DS3 (8 months) is a bottle refusnik. How do you get a bottle refusnik to take milk before bed if boobs arent on offer?

[dinkystinky]

Spent a painful 3 weeks getting DS3 to accept to take a bottle of ebm, from me, DH or our nanny, before returning to work last week (he took them from avent natural bottles with a no 3 teat). He chose my first day at work to start refusing bottles - and he's still refusing them (and milk in any vessel!) and holding out till I return home for a mega bf (so goes from 7 in the morning till around 7 in the evening with no milk). We're adapting during the day by giving him lots of yoghurt and porridge made with bm at meal times - but what do I do in the evenings when I have to work late (which happens occasionally) and cant get home to bf him? Can mums of other bottle refusniks let me know what worked for them?

My DC3 was exactly the same - she simply didnt get any milk until I got home late! She seemed perfectly happy with this, was put to bed at 6.30-7pm by DH, and then if she'd completely refused milk from him in a bottle (usually refused, but DID go to bed happily anyway), then I gave her a dream feed when I got home - not ideal as I wanted to sit and eat dinner / chat with DH, but because she was so sleepy / asleep it was a pretty rapid feed, no faffing around (just lay her straight back down after) and I was happy knowing she'd had a nice hefty feed that evening.

To be honest, it didnt happen that often (eg the late back from work), but she adapted just fine. Good luck - they're monkeys those babies!!!

No experience here as never used bottles, but would he be interested in taking milk from a sippy cup? Maybe that could work in the evening if you have to work late?

Thanks icravecheese - midnight dream feed it is then!

Eletheomel - he refuses milk in an open cup or sippy cup (it gets in his mouth and he spits it out!)

dinky - he definitely seems to know what he wants

I know - pesky wee tyke!

Persist with a sippy cup, it's worth it. Aim for just a couple of sips at first. It's a really different technique and takes a while. I've had 2 bottle refusers. Started both with sippy cups early and were fine by 8m but it took persistence. Keep offering, 10+ times a day, water and milk.

Also, some babies will take milk off a teaspoon well. It's a faff, but goes down surprisingly quickly.

Thanks Barberry - will persist with the sippy cup then!

Quietly offering every 30 mins or so with no fuss worked. Crunch time really came with my 2nd refusnik when she was ill and feeling miserable. Off her food and just wanted to bf. I think because I kept offering the bottle rather than someone else she eventually cracked. I'd only been doing an am and pm feed for 2 months by then so I couldn't actually ramp up the feeds on demand anyway. She refused to take a bottle from DH or a nanny until I had to work really late and she got desperate. It was plain sailing after that.

Made it a big deal with DD1 but had to stop BF'ing entirely so she had to go to lots of dairy instead. She's no worse off so I wouldn't stress too much. It's more about getting fluids in so your DS doesn't get constipated. Lots of fruit, v milky weetabix etc.

Thanks Oscar - its so reassuring to hear from others who have been through this. DS1 and DS2 were initial refusniks but embraced the bottle when I was not around - sadly DS3 is very much his own man...