Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Parenting

For free parenting resources please check out the Early Years Alliance's Family Corner.

Flip

1 2

Original poster

Can you solve bottle refusal?

35 replies

AlmostOver22 · 18/09/2022 18:47

Has anyone successfully solved bottle refusal? If so how? I have a 3mo baby who won’t take a bottle… any ideas? He did used to take one but we didn’t offer one for the last 4 weeks and now he won’t take one.

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

NuffSaidSam · 18/09/2022 18:51

Just perseverance.

And get someone else to do the bottle with you in another room/out.

It's always possible. If you left/died/your boobs fell off he'd take a bottle, they're programmed to survive. It's just how much it's worth to you vs the hassle.

ElectedOnThursday · 18/09/2022 18:52

We used a cup

MolliciousIntent · 18/09/2022 19:11

Nope! We gave up.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

0-3 months old 3-6 months old Babies & sleep Families

sunflowerandivy · 18/09/2022 19:54

I've tried every teat, bottle and formula going. Didn't exactly refuse but would only take 30ml before refusing. Mine is 8 months old now and I'm just going to limp on until they can reliably use a cup and food good enough to nightwean

LafayetteCwenchinglyMcQuaffen · 18/09/2022 20:21

Agree with @NuffSaidSam in most cases if you persevere, you'll get it.

In my experience the earlier you introduce a bottle, the easier it will be (which goes against HV advice).

LegoFiends · 18/09/2022 20:28

I couldn’t with either of mine.

worriedniece · 18/09/2022 20:39

Introduce early. Try when hungry. Try when not hungry. Maybe try different temperature. Our baby didn't like the milk cold.

Original poster

AlmostOver22 · 18/09/2022 21:16

Ok so mixed reviews… I think I’ll persevere until my inherent laziness thwarts me again - nothing to lose and everything to gain!

OP posts:

Twizbe · 18/09/2022 21:27

Why do you need the bottle?

I had one that combi fed and one that bottle refused. Introduced bottles in the same way with both.

For the one that didn't take a bottle. I just got to the point that it wasn't worth fighting her anymore.

We introduced a sippy cup at 6 months with weaning. She would take milk in that. Add to the reduction in milk anyway after 6 months, I really didn't need her to take bottles.

KangarooKenny · 18/09/2022 21:28

We found a sippy cup with different mouthpieces. There was a softer one and he’d take that.

hewouldwouldnthe · 18/09/2022 21:29

Once they get used to breast its almost impossible unless you give frequent bottles early. They then might refuse the breast so its tricky!

Awrite · 18/09/2022 21:33

I couldn't with dc2. We spent an absolute fortune on every teat, every bottle we could get our hands on.

In the end, I fed him until he was 12 months old he used a cup.

A huge effort and expense for hee haw.

Regressionisreal · 18/09/2022 21:37

We had this. Waited until 6 weeks to pump on HV advice so as not to confuse supply, then he happily took one for a couple of weeks (they’ll happily suckle on anything at that age) then we didn’t give one for a few days and then he started refusing. Like screaming the house down, like we were torturing him refusing. Trouble was we had our wedding, two other weddings and a couple of hen dos to get through and reeeeally needed him to take one.

As others have said - persevere. Try it at least once a day and mix up where you try it and at what time of day, eg when baby’s not v hungry or v hungry, not sleepy/ v sleepy etc. The whole advice about mum leaving the room didn’t make a blind bit of difference to us. Mix up different teats and bottles. Make it a game - no pressure to drink from it at first - let them just look at it and play with it for a bit.

What eventually worked for us was Dr Braun bottles with a green tube in them that’s meant to help reduce swallowing air. And DH held him in a ridiculous position that mimicked breastfeeding and was very tough on the arms.

As soon as we got through the summer of weddings we abandoned the bottle pretty quickly and are instead focusing on helping him drink from the Munchkin and Doidy cups. Once he masters those with water we reckon he’ll probably guzzle a feed from them too.

Good luck!

FusionChefGeoff · 18/09/2022 21:42

Really hot milk
Really hot steamy teat

Used to freak me out but it was the only way DD would take a bottle

tealandteal · 18/09/2022 21:48

I have had some success feeding DS a bottle standing up. Not sure why, maybe because it’s so different from breastfeeding?

Rowen32 · 18/09/2022 21:49

I gave up! In the end, the effort and stress wasn't worth it (this was at 3/4 months) - come six months and for the rest of the time after that until weaning I was so glad I didn't keep trying cos it was so easy and I loved it!

NuffSaidSam · 18/09/2022 21:52

tealandteal · 18/09/2022 21:48

I have had some success feeding DS a bottle standing up. Not sure why, maybe because it’s so different from breastfeeding?

Standing up/walking round and tapping the end of the bottle works for a lot of babies, I'm not sure why! Maybe the movement is so soothing they just think 'go on then, I'll give the bottle a try'.

TwitTw00 · 18/09/2022 21:55

I never succeeded with my first so made sure I gave my second a bottle of expressed milk at least weekly, or if possible twice a week, from about 2 weeks old. Breastfed her to past one year and she had exclusively breast milk til 6 months. Sorry I know it's not what you asked but I actually think in all the keenness to get women breastfeeding the waiting til 6 weeks advice is put out there and it's actually not very good advice!

DeeofDenmark · 18/09/2022 21:55

If you really want to then persevere. Best way would be to go out when baby is hungry so your oh has to give it a good try. Much more likely to take it if he can’t smell your milk.

DappledThings · 18/09/2022 23:12

Took forever doing it with DC1. Loads of times of me going out of the house, DH and DS both getting upset. He did it eventually so I could go to one day out when he was 5 months old.

Totally couldn't be arsed with the hassle second time and never tried.

houseargh · 19/09/2022 08:14

The only thing that worked for me (but this was at 9 months, wouldn't have done it at 3 months) was to stop relenting and offering boob for a particular feed once we'd switched it to bottle. So it was bottle or nothing until the next milk was due. But obviously this was when she was weaned and only having milk a few times a day, plus I was going back to work so in another couple of weeks it would have been cold turkey anyway. When she was younger we never managed to crack it, as I guess she learned that if she refused long enough, boob was always forthcoming

Orangepen13 · 19/09/2022 19:50

Our bottle refused for so long! We ended up just weaning onto a 360 cup, which worked to an extent. She would feed with my partner with little sips if I wasn’t around. Never if I was around! He took SPL so this sufficed for a good few months. Anyway, we just started childminder last week (10 months old) and I took some milk in a bottle just as a container and she took it?!!! We didn’t change anything, no different bottle or teat or anything, she just decided she would!

Original poster

AlmostOver22 · 21/09/2022 09:29

I got a great offer to do a bit of work whilst on mat leave last week and I could really do with the money and would so love a break back into my old life. So that ramps up the pressure a little bit as I’d love to be able to do it… but that doesn’t mean my little one will cooperate. I’ve tried the walking and tapping thing - no luck. I’m going to try the slowest flow teat I can find to see if I can trick him into thinking it’s a dummy…

i remember my friend giving her lo diluted apple juice for constipation but can’t remember at what age… would it be really immoral to use diluted apple juice as a tool to make him take a bottle?

OP posts:

Eumy · 21/09/2022 09:54

My DS took a bottle no problem till 3 months, then he started refusing. I tried everything, but nothing working. So we took a break from trying and tried again when he was 4 months, we persevered and did it at the same time each day. Eventually he accepted it ans since then we’ve had no problems.

What I think helped was that he could sit in his high chair at that point - I think he associated being held with getting boob, removing that association seemed to help him accept the bottle. Also try to keep calm, my OH would get really upset when baby wouldn’t take the bottle, which would make the baby so much more upset!

Original poster

AlmostOver22 · 21/09/2022 20:23

We’ve had a breakthrough!! He took a bottle today!! Turns out he just needed breastmilk rather than formula and a slow flow mam teat. Hopefully he keeps it up!! I’ll definitely do it every day now

OP posts:

Flip

1 2