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8 week old wont take a bottle - going back to work. Help!

8 replies

Katie28 · 30/06/2013 07:20

Hi everyone! My DS is 8 weeks old. I have two older children (4 and 2) who were both exclusively breast fed until 6 months and who I carried on breastfeeding into their first year. I never needed them to bottle feed as I took my full maternity leave both times. This time is different as I run my own business and can't take much time off. I'm going back to work in less than four weeks.

My problem is that I can't get DS to take a bottle. I've tried tommee tippee, nuk and Medela bottles and none have worked. I can initially get each one into his mouth (apart from the Medela one which he wouldn't even let into his mouth) but then he gags immediately. If I push it too much he projectile vomits. I've tried the gentle approach letting the milk run into his mouth a bit and I've tried pushing the teat into his mouth. Nothing works. I've been trying each day for about four weeks and I'm getting really concerned he won't take the bottle before I go back to work. I'm only going back one day a week but I can't go if no one else can feed him. I'm feeling so stressed out about it now and I don't know what to try next. I can't imagine any other type of bottle will help as the three I have are all very different. I've also tried both expressed breast milk and formula, both warm and cold. Nothing seems to make any difference.

If anyone has any experience getting a breast fed baby onto a bottle I'd be so grateful for your help :-)

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Sparklingbrook · 30/06/2013 07:35

Hi Katie. No experience to share I'm afraid but if you repost here you may get more replies. Good luck x.

Katie28 · 30/06/2013 07:46

Thank you sparklingbrook I will do that, just need to work out how to copy and paste it on my phone! (Technophobe!)

OP posts:
Sparklingbrook · 30/06/2013 07:52

You can report it it MN and ask them to move it if that's easier.

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LoveBeingUpAt4InTheMorning · 30/06/2013 07:52

Morning

Firstly double check that baby doesn't have a to fur or upper lip tie. I only found ds's when he literally couldn't take a bottle.

Then try different types of bottle with different teats, a very narrow one suited ds (was a crapoy cheap bottle) and he was then fine.

Also try a newborn teat rather than an age appropriate one as he will have to work harder to get the milk just like bf (with dd I never changed hers whilst introducing the bottle as I was to carry on bf)

Also have you rried getting someone else to feed? Making sure he's in his favourite feeding position.

mrspatpat · 30/06/2013 08:00

My little one is the same, I have tried every bottle too and spent a fortune. She wouldn't even take a bottle in the hospital for the midwives, she would just make a horrible choking noise. I'm lucky that I'm not going back to work soon though so at least I don't have that worry. The only little bit of success I have had is by getting her to suck a soother a bit. She will only take it occasionally,and mainly in the car but I have managed to slip the soother out and replace it with a bottle which she will suck away on for a few minutes. I'm working on that at the minute. I did see an episode of the baby whisperer on TV last week where she got an 8 week old to take a bottle. She made it look so easy.....

Katie28 · 30/06/2013 08:33

Thanks for your replies. I will try everything you have suggested. I will also look online to see if I can find that episode of the baby whisperer! X

OP posts:
Katie28 · 30/06/2013 08:34

Sparklingbrook thank you but it's ok I managed it!

OP posts:
pingulingo · 30/06/2013 08:37

Dr brown bottles do a prem baby bottle/teat which is really small and narrow. Maybe that might help as an introduction to a bottle.

Could you also get someone else to try feeding baby away from you - so baby can't smell you or milk? That might also help.

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