Help! I feel like I've missed opportunities

bikitybinx · May 2012

LO is 9 1/2 weeks. I EBF until week 3 to eliminate any risk of nipple confusion. Shortly after I had DH give her bottles on occasion, to get her used to a bottle in preparation for mat leave ending, sitters, etc... This was somewhat successful - usually she would fuss or drink partial bottles. Because of the difficulty in getting her to drink from the bottle, it was discouraging and we began to do it less...Last week, I was able to get her to drink from a bottle once - since then it has been a lost cause. She only plays with the nipple and eventually I break down and nurse her. Is it possible to get her to take a bottle at this point, now that she is this old?. Should I have DH do it only? Do I need to leave the room when he does? I cant even get her to take a pacifier anymore...

kristinark · May 2012

Sorry no suggestions. But we are in the same situation. Ours refused to take a bottle at home from either of us. She throws a huge fit until we give in and I start to nurse. But the kicker is she takes a bottle during the day from the sitter while we are at work with no issues at all.

I did the same thing I waited until week 3 to start pumping and she took a bottle just fine then. She started to refuse the bottle at week 6 once I started back to work.

Ashley&Scott · May 2012

Don't give up yet. Play around with different positions & milk temperature. (DS's teacher said he likes it really warm) Try leaving the room or the house. Try walking around while feeding. You could also try playing calming music.

For us playing with the nipple was a good step. DS went from screaming to playing to eventually eating. Try not to get frustrated, offer when LO is in a good mood. We found DS likes lay on his changing pad, DH would hold his hand while feeding, talk encouragingly & lean in close.

esmile98 · May 2012

I understand what you're going through. I have an almost 8 week old who does not take a bottle yet. We've tried for the past few weeks and she normally just plays with the nipple. Last week she did drink some. I have purchased different flow nipples and today am going to try a completely different brand bottle/nipple to see if that will work. My husband tries to introduce the bottle once or twice each week. If she doesn't drink from it, we do something else with her before I will nurse her as I don't want her to think she can breastfeed if she refuses a bottle. I have put breast milk on the nipple, made sure the milk is room temperature, left the room, left the house, etc. I try not to introduce the bottle when she is hungry but rather when she is awake and alert in between feedings. I am told to keep trying and eventually she'll take it. Good luck and keep working at it!!!

janamg · May 2012

A few suggestions:

Try to pull the switch a roo on her start at the breast and then give her the bottle. Leave the room when she is getting a bottle. If all else fails try switching bottle all together may be your lo just doesn't like the bottle you are using. It took my SIL 5 different kinds to get my neice to take one. GOOD LUCK!

AllieBelle1 · May 2012

We're also trying to get ours to take a bottle in preparation for me going back to work next week. We've been working on it for weeks with seemingly no progress. Finally she started to play with the nipple instead of crying and then all of a sudden this weekend while on vacation, she took a whole 1 oz bottle from me propped up facing me. That is way more than any previous attempts. She has done okay but not great with me, DH and my mom since, but I'm no longer afraid she'll completely starve her first days at daycare. We tried different positions, people, and bottles. From what I've read, there is really nothing that works for all babies and it is a LOT of frustrating trial and error. On the other hand, when we were switching everything after one failed attempt, I think it kept her feeling unstable and therefore unhappy, so we picked a bottle and position that had had a slight bit of promise and stuck with it for several days in a row before moving on if it still didn't work. Good luck!