XP Nov12/Breastfeeding: Bottle refusal

kmdixon · March 2013

Anybody dealing/dealt with this? DD is breastfed, but we've given bottles not easily in the past. She now refuses bottles, has never really taken a pacifier, gags, tongue thrusts, becomes flat out inconsolable even after taking the bottle away. It's not a case of it being a long nipple or anything. She gags if its barely touching her lips.

The LC witnessed it all today. She checked her mouth for structural issues none. She was at a loss.

I NEED her to take a bottle in the next few months. Anybody have anything to offer?

kalette · March 2013

Have you tried pumping and feeding right after so its still warm? Cold milk or milk that has sat a while or been frozen might be a harder adjustment. Formula would probably be even more difficult as it tastes and smells so different. If you are doing formula maybe try mixing it with fresh EBM?

kmdixon · March 2013

She's only had breastmilk. From frozen, refrigerated, just pumped, doesn't matter to her, she will not take it.

funsies · March 2013

Yes, we had this exact problem. DD is EBF and took a bottle without issues for her first couple if months. Then I went about a month without giving her one and when we tried again she would have none of it.
I finally found something that worked I started by breastfeeding her for a few seconds to calm her down and then switched her over to the bottle of pumped milk. After a couple days of that I was able to give her the bottle it had to be me and the hand her over to DH to finish it off. After a week she was taking the bottle again from anyone.
All the advice I got was for me to leave the room or she wouldn't take it, but that just wasn't the case with her.
Good luck, I hope you find something that works.

NoeliaV · March 2013

We more or less have given up on the bottle fight with our LO. She purple face screams and tears when the bottle is brought anywhere near her. Even our pedi said, "I've never seen anything like it!" :: sigh ::

The solution, for us, is to dropper feed and offer a bottle, but remove it if she shows any resistance whatsoever. It's been two-ish weeks, and she doesn't scream any longer at the sight of the bottle. Progress.

Try googling "bottle aversion" and see what pops up. Apparently, it can progress into a full on oral aversion, where she'll refuse any nutrition through any oral means... which then means hospitalization and IV nutrition. That's extreme, for sure, but the bottle aversion is something to be very very careful with, imo.

tortuga47 · March 2013

This was our LO. The ONLY thing we found that works is if he takes a bottle sitting in his high chair, bouncy seat or car seat. He will not take a bottle if anyone holds him. I think he associates it with nursing. Since we've started this, he hasn't refused it. Sometimes it take a moment for him to get his tongue in the correct position. When DH gives him his bottle, he pauses often for burping too. I have found he takes it more easily using freshly expressed milk, but he takes warmed breast milk now too.

amdagny · March 2013

We had this issue when I returned to work, and it was heartbreaking. Hearing her cry, knowing that I could BF her to make it stop, was excruciating. It took us about 3 days to get her to take the bottle w/out a huge fit. My husband would jiggle her to get her to take it from him, and my mom (her caregiver during the day) gives it to her in her infant seat. GL!

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