Help! BF baby crying while eating EM (or refusing altogether)... XP

Lucy_Plus_One!

I don't understand this. My DD was fed bottles a lot in the beginning because we had to supplement with EM after each feeding between 3 days and almost 3 weeks. Then we would always give one every day or so until about 2 mos, when we stopped for a couple weeks because we thought it was making her gassy. Well, now we have switched bottles twice and realize it cant be gas... she just doesn't want the bottles I guess.

She wont take a bottle from DH at all... and she is mad when I give her one too. She kicks her legs and cries out for a few seconds and then will suck for about 10 seconds and then cry again... repeat x100 until she has eaten enough to be full. 

UGH. What the he!l do I do now?! I can't leave her side because she wont even take a bottle from anyone but me!

meganet22

My friend used latex nipples with her kids and that seemed to help.

My dd was having similar issues and it helped to keep her swaddled while she was eating to calm her. 

MrsAmers

She'd rather nurse than take a bottle, it's totally normal.  DD wouldn't take a bottle from me at all until she was 6 months old, which was okay with me since I didn't want to mess with bottles anyway.

The thing is that your DD won't starve.  When you're away from her, your DH or whoever is taking care of her can offer her a bottle.  If she doesn't take it she's just likely to nurse a lot more when she's with you again.  I wouldn't leave her for a full 24 hours, but don't feel bad about being away from her because she'll make up for it when you're together again.  She won't be harmed if she doesn't eat for 4-5 hours and if she's really hungry she'll learn that she has to take the bottle when you aren't around.

Good luck! 

gilmoremama

try switching nipples.  That did it for me.  We used the natural latch nipple from playtex.  It fits in their mouth more like a breast.  It made a BIG difference for us.  She went from crying for over an hour when would give her a bottle, to crying for 10 min then taking it.