Refusing Bottle and Returning to work in 2 weeks - HELP

JWSchwarz

I also posted this on the breastfeeding and 0-3 month boards. . .

My 9 week old started taking an occasional bottle at 3 weeks and was doing fine with it. He was getting one bottle almost every evening. All the sudden, he started refusing it at 6 weeks. He is now almost 10 weeks and we still cannot get him to eat from a bottle.

We've tried:

- every brand of bottle there is

- holding him different ways and also feeding him while he's sitting in his swing

- me leaving the house or leaving the room, trying it at someone else's house

- My husband, mom, sister in law, dad and mother in law have all tried (I have also tried)

- Trying at different times of day, when he is hungry and also when he is not as hungry  

I am returning to work in two weeks and I don't know what to do!! ANY suggestions are appreciated! 

tosababy

Try not to get too stressed. Baby will eventually figure it out and/or eat when he's hungry.

ETA: My son gave a scare and thwarted all efforts to get him to take a bottle for a couple of weeks before I went back to work. Right when I was about to pull out my hair, just a day or two before I went back, he suddenly started taking the bottles and never had another problem.

The worst case scenario is probably reverse cycling where your baby would decide to eat more often when he's with you (and over night) to make up for the times that he's refusing bottles at daycare.

 Bottom line, though, your baby will not starve.  Hang in there!

skyejo

It seems like you've tried everything that I can think of.  I would keep offering it a couple times each day and hopefully your LO will take it.  I know how stressful it can be because DD went through the same thing and finally took the bottle a week before she started DC. 

Even if your LO doesn't take the bottle before you return to work he will in no time at daycare, especially when he realizes that he's not getting nursed by the daycare providers.

Mrs.BoomBoom

hocus:

Honestly I really wouldn't worry about it. My neighbors had this issue. They tried everything. When they dropped her off at daycare she took the bottle fine.

Same thing happened to me.  He hadn't taken a bottle for more than 2 months so I was really worried, but had ZERO issues at daycare.

charlies-angel

Mrs.BoomBoom:

hocus:

Honestly I really wouldn't worry about it. My neighbors had this issue. They tried everything. When they dropped her off at daycare she took the bottle fine.

Same thing happened to me.  He hadn't taken a bottle for more than 2 months so I was really worried, but had ZERO issues at daycare.

 Same with me also, though I wouldn't say we had zero issues. She took about a week at daycare before she would drink a full bottle. The first few days she just "snacked" then made up for it when I got home with nursing. I know its stressful, but it will be ok. He may drink less in the beginning (I think the first day DD only drank like 1 or maybe 2 bottles) but it will work itself out. It really is true that when they are hungry, they will eat.  

jnealet

We fought tooth and nail to get D2 to take a bottle, she finally started taking them right before I went back to work but it was a process.  At daycare, however, girlfriend sucks back bottles like no body's business.

Don't give up hope!!

kpowersw

Ugh.  We went through this.  DD fought the bottle tooth and nail when she started daycare.  She didn't like the bottle prior, but totally refused when I went back to work.  One day she only drank 1 oz in 9 hours.  It took her two weeks to finally "get it".  Our pediatrician was very supportive through all this.  She reassured me that no healthy baby will starve his/herself and I just needed to be patient.  She just gave us the signs of dehydration to watch for (didn't happen) and had us come in for a weight check for reassurance.  

I know it's hard to hear don't worry about it as I almost went insane in my first two weeks back but it will work out.  You've done everything you can. 

EmilyStL

I have the same story as everyone else pretty much.  My DD started taking bottles fine at 4 weeks, I went back to work from 3-4 months and she was fine, then over summer break she started refusing them.  I was really worked up over it, but about a week before I had to report back, she started taking them again.  Your baby will most likey start taking bottles again.  If not, he will reverse cycle-- take very little during the day, but then nurse all evening and night to make up for it.  There's good in that too, though, because then you don't have to worry about the amount you're able to pump and you can end up with a nice freezer stash.  Anyway, I have been there so I know how easy it is for everybody else to tell you not to stress and that it'll work out.  It will, though!

JWSchwarz

Good news...I had a hair appointment yesterday so my husband tried a bottle while I was gone. Success!!! I can feel a little better he won't starve at daycare. Thanks for the advice and words of encouragement ladies.