Baby won't take a bottle

9 replies

MadredeGuillermo · 23/11/2009 16:35

W is breastfed and took to it like a duck to water. We tried him with a breastflow bottle at 6 weeks and he took it without any problem Stupidly, we assumed that this meant that he would take a bottle without any problem forever but, now, at 11 weeks he refuses to allow the breastflow bottle into his mouth and will only just tolerate the Tommy Tippee closer to nature one but he will not suck. Although this is not really a major issue as he is gaining weight etc I would love to be able to go out on my own for more than 2 hours at a time now and his Dad would also like to get more involved with feeding. Added to this, as he is still feeding every few hours, I don't have the time or the milk to express enough to keep him supplied with bottles of breastmilk which he then rejects and we have to discard but giving him formula milk from a bottle seems to be adding insult to injury. Any advice or tips?

OP posts:

curiositykilledhaskittens · 23/11/2009 16:58

Some people might shout at me, don't seem to know 'the rules', but have you tried a cup? My dd wouldn't have a bottle at all but would have ebm from a cup like this from shortly before her 3 month birthday. She was almost able to sit up though and could hold the cup herself.

Other than that I'd say just persevere with the bottle.

Longtalljosie · 23/11/2009 17:20

Are you still using the same teat you used at 6 weeks? He might need a bigger one... DD has always used a size above the teat she should be using iyswim... she was on the 3 months + one from 4 weeks, and now she's 3 months old she's refusing that one and using the 6 months plus one!

ChocolateMoose · 24/11/2009 15:29

We're having exactly the same problem - it's really common for babies to stop taking a bottle. I Googled "won't take a bottle" to look for tips. A couple that were helpful were to warm the milk till it's really warm and to try bottle feeding when he's in a bouncy chair, especially if the mother's doing it.

Also try with the bottle before the time he'd usually be fed - it's less miserable if he's not hungry and cross.

I've been expressing just enough for 40-60 ml in a bottle every other day which is enough to practise with as he only takes about 20 ml before getting cross. Though perhaps I should try an 'older' teat with a faster flow as the milk comes out more slowly if there's less in there.

Try expressing in the morning as there's more milk to spare.

Can't see the cup on the link, but I assume it's like this ? - I might buy one to try.

I was all poised to heat up milk and try just now, but DS is grumpy and tired today so bf him instead and he is snoozing on my lap.

Good luck!

Mareta · 24/11/2009 15:50

Hi madredeguillermo,

When my DD was born she spend the first 3 days in the neonatal unit. Because I wanted to breastfeed her they were fedding her for a while from a cup before they started feding her through a tube in her nose. After the tube was removed I was breastfeeding and topping with the cup. She was very happy feeding from the cup however it can be a bit messy. After the fourth day I started to breastfeed her only and at around 6 weeks I gave her her first bottle, Tommy Tipee CLoser to Nature. She didn't have any problem with the bottle at all but the advice I was getting is that if you are the one giving him the bottle he may refuse it because he can smell your breast. Have you tried your husband giving him the bottle and you leaving the room? For some people I spoke with it really helped. There are other good tips as changing he teat. Probably the problem he is finding is that from your breast the milk flow comes from different holes and from the bottle maybe only one. If you change the teat he may like it more.

I haven't tried to give my DD a bottle in a while but I may have to do it again just in case I have the same problem. Let us know how you get on and good luck

Blu · 24/11/2009 15:56

DS wouldn't drink out of a bottle, ever. Or at least not after one successful experiment when he was quite tiny.
But the advice was to introduce it after a bf or half way through a bf. If you try when they are hungry or expecting the breast, then they do not understand that the bottle will satisfy them, they want what they know, and they will be furious and frustrated by this unwanted distraction. Introduce a bottle as an entertainment when they are not hungry and they may fnd out that milk will come out and they like it.

rubyslippers · 24/11/2009 16:01

i am trying with DD who is 7 weeks old only used to the breast

the first time we tried she was too over tired/hungry and was utterly furious so wouldn't even tolerate the bottle in her mouth

tried again today - no good before a breastfeed but did it half way through and she didn't cry - she held the teat in her mouth and looked confused so a bit better than the first attempt - she took some milk but more by accident than by sucking

we will try again tomorrow - gently does it i think as i don't want her to have a bottle aversion ...

BertieBotts · 24/11/2009 16:36

I wouldn't try the larger teat - advice is to keep breastfed babies on the newborn teat so that they have to work for the milk and don't end up preferring the bottle to the breast.

Longtalljosie · 24/11/2009 21:36

God, well if we'd have stuck with the newborn teat I never would have got our DD to take expressed milk! I've always had her on an older teat than her age, and she is still a total boob monster... I can see the logic in Bertie's advice, but that certainly hasn't been my experience. She much prefers boobs to bottles so will only tolerate a bottle if it's "easy"

stantonjulie · 26/11/2009 20:06

I agree with LTJ on the teat - in fact my health visitor recommended a faster flow teat, especially for babies who hate bottles. Believe me, they aren't going to suddenly want a bottle all the time!!! My dd now takes a bottle at 11.30am every day happily but try even put it into her vision at 11pm and all hell breaks loose. That's babies for you ;-)

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