Help! My BF baby won't take bottles.

McLovinfromHawaii · July 2009

She took bottles (pumped BM) before but I have been EBF lately. I tried bottles recently because she is going to be watched by my mom a few days in August. I've tried Medela bottles, Playex drop-ins, Born Free, and adiri bottles. Any suggestions for getting her to take a bottle?

iteachk · July 2009

My LO quit taking bottles at 2 months, and we tried everything under the sun to try to get her to take one. She took a preemie bottle (we got it from the hospital) for about a week. It's the only one we had any luck with; she hasn't taken a bottle since. I hope you find something that works!

anna7602 · July 2009

We had this problem when I went back to work at 3 months. We tried so many different crazy things and eventually, something worked. Make sure you are nowhere in the house or vicinity when she is getting a bottle, first of all. Next, make sure your DH or whoever is giving her the bottle sits in different places in the house besides where you nurse her. Try facing her out so she can look at the room, or having a toy or something to distract her during feeding time. We also had success feeding her a bottle while bouncing on an exercise ball. It sounds really weird, but it worked. The bouncing seemed to calm her down (since she would scream hysterically as soon as she saw the bottle).

You could also switch it up with the time of day- maybe first thing in the am or just after a nap when she's still a little groggy and may not put up as much of a fight.

TXSweetheart · July 2009

DS did that at 6 weeks and didn't take a bottle consistently again until I weened him at 9 months. I talked to pediatrician and LC about it. We had some luck (but not much) with the breast flow bottles, but it really has nothing to do with the bottle, it's just really common for EBF babies to prefer the boob. IF you aren't going back to work, I wouldn't fight it. If you are going back to work, my pedi said a 48-72 hour stint offering nothing but the bottle is the best way to do it. They will refuse a feeding (or two or three!), but will eventually take the bottle again. I didn't have the heart to do it, but wish I had. I think part of why I weened DS when I did was because I just couldn't take being his ONLY source of milk any longer. I initially thought I'd for sure go a year or longer. Anyway, I think if I would have gotten him taking bottles and been able to give myself a break a little sooner, I could have stuck with it longer. So something to think about!

BrendaK · July 2009

No specific advice... We had to try a ton of different bottles before finding one that worked - NUK. She refused most bottles (and the ones she took gave her horrible air problems), but she took right to NUK and hasn't ever had a problem with them.

Melymel80 · July 2009

Dr Browns wide neck. LO refused every bottle but this one. She takes it no problem, even from me. Good Luck.

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