Please help, dd refusing the bottle!

A&J06

Dd has been refusing bottles of bm. She's taken them fine in the past, but not this week. She's been getting a bottle at least once a week to twice daily. We have been very inconsistent since I am home and find it easier just to bf. Dh usually gives her one if I go out or any otherfamily member does. She has even taken the bottle from me before without any problems. Frozen, scalded, fresh. But this week she just screams when the nipple touches her mouth. I've tried and my mom has tried. I tried different temperatures, nothing is working. Is it jyst that she is now old enough to associate only me and bf with feeding Please help, I am going back to work soon.

farrk

I just went through this myself.  DD would not take the bottle at all. Pedi said that they develop preferences.  I took her to my moms and it took two days of her not eating for her to finally give in and take a bottle.  She cannont go back  and forth b/w breast and bottle.  So we bottle feed only now.

Good Luck.  Leave her with your mom and get out of the house.  She will take it if she is hungry enough.

Mrs.0428

Were you in the room when your mom tried?  We had a lot of problems before I returned back to work too.  Not only did we have to find the temperature that he liked, but I had to leave the house for a few hours so he didn't have a choice.

A&J06

For one attempt I was in the room. I usually am when dh gives her a bottle while I am making dinner. But like I said we haven't given her too many bottles lately. While at my moms she was hungry and over tired at the same time. she was so hysterical that even when we gave up and I tried to bf her asleep for her nap she still screamed. I left, she finally fell asleep but when she woke up she wouldn't take the bottle again. I got to my moms and bf her without any problems. We'll try this weekend, having dh give her the bottle while I am not around. I just don't understand, when she did take the bottle she had no preference who it was from or even what temperature. Ugh Thant you both for your input.

mie

I had a similar issue.  I introduced that bottle when she was 3 weeks old and she took it without any issues.  After a while, I got lazy and didn't offer it to her consistently and by the time she was 8 weeks old, she refused to take the bottle.  I offered it to her daily for the next 3 months without any luck.  I was very stressed since I had to go back to work.  I warned my DCP that she was refusing to take the bottle.  Once she started daycare, it was tough because she refused to drink.  At first she only drank 2 oz, but by the end of the first week she was drinking more and now she doesn't have any issue taking the bottle and me BFing her.  Try to be consistent with offering the bottle and eventually your DD will learn that she will have to take the bottle when you're at work or she'll reverse cycle at night.  Good luck!