OT: bottle feeding

sarenu1

So we've been offering bottles at night. I have one type of bottle right now.

My husband got him to feed twice from the bottle successfully. The other 4 times were failures. One he waited too long.

Do we keep at it with this bottle or should I go out and get a different one to try?

nanabanana06

I'd try a different bottle. We had 3 different types with Cade. We let him try each bottle and he naturally proffered one over the others. For us he loved the Avent Naturals bottles. We bought them in glass and they were amazing. Nice boob like nipple and the slow flow is nice and slow so they work at it like BFing.

JEPES1348

This may be obvious to you and perhaps this is what you meant, but I would try new nipples before I went out got all new bottles. 

My baby was bottle fed (breast milk) from early on, as she was hospitalized for a month right after birth. She then breast fed for a time, but we're back to drinking pumped milk from bottles. However, since she was conditioned on a one-time use hospital nipple, we had to get standard size nipples, rather than the more common, wide-based nipples. The wide-bases make the transition from breast to bottle a little easier I think. Anyway, so that was our hang-up. Different nipples.

But I'm sure there are many other factors when you're transitioning from exclusively breast to bottle. I can't weigh in on that.

flummadiddle85

JEPES1348 said:

This may be obvious to you and perhaps this is what you meant, but I would try new nipples before I went out got all new bottles. 

My baby was bottle fed (breast milk) from early on, as she was hospitalized for a month right after birth. She then breast fed for a time, but we're back to drinking pumped milk from bottles. However, since she was conditioned on a one-time use hospital nipple, we had to get standard size nipples, rather than the more common, wide-based nipples. The wide-bases make the transition from breast to bottle a little easier I think. Anyway, so that was our hang-up. Different nipples.

But I'm sure there are many other factors when you're transitioning from exclusively breast to bottle. I can't weigh in on that.

I tried different nipples on our Born Free bottles first. He liked The MAM ones for a while. Then he didn't take them anymore. Then we got the Avent 4mo sippy top to work for a bit. Then not so much. Now he seems to be ok with the Born Free 6 mo sippy top.

At one point I bought all the bottles I could.... And that didn't work and returned them all. I remember the NUK made him mad. 

He's never been great with the bottles. It's made it a bit stressful at times, but it's gotten easier. My dad said bottles are only temporary anyways.

CLLDLL

The only type of bottle/nipple G would ever take was the Playtex (drop-ins) nipples and the Tommee Tippee.  

Maybe try buying one each of a couple types.  Then buy more of what he likes. 

sarenu1

We have the Platex bottles. But he has a hard time understanding to close around the nipple properly. I think I might try something like the Tommy Tipee.

petitmonstree

I've been exclusively pumping because we were having latch issues and even after trying a bunch of different methods and getting help we just said screw it it's too frustrating on all of us.

For a while we had been using the Avent Natural bottles and we liked them until we tried the ones by MAM. We needed more bottles and MAM had a little kit 2 smaller bottles, 2 bigger ones, and 2 pacifiers. We actually really like these ones a lot and he's a lot less gassy with these bottles than he was with the Avent bottles. They're like the playtex ones and have the little holes at the bottom to reduce the air or whatever. And the way the bottle is made you can use it to sanitize the nipples and pacifiers as well which is pretty neat.

But yeah I have no suggestions on how to get your baby to take the bottle or not. You might just have to test around and see what works. DS is still really young and not very picky. The nipple on the MAM bottles is more flat and has a little indent for the lips if that makes sense.

We used the Playtex bottles with DD and I hated them tbh so we got the NUK ones for her eventually. Of all the bottles we've had I really like our MAM bottles and I liked the ones by NUK but the nipple is kind of weird on those.

Danie007

The anti-gas tommy tippee bottles were the only bottles that would work for J for the first 6 months. After that I found the Similac bottles worked well too.

benmichele

Have you played with temperature? We tried several bottles, but once we realized LO preferred really warm milk, he would take any bottle type.

runningyogimama

When DD was really young, she went through phases. First, she would only take the similac ones they sent out with the formula samples...then only Dr Brown, then tommee tippee. Eventually, she got to the age where she would just take any bottle. I was glad to have been gifted so many brands at our shower and that I didn't return any!

joyfultrex

I concur with what others have said. I might add in though I would try offering a bottle after he has been at the breast for a few minutes, or before they show hunger signs so LO isn't so hungry and trying to learn a new skill at the same time. Maybe also try during the middle of the day when they aren't tired. If this still isn't working I would then try a different bottle or nipple. My LO wouldn't get mad at having a bottle, just wasn't able to get anything out. (an ounce in 40 min to an hour) Playtex ventaire worked for us, but I think it's all individual. Now he will take advent also.

shan417

We also have had great success with the Avent Natural bottles.  DS has only ever rejected a bottle if it was too cold.  You could pump and pour the milk immediately into a bottle to give him so you know it's the perfect temperature while he learns to take the bottle.

We never had trouble giving him a bottle, but maybe trying some techniques you would use to get him to latch on the boob with the nipple of the bottle would help?