10wk Breastfed baby just can't figure out how to drink from a bottle - won't use a pacifier - WHY?!!

[newmummy100]

I've been exclusively breastfeeding my 10wk old. However, I've bought a breastpump and I really want to express some milk so my hubbie can do a night feed sometime or we can go out to dinner or something and leave grandma with a bottle!

It was all going so well - I'm pumping after feeds and getting a good quantity in the fridge ready to go! HOWEVER, my little one just won't drink from a bottle. I've tried Medela, Avent and the Medela for prem babies. He plays with the teat in his mouth, rolls his tongue on it, and smiles! Smiles I mean!!! We've tried for 10+ mins... he doesn't get cross... just smiles away with a look of 'I don't think so'. HELP!! It is the same with a pacifier... it almost looks like he just can't figure out what to do with it.... but he LOVES to comfort suck on the nipple and I'm struggling to get him to sleep any other way.

Advice would be fab as it is getting annoying!

x

borow more bottles
Toomy tippee Closer to Nature?

and they are clever - often they won't drink from a bottle if you are about with the real stuff, so leave the house and get dh to do it

Could you feed her from a cup instead?

I would recommend spoon feeding?

How long does he go between feeds? Could you not give a big feed and then go out for a meal?

Mine wouldn't take either. Took until about 5 months before we could persuade him to take a bottle. He used dummies as teethers, never sucked them.

You could try an open cup, but it is messy

agree that you should get someone else to do it (though we can usually manage to breastfeed dd, give her to my mum then run to our local for a meal)

I had the same struggle with an 8 week old. Top tips -
Get the milk really warm (borderline hot) this seemed to help.
Get somebody else to do it (and make sure you are not in the vicinity)
Use a different feed position - I had DS in the car seat, so I wasn't teasing him with a breastfed hold
Give it when hungry and be persistent. DS has had his 10pm bottle from 8 weeks (now 6m), and will still occasionally try his luck at pushing it out for a minute or two, to see if I will get a boob out instead.

Good luck!!

I had the same problem with my DD but I discovered First Years Breastflow bottles in mothercare. These have two teats - one inside the other and it means that babies have to use the same type of action as when they are BFing. They might be worth a try.

Had the same - agree with Zil131 on most points.

My DS wouldn't take EBM at all, though. He did finally take Aptamil fromt he cartons, but he as about 7 months old by then. DD never took a bottle.

DS2 won't take a bottle if I am anywhere in the vicinity (well why would you?!).

Try feeding him before you go out and leave a bottle of milk there for if he needs it. Worse case you have to run home a bit earlier. But you might find that if you are not around and he is really hungry he will give it a go.

Tips - make sure he is not tired and is hungry.

Make sure milk is warm.

Sit him in baby chair?

TRy persistently for an hour, leave your partner to do it. Warm the milk up again if necessary.

Squeeze the teat at the sides so he knows there is milk in the bottle. Jiggle the bottle around in his mouth.

I would go out in the evening though without leaving anything as I wake him at 10pm-11pm etc for dream feed.

Newmummy100 - I am having exactly the same issue with our 9 and 1/2 week old. She doesn't hate the bottle but chomps on it and then dribbles any milk down her chin rather than swallowing it, quite often with a lovely smile on her face. She has taken it on a couple of ocassions for my partner but not regularly and not easily enough to make me feel confident that I could go out and leave them to it. Will be watching for any further tips with interest...

Also I was starting to feel like I was the only person whose baby wouldn't drink from a bottle so it's nice to know that I am not alone!

The BPA-free Nuby Natural Touch bottles look good; as much like a boob as possible. www.nuby.com/en/Products/

Defo try without your lovely milky smelling breast anywhere near him!