XP: The dreaded bottle

BoilerUp1 · April 2012

Hi all,I know I see these posts all the time but I've never posted on it, so I thought it was my turn!

LO HATES/DESPISES the bottle. He really will only need one very occasionally but I want to know that if I leave him, he can be happy/content and well fed while gone. If he is hungry, he is a fussy mess. We have a wedding next Friday that I am now dreading going to because I know DS will be a hysterical mess all evening since we will be gone for about 6 hours (including his bed time).

We have tried Avents, Born Free, Playtex Nurser and Tommee Tippee all with slow flow nipples. (We also have breastflows and ventaires but have not tried them yet). We have tried multiple different people giving it to him, distracting him, taking him in a quiet room, offering while very hungry and also when not too hungry, etc. I am always out of the room/house when it is offered as well. Nothing seems to work. We have offered one every night for the past 6 days and it is an all out scream fest. He eventually takes about 1.5 oz. over an hour period (during which he is screaming) and chokes/gags the whole time. I am hesitant to go buy a different type of bottle to try because I fear the outcome will be the same and don't want to waste the money. I also think that we need to just pick a bottle and stick with it so as to not confuse him each night with a different one, but... I also want to give him one that he likes/does not choke on. Does anyone have any other suggestions or things I might be missing? I know some babies just end up taking enough to "take the edge off" then cluster feed when mom gets home to offer the breast. I would be ok with that but don't want him to be sad, crying and miserable while I am gone for an extended amount of time. It breaks my heart that he would be that sad over feeding. Any advice would be much appreciated!
Thanks in advance!

Jeanine88 · April 2012

Im so sorry- how frustrating. I don't have any advice except that I BF and we use medela and dr browns bottles and LO will take both. I think he prefers medela. Good luck!

abadab · April 2012

I have no advice - but hope someone else does. I'm in the same boat. My 2 month old refuses to take any bottle. She just bites the nipple and cries. She won't even attempt to suck, so if anything comes out, it's by accident and she just chokes or spits it out. It's horrifying to me - I've done everything you have. I have to go back to work in a month and the idea that she will be upset all day, or do something like sleep all day so she doesn't have to worry about it (which I've been told may happen) makes me heartsick. Everyone tells me she won't let herself starve, but I don't want her to be hungry ever! So... no advice, but know you're not alone.

penguinem · April 2012

We are going through the same thing and it's awful. I have to work and went half time last week but will be full time starting tomorrow. I've tried everything and the feedback I got when posting here was just to stick it out until he gets hungry enough. I can't bear it nor I am I willing to compromise breastfeeding so I will be coming home for one feeding per day. This happened with my first, and she eventually took three bottles a day, but only about 2 oz each. She cluster fed at night. I worked though so she had to. In your case, your LO may just cry and bear it until you get home. Also, we are trying not to resort to dropper feeding but maybe for the wedding this would give you some peace of mind and reduce fussiness d/t hunger. I don't know... But I understand!

BoilerUp1 · April 2012

abadab:
I have no advice - but hope someone else does. I'm in the same boat. My 2 month old refuses to take any bottle. She just bites the nipple and cries. She won't even attempt to suck, so if anything comes out, it's by accident and she just chokes or spits it out. It's horrifying to me - I've done everything you have. I have to go back to work in a month and the idea that she will be upset all day, or do something like sleep all day so she doesn't have to worry about it (which I've been told may happen) makes me heartsick. Everyone tells me she won't let herself starve, but I don't want her to be hungry ever! So... no advice, but know you're not alone.

Thanks...I hope we both find a solution soon!

klmbbb · April 2012

I'm in the same boat, too. LO took her first bottle just great but ever since will not. We've tried the calma and standard nipples but no luck. I guess you just have to keep trying. I have heard if the person feeding the bottle drapes an article of your clothing (that you've worn) over them while trying to feed it can help - I guess because LO will associate your smell (i.e. their food supply) with the bottle. That's the only advice I have. I need to take my own advice and try that next time!

poobear2015 · April 2012

I hope you get some good advice on what to do because I would really like to know as well. DD took a bottle a week since her first week of life (we used Nuk bottles) and she did great. Suddenly - I noticed she was refusing her pacifier. Then DH and I went to the movies and she only ate 1 oz with her grandparents. Now at church today - she drank one oz again over the course of an hour of trying. I just scored a coupon for the new similac bottle and we have a breastflow bottle that came with my pump. I'm going to try both of those in hopes that one of those work.

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