Bottle refusing 4.5 mo

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DS is 4.5 months and has been ebf from birth. I'm now trying to get him to take the odd bottle of formula so he can stay with DH / DM for some longer stretches. However he seems to be really struggling with it. Yesterday he took about 70ml but in tiny little bits - he never really gets into a proper sucking rhythm or forms much of a seal around the teat. It's more like the milk pours down his throat. Quite a bit also dribbles out.

Is this normal? DD always guzzled happily from a bottle (though I think we gave them to her more regularly from the start). I'm a bit worried that he might have some kind of oral motor issues (though BFs well and gains weight steadily) and/or be a fussy eater. Anyone been here before with some reassurance or advice?

My little boy is 5 months is ebf and refuses the bottle. Tried again last night well hubby did expressed milk and he screamed and struggled to do 3oz so I had to feed him before I went out. Quite common for breastfed babies to refuse I will keep trying but I am coming to the realisation that it’s more trouble than what it’s worth. When he’s 6 months I am going to try with a cup instead and see if he takes it from that

yes, normal, you've just left it too late.

He will take it eventually, but probably not from you as he'll be able to smell your milk. If you leave him with your DH for a day, he'll eventually get some down him.

Same with mine when we started trying to offer bottles from about the same age. She wasn't having any of it and after a month of trying intermittently we gave up. From 6 months she started drinking water from a cup, and by drinking I mean absolutely guzzling, but was very reluctant to drink milk or formula that way. Now at nearly eight months she's finally starting to drink cow's milk happily from a cup, but only cow's milk. I'm just giving her one cup a day and going to start mixing formula in the hope she'll gradually get used to it. All she really wants though is food. She loves it, much more than she does breastfeeding, so I can be away from her for several hours now.

Absolutely kicking myself for not giving a bottle earlier, honestly. I think if I were to have another (which I'm not) I'd introduce a daily bottle from six weeks at the latest as I've felt very trapped by ebf sometimes.

Glad to hear it's not just me! Also gutted I didn't give bottles from the start this time round. He's been a much more enthusiastic breastfeeder than DD so I didn't feel the need to supplement, I didn't think about the implications in terms of bottle refusal! Hopefully he'll take a cup in a couple of months 🤞

DS took a cup at 4 months. You could also think about solids, I think the very latest advice is between 4-6 months.

My DD refused the bottle too with EBF - we tried from very early on by she just hated it and refused. She would take from a spoon and from a sippy cup very happily. You will need to sit him a little more upright for a sippy cup, but he'll be fine

Don't force the bottle - everyone end's up distressed

We started combi feeding DD2 at around 5.5/6 months. At first it was like you describe but pretty quickly she got better and she now combi feeds successfully (she's 11 months now).

We found mam bottles were best for her.

Could never get mine to take a bottle. Try a cup, either sippy (freeflow) or open. Mine got on really well with opens.

Mine refused until 5 months. I just tried every day just with 1oz of pumped breast milk. Refused everyday then about 3 weeks in just clicked and happily takes them ever since :) Will take breast milk or formula.
So definitely don't write it off if you want to keep trying, cross fingers.

I had the same. With my first I introduced a bottle quite early on, but I was lazy with my second and when I tried at 5 months he was having none of it.

Exactly like you, we could get maybe 30ml into him before he’d fall asleep and then cry an hour later for me.

I was ready to give up and except my fate, but then when he was 6 months old I went back on the pill and my GP must have put me on the wrong one as it massively reduced my supply. I had endless nights of cluster feeding and crying and then I gave him a bottle and he inhaled it. We haven’t looked back. So, as much as it was advice I really hadn’t planned on following, if they’re hungry, they will take a bottle eventually.

I could have written this. Tried a few bottles but currently trying mam bottles, not going great but will keep trying.

Have you tried making the milk a bit warmer? EBF babies can be really fussy about milk temp and want it warmer than you'd think as they're used to it at body temp!

Good luck, I am very very glad we had to start supplementing with formula at five days and avoided this problem!

Just to update - as suggested I tried warmer milk and it seemed to work! He still didn't have loads (probably wasn't that hungry) but at least got sucking properly for a bit. Hooray!

Good to know. Bet you're relieved!