friend's ds was 4 months also.

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