Breastfeeding change

[shabbadababa]

Hello. This is a message from my friend that doesn't have mumsnet.

She is breastfeeding her 4month old and has done from birth , she has tried bottles every now and again her dd doesn't take them. She doesn't that a dummy either so the teat on anything in general she doesn't take. She's trying her hardest to figure out how she can get her on bottles now as she wanted her off the nipple before she starts to get teeth. Any suggestions?

Try different types of bottles. Someone else giving formula or try expressed milk.

I feed DD until she was 3 3/4 years and I can count on one hand the number of times she ‘bit’ me but it was never a proper bite more she caught my nipple by mistake.

What has getting teeth got to do with anything? If the latch is good then teeth are not in contact with the nipple, and none of mine ever bit me.

Keep persevering with bottles is really the only advice but teeth aren't a big deal with breastfeeding.

not sure on her resources but if she could afford it, it may be worth reaching out to an infant feeding specialist or lactation consultant as they can provide professional advice on how to help with introducing bottles to a bf baby.

some tips I was given by local infant feeding team
-wait until they’re hungry but not starving
-don’t just let anyone try and feed baby, but worth trying someone other than mum who will likely smell mums milk and want that instead of bottle
-try distractions like putting baby in bouncer while offering bottle
-don’t force it
-use paced feeding technique (can Google that for the key elements)

saying all that I never managed with mine, he always refused but then I didn’t persevere too much as it was really only so I could enjoy a night away and so I gave up on that idea until he was going overnight without a feed!

https://www.rachelobrienibclc.com/blog/what-to-do-when-your-breastfed-baby-wont-take-a-bottle-introducing-a-bottle-part-3/?fbclid=IwAR3SC_Jad9TrVGITvygVv2JApa8Ygevl-yEGYe7hRksdcTQYHDNEumxtDZg

Teeth shouldn’t matter. My little one only bit me when he was teething and that’s cos he unlatched and just proper went for my nipple 🙈🙈🙈 agony. can be really hard to get babies on bottles my little one won’t do it. She may be best waiting til 6 months if she isn’t having much luck and then try a cup instead x

Free flow sippy cup. She could also try an open cup - I did with mine at 6 months and by his birthday he was using one totally independently.

Also, ignore the posters saying their babies never bit them. Good for them for not having bitey children, but not everyone enjoys the same privilege

@SweetAndSourChick3n , she's a new breastfeeding mother I'm asking for help not a snarky comment.

@shabbadababa nothing about @SweetAndSourChick3n 's comment was snarky, just factual and from her own experience. 😳

I agree teeth generally aren’t an issue. I breastfed for 2 years and DS got teeth around 5 months. If anything when they’re teething they need the comfort even more.

Does she put expressed milk in the bottle? Or Formula? If it’s formula then the bottle isn’t the only thing that’s different.

When a baby latches properly, they put their tongue over bottom teeth. It's impossible for a latched baby to bite. It is common though as mums - myself included - are often on their phone or watching tv while baby feeds so they don't notice baby unlatch slightly and then bite. Advice if it happens is to push baby into the boob rather than try to pull off it.

Stopping bf is totally fine off your friend wants to but you can reassure her there's no need to just because baby is teething. In fact milk teeth are so called because feeding used to naturally finish at the age where they started to fall out.

I don't think this is snarky at all, it's just explanatory.

Until I breastfed I also couldn't understand how teeth wouldn't be a problem. If the latch is right, teeth aren't involved.

Sure my dd did sometimes bite/clamp - that hurt just as much before she had teeth as after. Once she grew teeth, I didn't notice a difference in the frequency/severity of biting and clamping.

I think your friend could benefit from this reassurance. Don't dismiss it as snark, it's genuine

If they bite gently flick the cheek and put them down for 5 mins then feed. It stopped my son biting. He didn't bite often and doesn't anymore

There are lots of techniques to reducevbiting/clamping, for example the one above and breast compressions and trying different positions.

But you don't mention that your friend even has a biting problem, just that she is afraid in advance that one will develop? It most likely won't.