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Infant feeding

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

Original poster

My 5 month old won't take a bottle - any tips please???

11 replies

Tetley · 10/03/2003 21:24

Ds2 is now almost 5 months old. I am breastfeeding him, but have been trying to get him to also take a bottle since he was a couple of weeks old. I haven't had any luck at all.

Ds1 was difficult to get onto a bottle, but it was managed by the time he was 6 months old. I really can't see an end in sight for ds2, and I really want to stop breastfeeding!

Other people have also tried (my husband, my mum...) but have got nowhere. It's not as if he can't suck from it - on the rare occasion (about 6 times in total) he has taken a few ounces. He just doesn't want to.

Has anyone out there experienced anything similar, and can give me any advice???

OP posts:
Crunchie · 11/03/2003 09:17

My understanding is that some babies never take to a bottle and by 5 months they can start with a sippy cup. Have you thought of that?

I haven't experienced this but it might be a thought.

Bozza · 11/03/2003 09:57

With my DS the only thing was persistance. DH was too soft (becase as you probably know it is theoreticaly easier without the breasts present!). I tried different teats but it made no difference and I was going back to work so very stressed. In the end I gave him his mid morning feed and then refused to breast feed him but offered expressed milk. I stayed in and spent a lot of time cuddling him because he was upset but eventually he took a bottle about 5pm (from DH just in from work in suit, crouched on floor).

It might be worth trying a sippy cup like Crunchie suggests first. I used the Avent magic cup which has quite a soft spout but took the no spills valve out at first until he got the hang of it - this was for water and juice but then eventually milk in our case.

Original poster
Tetley · 11/03/2003 10:18

Thanks for these replies. I am going to try a cup - the milk just seems to come out so fast though! I had tried an Avent magic cup - but hadn't thought of removing the valve - I'll give this a go.

OP posts:
Bozza · 11/03/2003 10:28

I did that just so he got a taste and the idea, Tetley and then he had one for ages with the valve in. He's 2 now and we went back to the valve out for bedtime milk because he was messing about and taking forever and now we just use an ordinary cup for that as well. Now considering getting him to drink out of a beaker....

Enid · 11/03/2003 11:07

tetley, sorry no advice but just to say I am EXACTLY the same position, desperate to start giving up bf but no luck with bottle, dd2 nearly 5 months also, i have tried all teats with no luck, more later x e

Original poster
Tetley · 11/03/2003 15:11

Enid - my sympathy to you - but thanks also for cheering me up - I now know that I'm not alone...

OP posts:
Marina · 11/03/2003 19:32

Tetley, if you don't have any joy with the sippy cup, you could try the Playtex system. This only seems to be sold in independent pharmacies, unfortunately, but it was the only teat ds would take. It mimicks the human breast more in appearance, so looks a bit odd.
Good luck to you and Enid both!

Enid · 11/03/2003 19:41

My little minx chews and plays with the teats happily but god forbid she should actually drink from it. She drank 6oz with the valveless Avent magic cup today but it was really messy and I'd much prefer her to have a bottle. I'm going to try expressed milk from a bottle and if that works then I'll mix it with formula till she gets the idea. She's quite happy to drink formula from a cup and eat it with her baby rice.

Tried Playtex and Nuk - no joy

Original poster
Tetley · 11/03/2003 20:55

Had some success with the sippy cup - 2oz anyway! So will probably persevere with that. Will also look out for this Playtex system - I don't think I've seen it.

Enid - my little one also plays with the teat - & is happy to have it in his mouth (for a while) - but just won't suck from it. Our babies sound quite similar (other than sex of course!). They were born within days of each other too, I seem to remember, from the Mums-to-be thread last autumn! Perhaps it's something about October births!!!!

OP posts:
hermykne · 11/03/2003 21:02

tetley
i use the playtex bottle as my dd wouldnt take a bottle at all while i was trying to wean her, someone else on the board advised me to get the liners (its a teet and bottle which uses disosable liners eliminating sterlising)through lilliput.com or co.uk (not sure), they are based in battersea and do mail order if you dont have a pharmacy nearby that stocks the range. as its a US company distribution in europe is minimal for some reason. mind you i did see them in my local tescos today.my dd took to this teet quite quickly as opposed to just refusing the advent teet.she also doesn't dribble and i have a few friends whose babies are being weaned presently and are dribbling quite alot with theregular teets.

Enid · 26/03/2003 09:06

Tetley!! I have had some success, finally, with the Maws Variflo system (Tescos). The hole in the teat is very small and responds to how hard they suck. You can use it from birth. I think the problem with the other teats was that it came out too quickly

She has had two feeds from it now, proper, sucking feeds. Trouble is I am not disciplined enough to keep offering it...now I am back-tracking about giving up breast feeding...oh its all so confusing!

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