Tips for getting LO to take a pumped bottle?
My husband offers our LO the bottle, but so far we haven't had any luck. We just started trying last Thursday, when LO turned 6 weeks. Only my husband has given the bottle so far (we don't live near any family and don't have good friends in the area yet as we moved here this past summer). LO will taste the milk off of the nipple, but won't even allow the nipple into his mouth, so I can't say it's the bottle, as he hasn't even tried it. I go to another part of the house when the bottle is being offered, so he doesn't see/hear/smell me. He won't take a pacifier either...it seems like if it isn't the real deal, he's just not having it. I return to work in a couple of weeks so we HAVE TO get him on a bottle.
Im stressed enough that I can't get him to nap for more than 30 min unless he's in my arms/on my chest (when he'll nap for 2-3 hours), but to not have him taking a bottle is ven more stressful.
Any and all help is appreciated!
Re: Tips for getting LO to take a pumped bottle?
A few things you could try: have your DH hold DS in the same position that you nurse him in and have a shirt or burp cloth with your scent on it near him. Also make sure the milk and nipple are both warm enough... my DD is really picky about wanting everything warm.
Around 6-8 weeks DD had a hard time taking a bottle. We tried and she just refused. She also doesn't take a paci. I noticed that she was gagging on the paci and nipple and ended up just chewing on it. One thing I did was to put my clean pinky finger on the roof of her mouth and gently put pressure on it. That got her used to something farther back in her mouth. Also, leaving her at daycare with bottles pretty much guaranteed that she'd eat from one. She was hungry!