EBF baby crying when we try to give bottle

[haleysunshine32]

Hi, I've been breastfeeding my 6 week old baby since birth, but a couple weeks ago we started trying to introduce a bottle (of expressed BM) just every other day to try and get her familiar with a bottle so I can eventually go out/let my husband do a feed a day to give me a bit of a break. We've tried about 6 times now but most of those attempts she's cried through the feed. She does actually drink from it but looks unhappy and takes a break every 10 seconds or so and cries. It sometimes sounds like she's choking a bit too as though she's taking too much milk in one go. We're using the MAM anti-colic bottles that came so highly recommended for BF babies!
Anyone got any advice or experienced the same thing when introducing a bottle?! I'm getting so anxious she's not going to take to it and I'll never be able to let someone else help feed her!

I had a similar problem some years ago with ds1 and ds2. For ds2 what worked in the end was using a sterilized doidy cup (it's slanted to make sipping easier). However he was closer to 6 months at the time so I would be concerned whether that would be unsafe for a younger baby. Ds1 I'm afraid refused to drink anything out of a bottle or cup until breast milk was back on tap.

I think new mums learn too late the bottle/baby trick and the clue is in the name EBF. Babies cotton on really quickly that a breast is much more different than a cold rubbery teat and they reject it very early on. Same with dummies, most wont entertain it if it's introduced late, so in the first week an offering of a dummy or bottle is your best bet. I agree it has to be a little doidy cup

I successfully introduced a bottle around 2 months. Just keep trying. It was my mum in the end that got my dd to take it. They refuse if you give it as they can smell your milk and I think if your husband tries then they are clever buggers and know you aren't far.

Actually leave the house and leave a relation to try. Don't just go upstairs, like I say, they are clever, but actually go out.

We tried the closer to nature teets so sometimes worth trying a diff brand too.

Were you there? Ds took a bottle only I was nowhere to be seen only!!

Unfortunately we never got DD to take a bottle. Tried from about 2 weeks until 3 months. Gave up in the end. It's such a short amount of time in the scheme of things and once they're a little older they go longer between feeds. I used to leave DH with expressed milk to mix with weetabix or banana post 6 months. Good luck and whatever happens you will get your life and body back. Eventually

Firstly I’d suggest to keep trying and make yourself scarce as others have said. This worked with my DC1.

But I do just want to add, without wanting to add to your anxiety, that this didn’t work with my DC2. This later transpired to be due to some special sensory needs that were nothing we could have known or done anything about at the time, but led to incredible stress.

So please be kind to yourself. If it works, great. If not...please don’t stress. xx

Be patient and take your time. Its early days. Dont get stressed or your baby will sense it. Experiment, some babies are better when very hungry, some more receptive when half fed, Experiment with a small dummy even if you dont plane to use one as it is a familar action. Some babies are more receptive at different times of the day. My grandaughter would only accept it if you walked around with her. They are all different

If you can bear it leave your baby to get very hungry and get DH to give the bottle. dS1 was bf for 4 months but my milk was in very short supply. DH gave formula and bottle at 4 months because DS1 was starving hungry. Bit harsh but it might work as a last resort,

DC1 took a bottle at about 3 months after a lot of trying and then did so about once a fortnight till he was 1. It took me leaving the house and DH being really patient and persevering.

With DC2 I tried half-heartedly 3 times and couldn't be arsed pursuing it so she never did. If I'd wanted to push on with it I would have left her with DH again for a couple of hours.