Having trouble with taking a bottle

nancysimp

Hi Ladies,

We kinda talked about this in the breastfeeding thread but want to see of anyone has any more input.

My babe will be 7 weeks on Thurs. He will not take a bottle...yells at us as if we are torturing him by trying. I want my DH to be able to give our babe a bottle of my breast milk from time to time for a top up or if I need to go out for a bit. Our babe also spits out pacifiers.

I've tried: Mubchkin Latch, Dr Browns, next will be the Medela bottle and Tomi Teepee, then Avent, and then Como Tomo (pricey!). Any other suggestions? 

Is the nipple size an issue? Have any if you experienced frustration trying to give a bottle? I leave the room while DH tries....any other tips? Am I too late in the game at 7 weeks?

Thanks. I really need him to take a bottle so I can have a break.

DDRRT1982

Of my successfully breastfed kiddos, all three gave up bottles at some point and wouldn't take them.  My second son took one bottle (the first one I gave him) just fine, but never took another one again.  He would rather be miserable and hungry then take one, which sucked for whoever took care of him since I work 12 hour shifts.  I tried everything with him. All kinds of bottles and nipples.  It was scary and frustrating for me.  The people that cared for him made sure he got something through a dropper and we started some form of solids early at four months (approved by physician).  The only other things I could recommend for you is to make sure the nipple is warm, check your frozen milk for a fishy or soapy taste (indicating a Lipase issue), and maybe try giving him a bottle when he is super sleepy.  Look for small gains like taking an ounce and progressing from there.  He probably won't ever take a full feeding by bottle, but even a little can keep him pacified. Just keep trying.  My breastfed babies all took a pacifier at first for short periods, but stopped once they knew it wasn't me or it didn't have milk.  Samantha is already starting to reject it unless she is very sleepy.

If you don't have to be away from him too much I wouldn't stress out about this.  In a few months they will be eating solids and that can replace milk once in a while for a brief period of time.  

For this very reason is why I introduced a bottle a couple days after birth with Samantha.  My other three not eating while I was working a 12 hour shift would stress me out so much.  I decided before she was born that I would rather exclusively pump than deal with that stress.  Fortunately, she goes between breast and bottle fine.  I hope it stays that way.  

Good luck!  In a year they will all be crawling around eating whatever is on the floor and you'll miss the days of bonding over feedings.  

nancysimp

@DDRRT1982 thank you for your post! very helpful.

GG620

Following. 

My babe is almost 5 weeks.  We started trying the bottle (comotomo) last week and DD hates it.  We've they're 3 times and they've she took 1 ounce between screams.  Should i keeo trying wjth the comotomo or try another bottle?

sgrn18

Figured I'd ask this here.  Over the past week DS gets super frustrated with the bottle (Avent anti-colic) and constantly breaks his latch on it and swallows air.  He also started getting frustrated at the breast as well.  I tried yesterday to give him the higher flow nipple (the 1+ month one) he took the first bottle like a champ but then subsequent ones are back to the same issue.   I haven't tried any new bottles yet since I figured I'd get some opinions first.  I'm really not sure why he breaks the latch now but wasnt before..Any ideas?? 

aerojo05

My LO is now 2 months old and we've been trying to get her on a bottle for weeks.  We've been trying all kinds of bottles (even expensive mimijumi) but she won't take to them.  It's worrying both myself and my husband cause I'll be returning to work soon, and my husband feels terrible not knowing if baby is going to eat while I'm away.

I keep reading and hearing online it's all about finding the right bottle, so I keep purchasing new ones and returning ones that don't work.
The good thing is that she doesn't automatically refuse a bottle.  She gums the nipple and licks it but eventually tires of it.  She never latches or sucks on it.

I guess my husband may end up having to feed her from a cup or something if we don't find a bottle LO likes in the next few days.

Anyone else have to resort to cups or other alternatives than bottles?

sgrn18

@aerojo05 a cup is not a safe way to give milk to a 2 month old. 

I use the avent classic bottles to go back and forth between breast and bottle.  They have a wide neck and it feels more like a nipple than a bottle.  You can tell he gets confused sometimes still especially if my husband has him all day then I try to switch to the breast afterwards. I've found when he is tired he will latch on to anything.  

nancysimp

@aerojo05 my doctor keeps saying to me that my babe will take it if he's starving enough and I should try different nipples not just different bottles. My babe is having a hard time as well. I will be home for quite a while so I'm not stressing out...I can only imagine the stress you and other mothers are going through in this type of situation. I do want him to take a bottle though so I can have a break sometimes. My husband also wants to have time with him by feeding him, but he just hates every bottle we try (8 so far). Good luck. I wish for you and others a good/easier transition. 

GG620

@aerojo05 @nancysimp how are you ladies making out? LO is 10 weeks this Wednesday ans we've been trying to give a bottle for 7 WEEKS. She wouldn't even let it near her mouth, she just screamed. I return to work in 8 weeks and will be gone 10 hours a day. I was absolutely freaking out. I tried 7 different kinds of bottles and every single trick anyone ever suggested. As a last ditch effort i tried the MAM bottle and she has taken it 3 times (once a day since 3 days ago). It still takes some coaxing, but I'm hoping with every fiber this is it. The nipple is very different than others we tried. It's much flatter. Maybe i have flat nipples idk, but might be worth a try? Here is a pic of it:



She still vehemently is refusing a pacifier. Come on kid!
 

DDRRT1982

I started Sam on a bottle from a few days old.  Bc of my work schedule it's really important she takes it.  She was doing so well until last week.  My husband says she is starting to refuse them.  I gave her a bottle this week to see and saw how she messes around with it, but she still drank some.  I really hope this isn't the beginning of the end.  

megpeg

@DDRRT1982 we ep and Declan is starting to play with the bottle more. He pushes it away, pushes my hand, and plays with the nipple. I think he is starting to be able to do more.

sgrn18

mine is doing that also he gets distracted by the fan or a picture frame, generallyit plays with the bottle.  Sometimes it takes the whole hour to finish the bottle

nancysimp

@GG620 great that this bottle works for you! Crossing fingers this is the one! I may try it as well. My babe is accepting to play with pacifiers...lol. Nibbles and spits them out. He loves his hand though.

We kinda gave up on trying a bottle last week. We should try again though. I can't even go out for a quick coffee with friends on my own. Yikes.

DDRRT1982

megpeg said:

@DDRRT1982 we ep and Declan is starting to play with the bottle more. He pushes it away, pushes my hand, and plays with the nipple. I think he is starting to be able to do more.

Stuck in quote

Hopefully it's just she's becoming moim playful.  I can't deal with the stress of her not eating at work again!

megpeg

This morning he grabbed his pacifier out and whipped it at my husbands head.